It can have a dramatic impact on your retirement – and, unfortunately, it is largely out of your control. We’re talking about the market’s sequence of returns leading up to – and throughout – your golden years. The author of today’s article illustrates the impact that differing sequence of returns can have on the equity portion of one’s portfolio and,…
If you’re close to retirement you can thank them for helping to give the return on your retirement savings a boost. But if your retirement is still a ways off, the author of today’s article warns that “you’re going to have a devil of a time getting a decent return on your retirement savings” because of them. The “them” in…
The three stocks highlighted in today’s article offer above-average dividend yields (and the potential for years of continued dividend growth) as well as strong prospects for long-term returns, as each of the companies in question is a leader in its respective industry. As a result, the authors believe these three stocks are ideal picks for helping to build a retirement…
The market’s sequence of returns matters – having weaker returns come early in one’s life cycle (when the amount invested is smaller) and stronger returns come later in one’s life cycle (when the amount invested is much larger) puts one in a much better position going into retirement than the reverse scenario. Unfortunately, while the sequence of returns matters a…
With the average life expectancy in the U.S. approaching 80 years, the long-advised strategy of shifting away from riskier (but higher-returning) assets like stocks and towards safer (but lower-returning) assets like bonds as you near retirement is not without its own risk: the risk of running out of money. The trick to navigating this risk/reward quandary, according to today’s article,…
With a few exceptions (e.g. collectibles, life insurance), you can own pretty much anything in an individual retirement account, from real estate and precious metals to farming interests and church bonds. And with concerns that the stock market is overvalued (and rising interest rates affecting bond prices), nontraditional assets – with their juicy return potential and diversification benefits – may…
When it comes to the assumptions your retirement is riding on, the author of today’s article warns that “abject optimism can be dangerous.” But not only do many retirement planners have overly optimistic expectations about rates of return in the coming years, many are also overly optimistic with their plans to work longer in order to help fund their retirements:…
A recent survey of 401(k) participants found that almost 70% believed they would be able to save enough for a financially secure retirement. The problem? Two-thirds of those surveyed believed that returns going forward will be in line with – or higher than – returns in the past, while most analysts expect that returns will be lower – perhaps significantly…
While many financial firms recommend that U.S. investors have some exposure to foreign stocks, that entails exposure to the currencies of the countries in question, and the author of today’s article notes “that means in addition to the stock’s performance, your total return will include the performance of the foreign currency translated into U.S. dollars.” With a strong dollar, this…
With the average savings account yielding a meager 0.11 percent – far less than the rate of inflation – one financial planner cited in today’s article describes using a traditional savings account for your emergency fund cash as simply being a way of “losing money safely”. As such, the author proceeds to outline other options for your emergency fund that…