If you want to arrive safely at your destination, you need to check your blind spots along the way – and this remains true even when the “destination” in question is financial independence. In today’s article, the author outlines several common “financial blind spots” he has observed which can, if not checked, have significant repercussions for your journey to financial independence. For more – including a potential “double blind spot” that can impact retirement – CLICK HERE.
Retired
Mean Retirement: How Much The Average Retiree Spends Each Month (And On What)
The average household run by a retirement-age person (someone 65 or older) spends only $1,000 less each month than the average U.S. household. Surprised spending does not decrease more in retirement? In order to help you better plan your retirement finances today’s article breaks down the monthly spending of the average household run by a retirement-age person into seven categories. For more, CLICK HERE.
Smart Investing For Your Retirement Accounts
How should you invest your retirement accounts? With IRAs holding about $9 trillion and 401(k)s holding about $5 trillion, that is the critical question that today’s article tackles. In seeking to answer it, the author highlights the importance of intrinsic stock value, reinvested dividends (and tax deferral), diversification – and Warren Buffett. For more on investing your retirement accounts, CLICK HERE.
The “Secret” Uses Of Health Savings Accounts
High-deductible healthcare plans can be unappealing thanks to that high deductible. However, high-deductible healthcare plans are increasingly being offered along with health savings accounts – which, along with their traditional uses (as short-term vehicles to cover out-of-pocket healthcare costs and as long-term savings vehicles for the “wealthy and healthy”) can be used in other ways that get less attention. Specifically, today’s article looks at how HSAs can be used to cover non-healthcare expenses prior to retirement, any expense after 65, and long-term care. For more, CLICK HERE.
Strategies For Dealing With Market Volatility On Retirement’s Doorstep
Given its recent moves, investors have reason to be anxious about the market – and none more so than investors who are at retirement’s doorstep. For those in that group, today’s article outlines a number of strategies to consider, as identified by top financial advisers. First, however, the author advises that “It’s critical that you…draft a retirement-income plan”, noting that “Those who have such a plan don’t worry about market declines. And those who don’t have a plan, worry.” For how to create a retirement-income plan – and for the aforementioned strategies for protecting your retirement portfolio from market volatility – CLICK HERE.
The Challenges Presented By – And Strategies For Dealing With – “The Magic Retirement Age”
Whatever your planned retirement age, you’re likely to retire closer to age 61 than you think. This is one of the findings of a recent study of retirement data, which found that “planned and actual retirement ages align at 61, with those planning to retire earlier than that tending to retire later than expected, and those planning to retire after 61 tending to retire earlier than expected. In other words, actual retirement ages pull toward 61.” What did the same study find about predicting who will end up retiring earlier (or later) than planned – and what are some strategies for dealing with the challenges presented by the magic retirement age? CLICK HERE.
Retirees’ Guide To Fourth Quarter Dos & Deadlines
The author of today’s article notes that, while “most retirees can sail through the first nine months of each year without a lot of financial to-dos that carry hard-and-fast deadlines…once the fourth quarter kicks off, the calendar gets a little fuller and financial deadlines come up fast and furiously.” As such, she proceeds to outline the key fourth-quarter dates that retirees need to stay on top of – relating to Medicare enrollment, required minimum distributions, IRA conversions and more. CLICK HERE.
Why The “Siren Song” Of Zero Brokerage Commissions Can Be Dangerous For Retirees
What could be bad about the trend currently underway towards commission-free trading? A lot – especially for retirees. In fact, the author of today’s article describes zero brokerage commissions as “the latest Siren Song to tempt retirees into dangerous behavior.” So what exactly is the concern? It has to do with the effect that zero commissions have on trading frequency – and the pairing of two “toxic behavior patterns in retirement”. For more, CLICK HERE.
Real Estate & Retirement: Strategies, Pros and Cons
If you’re looking to diversify your retirement income streams – especially in a way that factors in inflation – investing in real estate can be one avenue to consider. Today’s article outlines four ways you can invest in real estate for retirement – investing in private mortgage funds, purchasing rental property, investing in real estate investment trusts, and cashing in home equity – and the pros and cons of each. For more, CLICK HERE.
3 Attractively Valued High-Yield Stocks For Accumulators And Retirees Alike
For both those in the accumulation phase of their investment careers and those nearing retirement or in retirement, dividend growth stocks have great appeal – even though, as the author of today’s article notes, these two groups may be looking for slightly different things from these stocks (total returns in the case of accumulators and reliable, inflation-beating income in the case of retirees). He proceeds to highlight “three attractively valued high-yielding businesses with well-protected and growing dividends” that could appeal to either group. For more, CLICK HERE.
