Retirement

Before mutual funds became the de facto standard investment option in 401(k) plans, before 401(k) plans became the de facto standard retirement savings option, most people invested in individual securities. Sure, mutual funds existed back then, but they often carried large commission charges, even larger front-end loads, and, to discourage you from leaving, mutual fund

You’ve learned why it’s important to avoid investment products once you enter your retirement. If you’re lucky, you can, and maybe you should, begin transitioning your investments to individual securities well before you earn that gold watch. “Typically, the further one gets away from owning individual investments, the higher the costs become,” says Stephen Taddie,

Targeted saving is a saving plan directed toward a future benefit that is otherwise beyond the means of the saver. An example is the consumer who places $X every month in an earmarked account that is targeted on the purchase of a mink coat or a motorcycle at a future date. It can also be

You’ll hear it all the time, that resolution to do more exercise with the new year. People may start out the first week, but then it’s back to old habits of a sedentary life. TV may be more tempting than putting on those walking shoes, if they even have the shoes. And the excuses are

Key takeaways Inflation fell in December, with the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) falling 0.1% for the month. It’s the biggest reduction since April 2020, and brings the annual rate of inflation own to 6.5%, from 7.1% last month. The biggest driver of the reduction was lower fuel and gasoline prices, which were down double

Key Takeaways The AI hype train has well and truly left the station. But what happens if you add AI hype to crypto hype? Well, that hype train goes from steam powered locomotive to bullet train AI has the potential to fundamentally change the way the crypto universe works, and could solve a lot of

Key takeaways Tech is the big loser of recessions, while essential goods usually weather the storm. A few industries tend to buck the trend of dipping in recessions to provide consistent dividends. Some stocks have fared well in the last year and could be players to watch, but there’s never any guarantee that any will

Key takeaways Wells Fargo, the country’s third largest mortgage lender, is stepping back from the mortgage market. While not exiting it entirely, they’ll be focusing on only providing mortgages to their existing customers, and those in minority communities. It’s a major shake up which will see Wells Fargo take the lead from competitors like Bank

One of the greatest benefits of traveling, or better yet, of living in a different country, is to be able to see how others live their lives and to compare it with how we live ours. If we are open to it, we can gain perspective and insight, not only into the human condition in

Key Takeaways AI is here to stay, and it’s likely to mean there are going to be some changes to the world of work. Some jobs will change, and others will be lost altogether. However, as the AI industry explodes, there are a number of roles that will go from the fringes to widely popular,

Rusty had paid for a long-term care policy for many years. Then, one day, his daughter found a cancelation notice for nonpayment of premiums sitting on his desk. “Dad, why are you not paying the premiums for this policy?” “Because I have Medicare and my pipe-trade’s policy. I don’t need that one.” “Dad, get out

Millions of Americans do not save enough for retirement, not because they don’t want to, but because they face systematic obstacles to doing so. One such obstacle is a tax code rigged to benefit the highest earners. Congress took one small step (among other, ineffective steps) to fix this by creating a federal saver’s match

What is it and is it fair? There is much discussion as to whether the Social Security Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) is fair. The WEP provision was signed into law on April 21, 1983. This article is not written to sway your opinion one way or the other but to share the theory behind this

I am so happy to have some good news for Roth IRA investors finally. For 2023, the Roth IRA contribution limit will finally be increasing. While not life-changing, the new 2023 Roth IRA contribution limit is $6,500. This is up from the $6,000 Roth IRA limit in 2022. Why should you care about an increase

To be sure, I’ve pretty much just invented the term “reverse nudge.” But here’s a definition: A reverse nudge is threshold, cut-off or similar characteristic of a policy by a governmental body, educational institution, employer, or similar entity which has the unintended effect of directing individuals to unwise behavior for their particular circumstances. That’s a

(083110 Brookline, MA) Mayela Fernandez is a full-time caregiver of her mother, Digna Salazar, who … [+] suffers from dementia, Tuesday, August 31, 2010. Staff photo by Angela Rowlings. (Photo by Angela Rowlings/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images) MediaNews Group via Getty Images I wrote last week about having a difficult conversation with your “first

Introduction Tax reimbursement clauses are a common clause in many trusts. Why are they used? Why are they important for you to understand? What Is A Grantor Trust? To understand the use of a tax reimbursement clause you need to first understand what a grantor trust is and how it works. When a trust is

For some time now, people have recognized the Child IRA as one of the most powerful retirement savings tools available. Why does the Child IRA, despite its obvious advantages, have so many obstacles? For one simple reason: It requires the child to have a job. The ideal Child IRA starts with your child working as

Most journalists will go crazy saying December’s jobs report is terrific. Indeed, 223,000 jobs were added and prime-aged women (ages 35-44) are going back at work. But the unemployment rate for workers older than age 55 increased from 2.5% to 2.7%. And there are more clouds in today’s report. Workers are not acting as feisty

As the old idiom goes, you’ve got to be in it, to win it. That’s certainly true of investing. But with fears of recession around the corner, along with 2022 losses that we haven’t experienced since the Great Recession of 2008, it’s easy to see why one might hesitate to enter the market today. For