Alphabet Inc. investors rejected 17 shareholder proposals at the Google parent company’s annual meeting Wednesday, including a racial-equity audit, but approved a company proposal to increase the shar...
Tag: personnel issues
Why cash is an important part of your retirement plan
Retirement savers are often told they’ll see a greater return in their retirement assets if they invest it – and that may be true – but it’s important to prioritize some cash in a retirement plan as w...
‘I have great plans for myself’: My girlfriend doesn’t understand how her student loan works and rents a pricey apartment. What if we marry — and divorce?
My girlfriend and I have been in a relationship for seven months, and it is getting more serious. I don’t expect us to get married in the next year but I like to plan ahead and if things keep working ...
Bank of America is raising its hourly minimum wage to $22 — here’s how many people don’t even come close to pay like that
Bank of America workers are getting a pay bump at the end June when minimum wages climb to $22 as a part of the major bank’s longstanding plan to get its starting rate to $25 by 2025. It’s good news f...
‘The dip is your friend’: Why some advisers are telling young investors to buy stocks, despite stagflation fears roiling markets
How low can stocks go? This question has made investors nervous, as they fear one bottom after another. The answer: Pick a number. Some analysts say brace for further drops, others expect a bounce. Wa...
Americans are still saving for retirement — and becoming 401(k) millionaires
Americans may be afraid to look at their retirement accounts thanks to stock market volatility, but many investors are still staying the course, according to Fidelity Investments’ most recent data rel...
‘I partially support my partner of 12 years as his business is, sadly, failing’: I’m 33, and have $300,000 in company stock. Should I sell those shares to pay off my debt of $56,000?
I am 33 years old, I currently make just over $120,000 a year, including an annual bonus, and my company has gifted me with around $300,000 in equity in the firm, although our stock is brand new, so i...
What is retirement really like?
We hear a lot about how prepared (or ill-prepared) people are for retirement. But what’s life really like for people in retirement? A fascinating new survey from the Age Wave research and consulting f...
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...
The cost of retiree healthcare is climbing— here’s what you should expect to spend
Healthcare costs continue to rise — Americans planning to retire should prepare ahead of time. The average 65-year-old couple retiring in 2022 can expect to spend $315,000 in retirement on healthcare...
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...
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...
The Fed raised interest rates – what to do now with your retirement portfolio
Inflation is rising, the stock market is volatile and now the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates – but investors, as always, should steer clear of any major changes, financial advisers said. T...
Why did the Dow plunge more than 1,000 points? Should I wait for stocks to sink lower? Here’s what some pros think.
What a difference a day makes. Fresh off the best percentage gain for the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -3.12% since Nov. 9, 2020, the blue-chip index got clobbered, along with the rest of the st...
6 things to know before you jump into retirement
I’m six months into my retirement from the corporate world. How are things going? Any regrets? Any big surprises? No regrets, for sure. I knew that leaving the workplace at age 61 would be a trade off...
‘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...
Opinion: Berkshire and Buffett have 5 words for sellers who want their money: ‘Take it or leave it’
As fans flock this weekend to Omaha, Neb. for Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholders meeting hosted by Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. The answer: ...
‘The issues with the IRS are still present and very real’: Millions of Americans are racing to file their tax returns, and filing extensions
Tax Day came and went earlier this week, so if your upcoming weekend plans are just chilling after the last-minute tax time bustle, you might have company. April 18 marked the deadline in most states ...
How to prepare your finances for another recession: ‘We think a hard landing will ultimately be unavoidable’
Two years after the short, sharp pandemic-related recession, Wall Street is once again warning of a new recession on the horizon. That’s not a lot to go on, but financial-planning experts say it ought...
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...
A retired nurse lost $43,000 to bitcoin — watch out for red flags online
A New York retired nurse lost $43,000 of her life savings to bitcoin scammers, after transferring the money to them through a malicious computer pop-up – an unfortunate reminder to be vigilant when it...
‘I am a 53-year-old single man with very little savings’: I want to take out a 30-year mortgage, but pay it off in 7 years. Is that possible?
I am a 53-year-old single man with very little in savings. I paid off all my credit-card debt a couple of years ago. I have now decided to purchase a home. My rent has increased to the point where it ...