Your internal alarm bells may ring when reading your next 401(k) plan statement — at first blush, at least. Traditional 401(k) statements — regular notices that arrive by mail or online — show investo...
Tag: Retirement planning
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...
The Best Retirement Spending Advice From Our Readers
Regarding “rules” for budgeting in retirement, I set aside $100,000 in what I call my “Stuff Happens” account. It’s designed to get me through five years of unexpected and one-time expenses. My buddie...
I invested in Tesla early and now have an 8-figure nest egg. Do I need a financial adviser?
How do you know if you need a financial adviser or not? Getty Images Question: I’m considering quitting working soon. I invested in Tesla early on and 100x-ed and am at a very low eight-figure value n...
Should I name my spouse or my trust as the beneficiary as my 401(k) and IRA?
Dear Harry, I’m married and want my entire estate to go to my spouse. I have a revocable trust which will continue for my spouse’s benefit upon my death. Should I name my spouse or my trust as the ben...
Hot stocks may bring an initial thrill, but they’ll break your heart
My father was born in 1936 in Brooklyn. He attended Erasmus High School, earned a degree in chemical engineering from Brooklyn Polytechnic High School and then went on to study dentistry at New York ...
‘Should we wait to see how the market plays out?’ I want to purchase a rental home. Is this a good time?
Dear MarketWatch, Is it a good time to buy an investment home to rent out, or should we wait off on it? We live in Arizona, but the home I’d be buying is located in El Paso, Texas. It would involve ta...
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...
5 smart money moves for your first 5 years of retirement
When you dream of retirement, you figure you’ll finally enjoy worry-free living. But the first few years can prove surprisingly tense. A big cash outlay or costly divorce can upend your best-laid plan...
Watch out if you’re male, over 45, and think you know about investing
The stock market’s recent weakness could be particularly hazardous to your wealth if you’re male, above the age of 45, married, have more dependents, or think you have excellent investment knowledge. ...
Why it’s a good time for young investors to put money in the market
FG Trade | E+ | Getty Images Opportunities in the dip For young investors with the longest time horizons to plan for retirement, today’s market downturn also provides an opportunity, according t...
Worried about your investments? Here’s how the smart money made 100% when market gloom was this bad.
The best news for investors that I’ve heard in a long time is that the M.B.A. geniuses who manage the world’s pension funds now hate the stock market with a vengeance. According to the latest comprehe...
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...
You just retired and your target-date fund has plunged. What do you do now?
If you recently retired or are near retirement and you had your money in a target-date fund designed for people retiring about now, bad luck. So far this year, the “target” is you. Morningstar tells m...
‘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...
How retirement coaches are training people to make one of life’s trickiest transitions
Craig Bernhard worked his tail off for 43 years. Twenty-six of them were in the Air Force, which included time as a fighter pilot — F-106 Delta Darts and later the F-15 Eagle — and then 17 at Boeing C...
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...
What is a high-deductible Medigap plan, and is it worth the cost?
This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet. Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, covers “gaps” in Original Medicare coverage, including certain copays, coinsurance and deductibles....
My parents-in-law sold their home and bought an RV. They have $200K in the bank. How can they protect their assets from being used for nursing-home costs?
My father-in-law has health issues. While he is not quite ready for a nursing home, that may be a necessity in the near future. He has state retirement benefits and a very small Social Security check....