Even some of the most aggressive retirement savers and investors might find themselves a bit nervous these days with talks of a recession and a market downturn, so the best strategy for those in it fo...
Tag: Individual Retirement Accounts
America’s Retirement System Is Broken. This Economist Is Trying to Fix It.
Economist Alicia Munnell has been telling America it has a retirement problem for decades, and by most measures it has gotten worse. Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research, which she heads, c...
Scared to check your 401(k) as Dow tumbles? Here’s when you should look — and when you shouldn’t
To look or not to look. That’s the question when people consider checking the balances in their investment and retirement accounts. Maybe ignorance is bliss amid a volatile stock market’s recent seque...
3 moves retirement savers can make now to profit from the stock market turmoil
Every crisis is an opportunity. The massive turmoil on financial markets so far this year is no exception. Here are three things that every middle-class American can do with their 401(k), IRA or other...
Is now a good time to do a Roth IRA conversion?
Hello and welcome to Financial Face-off, a MarketWatch column where we help you weigh financial decisions. Our columnist will give her verdict. Tell us whether you think she’s right in the comments. A...
Taking RMDs During a Downturn Hurts. Here’s How to Manage the Pain.
Is it better to rip off a bandage and get the pain over with or to remove it slowly and gently, limiting the pain while prolonging it? That’s essentially the question facing seniors who have spent dec...
Behind on retirement saving? A bad market can be a good time to invest
Small business owners are among the Americans most likely to fall behind on saving for retirement. Investing back into a business is more often a priority for entrepreneurs with any excess cash than i...
I pay $2,164 a year in retirement account fees – one month’s worth of contributions – should I leave one of the plans for an IRA instead?
I’m 44, married and have a small family. I have been working a government job for 15 years. I make approximately $41,000 take home per year ($3,416.00/month) after all deductions and savings. I contr...
Can I turn my posttax 401(k) into a Roth?
Q.: I’m 74 and taking out the required withdrawals. Can I turn the post- tax 401(k) into a Roth so I don’t have to pay taxes? A.: Yes, sort of. How to do that varies. Though a Roth 401(k) account is a...
Empty-Nesters Aren’t Saving for Retirement Like They Promised. That’s a Problem.
Currently, a person 50 or older can stash as much as $27,000 a year into a 401(k) and $7,000 into an IRA or Roth IRA. Photo illustration by Barron’s staff; (reference) Dreamstime (4) Text size ...
We want to retire in a few years, and have about $1 million saved. Should I move my money to a Roth, and pay off my $200,000 mortgage while I’m at it?
Dear MarketWatch, I’m 64 and my husband is 62. We plan to work until he is at least 65, so three or four more years. We have about $1 million total in various accounts, but my own IRA has $400,000 in...
Here’s why a Roth IRA conversion may pay off in a down market
Morsa Images | E+ | Getty Images Soaring inflation, interest rate hikes and the war in Ukraine have sparked ongoing stock market volatility. But there may be a bright spot: the chance to save money on...
‘My aim is to have a net worth of at least $100,000’: I’m 29 and live with my mom in a rented mobile home. I have a $25K emergency fund and $26K in a Roth IRA. What do I save for next?
I am doing OK financially as a single 29-year-old who unfortunately is still roommates with my mom. We split everything down the middle and I mainly stay with her since it is very expensive to live on...
How will boomers draw down their 401(k) balances?
Recent studies have found that past generations drew down their financial assets very slowly in retirement, leaving much of their savings untouched throughout old age. This finding always seemed obvi...
Weekend reads: How to position your investments before the Federal Reserve causes a bear market
Do you remember all the times Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell was quoted as saying inflation in the U.S. was “transitory”? With the Fed now ready to fight inflation, the bond market has quickly...
When a traditional IRA makes sense over a Roth account
Saving in an IRA makes sense whether you have a retirement plan at work or not, but investors then have to decide if a traditional or Roth account is better – as always, it depends. Retirement Tip of...
Cut Your Retirement Spending Now, Says Creator of the 4% Rule
For decades, retirees have relied on the 4% rule to determine how much was safe to spend in retirement. Now, the rule’s inventor says current market conditions may require an even more conservative ap...
Here’s Another Reason to Do a Roth IRA Conversion. Your Heirs Will Thank You.
Dreamstime Text size If you’re planning to leave a tax-deferred account to your children, you may be able to save them a lot of money by doing Roth conversions while you’re alive. Suppose you have a ...
‘We are not sure how prepared we are for retirement’ – we are 60 and 61, and don’t know how much longer we can work, have $360,000 in retirement savings and a pension
I am a 61-year-old teacher in Missouri who plans to work 3-4 more years before retiring. Depending on what option my husband and I choose from the Public School Retirement System, we should get betwee...
Want to Add Crypto to Your Retirement Portfolio? Here’s How, and What to Consider.
With many cryptocurrencies surging last year as the overall market surpassed $3 trillion in value, a growing number of retirement savers are looking for ways to tap into the potential. Before joining ...
Should I use a 401(k) or an IRA to save for retirement? A traditional account or the Roth version? Here’s what to know
You can save on taxes while saving for retirement by using an IRA or a 401(k). But deciding the best account is not always straightforward. There’s also the Roth option for both, meaning four choices,...
‘I can tolerate him for 7 months — at the most’: My husband and I live apart in the summer. Should I refinance my house and set up a joint savings account?
Dear Quentin, My husband of seven years owns a home in Minnesota, and has a mortgage. I own a home in Florida with no mortgage. We have no savings or retirement accounts. Should I pull my equity from ...
RMD Age Stands to Rise to 75 as House Passes Secure Act 2.0. Here’s What to Know.
Dreamstime Text size The second major piece of retirement legislation in little more than two years advanced in the House on Tuesday, putting required minimum distributions in line to rise to age 75 o...
Opinion: I want to leave a Roth IRA to my sister with special needs — what’s the best way to do that?
Q.: I have a Roth IRA that I would like to leave to my sister. She has mental-health issues and I want to have a way to leave money to be distributed monthly without paying it all out in handling fees...
‘Motherhood Penalty’ Ranges as High as $600,000. Here Are Some Tips to Catch Up.
When the pandemic hit in 2020 and shut down schools, Samantha Goodman decided there was no way to work and care for her son, now 6. So for two years she gave up on having a job or saving for retiremen...
Yes, Roths Are Tax-Free Retirement Accounts. But TFRAs Refer to Something Else.
Dreamstime.com Text size Have a question about saving for retirement or your personal financial situation? Whatever the question, Barron’s Retirement can try to help. Email [email protected], and...
Americans are pausing investments because of the Russia-Ukraine war
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is degrading Americans’ financial outlook, sparking the desire to save more and postpone investing, according to a survey from MassMutual. But steering clear of st...
3 big problems with Congress’ new retirement reforms
A new set of reforms to America’s retirement tax and savings plans passed a key hurdle in Congress last week. Variously known as the SECURE Act 2.0, the EARN Act and the RISE & SHINE Act, the meas...