He became determined at an early age to achieve financial independence by age 37 – and now, at age 26 and with a net worth of approximately $150,000, he is on track to do just that. In today’s article, the so-called Money Wizard shares his savings strategy that he expects will result in $750,000 by the time he is 37,…
As Republican lawmakers haggle over the details of their Obamacare replacement plan, one thing that is certain is that, whatever the final product ends up being, health savings accounts (HSAs) will be a major component. And with them offering a “tax trifecta” of pre-tax contributions, tax-free growth and tax-free withdrawals (for qualified medical expenses), the use of HSAs has already…
“One of the trickier decisions of saving for retirement is determining which accounts to prioritize with your savings,” notes the author of today’s article. As such, he proceeds to outline a general recommended order when it comes to saving for retirement. Number one in that order is, of course, investing enough in your 401(k) to at least get any employer…
“There is no arguing that sitting in cash is a lousy investment,” asserts the author of today’s article, noting that cash earns next to nothing in the average checking account and does not even keep pace with inflation. But research shows that there is an emotional upside to having more cash on hand than is generally recommended: it makes us…
The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement is growing as more and more workers seek to save enough so that they can leave full-time work in their 30s, 40s or 50s – and those that have achieved early retirement have developed some tools to help those who aspire to do so. Are you on track to retire early based on…
After being delayed, the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule – which requires that all financial professionals put the best interests of their clients first when it comes to retirement accounts – is set to be implemented (for now) on June 9. But beyond eliminating conflicts of interest, will the rule make it less expensive to invest for retirement? Today’s article…
For diligent retirement savers, the author of today’s article doesn’t see investing in large-cap stocks – with their maturity and predictable cash flows – as being a bad plan. However, for the large segment of Americans who are either behind on saving for retirement (or have no retirement savings at all), he points to small-cap stocks as being “the best…
To lump or not to lump? When it comes to how they want to receive their pensions or 401(k)s, many Americans are choosing lump sums over guaranteed monthly installments – and proceeding to deplete that money within 5 ½ years on average, according to one survey. Why are so many people choosing lump sums over annuities, and where is that…
The transition from building up savings leading up to retirement to spending down those savings once in retirement can be challenging, both strategically and psychologically – and thus mapping out an in-retirement financial plan is critical, notes the author of today’s article. To aid in this complicated endeavor, she lays out “the key tasks to tackle” when devising such a…
“The savings decisions you are making today have far more implications than you might be seeing,” warns the author of today’s article, who points out that many people decide to save the maximum allowable in their 401(k)s because “that’s what everyone does.” The problem with following the herd in this regard, according to the author? 401(k)s were not designed to…