How much should you have in savings? Getty Images/iStockphoto About half (49%) of American adults have either less emergency savings than they did last year, or no savings at all, according to a new B...
Tag: Personal finance
‘When we retire, we lose a lot.’ How to avoid retirement shock.
When I found myself unexpectedly packaged off by the bank, I was initially very happy. I was planning to leave anyway because the stress was getting to me. When the bank gave me a severance check at a...
How can I save my long-term care insurance after a premium hike?
I am 78 years old and have been a long-term care policyholder for approximately 20 years. My premiums started around $1,500 per year. The annual rate was scheduled to increase every five years. By the...
Retirees struggling to stay afloat: How to keep health and economic issues from draining your savings
Dorri Olds, a 61-year-old freelance writer and graphic designer, says she has spent nearly all her savings to refurbish her New York City apartment. In an emergency, she says she would sell it and con...
This little-known indicator with an excellent record is projecting below-average long-term returns
Small- and midcap stocks will be below-average performers over the next five years. That’s a discouraging prospect, since these sectors have already suffered more than the broad market. The Russell 20...
Moving in Retirement to Cut Tax Costs? Consider These 4 Factors First.
When an affluent suburban Chicago couple came to John Campbell, senior wealth strategist at U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, planning to retire in New Mexico because of its weather and lower incom...
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is the largest investor in these 8 stocks
As 2022 wrapped, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway was the largest shareholder of eight stocks that include traditional oil companies and financial-services giants. “Berkshire now enjoys major owner...
I’m retiring, what do I do with my 401(k)? You have 4 choices, but only 3 are good.
You have to make a lot of decisions when you retire, and among the biggest is what to do with your workplace retirement savings. No matter how much money you have or how you intend to invest it, you h...
I’m 73 and will only have my 401(k) after retiring. How do I make it last?
I am 73 years old and still employed full time. I will receive no retirement benefits when I leave my job except for a 401(k). My question is: what is the best way to handle this 401(k) without losing...
The Only 401(k) Savers Who Didn’t Lose Money in The Past Year
The only workers whose 401(k) balances grew in 2022 were the Gen Z savers still decades away from retirement, according to new data from Fidelity Investments. While the average nest egg among Fidelit...
Nearing retirement? Here’s how to shift your portfolio from growth to income.
Over the decades, perhaps you’ve been very good at saving your money and investing it for long-term growth. But when the time comes for you to stop working or to step back to a part-time job, you migh...
We’re in our 60s and have lost $250,000 in our 401(k) plans — can we still retire?
I am a 61-year-old female who has worked for the same financial institution since the age of 16. I will have 50 years at the company if I retire at 66. I’ve lost over $150,000 in my 401(k) this past y...
Tempted to chase fat yields in money market accounts? Why it might not pay to switch.
The yield chase is on. After more than two years of historically low interest rates, savers are rediscovering that they can earn money on their money by letting it sit. During the pandemic, many saver...
Should you buy an annuity for your retirement?
Annuities are a popular retirement income vehicle with many insurance agents, registered representatives and financial advisers. They probably have as many supporters as detractors. Here are some of t...
These 61 companies tried out a 4-day workweek — and most are sticking with it
Four-day workweek for the win. Companies in the U.K. that experimented with a four-day workweek last year reported more revenue and less staff attrition, while most workers participating in the trial ...
Al Gore’s Firm Sells Alibaba Stock, TSMC, and Shopify. It Bought TI.
Generation Investment Management, chaired by former Vice President Al Gore, recently made big changes in its portfolio, reshuffling its holdings in the semiconductor business as its money managers cit...
At 55 years old, I will have worked for 30 years — what are the pros and cons of retiring at that age?
Dear MarketWatch, I currently own one home, no mortgage with rental income. I own another home that will be paid off the year I turn 55. Both valued at $750,000. I have a 401(k) and other stocks and...
I’m a single dad earning $100,000 – how do I maximize my retirement dollars?
Dear MarketWatch, I make over $100,000 a year, and expect to for the foreseeable future. As of now, I am contributing 8% of my income to my 403(b) with a 3% 401(a) match; all Roth. It would be more, ...
My fiancé and I are 60. His adult daughter is opposed to our marriage — and insists on inheriting her father’s $3.2 million estate. How should we handle her?
What advice would you give to a widow and widower considering marriage on how to manage finances — and deal with adult children? We are both 60 years old and plan to work a few more years, mostly for ...
Will Warren Buffett retire? What to look for in his annual letter.
Warren Buffett is an inspiration to retirees everywhere. In the 27 years since he reached what the Social Security system said was his full retirement age, shares of his Berkshire Hathaway BRK.B, +0.0...
These money and investing tips can hold up your portfolio if the market melts down
Don’t miss these top money and investing features: Sign up here to get MarketWatch’s best mutual funds and ETF stories emailed to you weekly! INVESTING NEWS & TRENDS Why the stock market’s pullbac...
Taxpayers can now respond to 9 IRS notices online
Hoxton/Sam Edwards | Getty Images After kicking off tax season with customer service and technology upgrades, the IRS this week unveiled a new option allowing taxpayers to respond more easily to certa...
The Way Americans Retire Has Changed Forever. Saving a Nest Egg Isn’t Enough.
About the author: Martin Neil Baily is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He was Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Clinton. He is the co-author, with Benjamin H. ...
7 tax tips for seniors to make the most of your deductions
Tax filing season just opened for 2022 returns, and the IRS is already warning that average refunds may be lower since most pandemic economic relief measures are finished. That means careful tax plann...
Here’s what we learned from the IRS Commissioner hearing
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., questions IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig at a Senate Finance Committee hearing. Tom Williams | Pool | Reuters President Joe Biden‘s nominee ...
The 20 worst U.S. stocks in February: the biggest loser dropped 35%
Updated with month-end prices. The euphoria of January reversed in February, with broad declines for stocks across the board as interest rates continued to rise. Bond interest rates are more attractiv...