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There are plenty of personal finance sites out there that tell us how to save, spend, borrow and invest money, but Ray Advani says there aren’t too many that discuss how these things are impacted by relationships. That’s why he started Tie the Money Knot back in 2012. He wanted to start a conversation about…

Preparing for retirement begins much earlier than one’s twilight years. In fact, most retirement professionals recommend planning for retirement as soon as possible. Art Koff from RetiredBrains.com understands that retirement is a major life change, but knows that with proper planning, retirement is something to enjoy. Retirement can be a scary situation for many. What…

It’s no surprise that paying for health care expenses — Americans’ greatest financial concern — can quickly deplete retirement savings. Today, health care costs for retirees average more than $9,000 annually, according to CNN Money. Based on the average life expectancy in the U.S. (78.8 years), that means you could pay more than $124,000 in…

Miron Lulic always thinks ahead. On his blog SuperMoney, he’s constantly on the cutting edge of retirement planning, among other financial topics. He laid out for us how to plan for your retirement while balancing your other financial needs. What are some mistaken beliefs about retirement planning you often see? Probably the most common misconception…

President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.” And if you consider retiring in your golden years a goal worth having, well then you better be prepared to work for it, says best-selling author Kurt Rosentreter, senior financial advisor for Manulife Securities.…

If you contribute regularly to a 401(k) plan, you’ve already begun to take control over your retirement. Each contribution adds up. And with interest, you could increase your retirement income substantially by the time you’re ready to use it. But because few things in life are free, 401(k) fees could take a bigger bite out…

Personal finance expert Laura D. Adams knows about money. She’s been featured in dozens of magazines and on several television programs where she discusses financial practices that help people of all backgrounds. Adams helps individuals to better understand money without the fear that comes along with worries about debt, bills, and having enough money to…

Investing can be confusing business, especially when you’re just starting out. But the good news is that if you’re starting early and have a long-term investment strategy you’ve got time on your side. With a direct stock purchase plan, your investment dollars can go a lot further. First, the sooner you begin the more time…

Saving for retirement sometimes takes a bit of creativity. This is especially true if you’ve spent some time with a devil-may-care attitude and are just now getting down to business. You’re not alone, if that’s the case. More often than not, you’ll look for ways to boost savings rather than sit comfortably with what you’ve…

Whether retirement means kicking up your feet, pursuing a new career or enjoying a favorite hobby, there’s one looming concern most Americans share: running out of money. A study from Allianz Life Insurance found that most Americans fear running out of money in retirement more than they fear death. Sixty-one percent of all respondents said…

Jeff Helms, founder and managing partner with First Coast Wealth Advisors, LLC, said of all the customers he has ever helped, no one has ever come to him and said they saved too much for retirement. In fact, many people worry that they haven’t saved enough. At least not enough to maintain the lifestyle they…

Recent updates to the government-insured reverse mortgage program mean loan amounts are changing—for better or worse. How do the changes play out for your situation? A reverse mortgage is a loan that enables homeowners aged 62 or older to borrow against the equity in their home without having to sell the home, give up title,…

Ringing out the old and ringing in the new includes new changes to retirement benefits and plans. Nothing stays the same forever. And although some guidelines won’t vary much, if at all, changes in other areas of your retirement plans could be dramatic. Here’s what you can expect in 2015, from Social Security to a…

Starting early, planning for health care and considering work are all important retirement planning considerations. With pensions and employer-sponsored retirement plans becoming fewer and farther between, retirement planning is playing a more prominent role for many Americans. But with a new approach to retirement planning in the current economic environment come new woes, as well.…

Retirement planning seems to become more complex all the time. The more you learn, the more you know that there’s always something else to learn. Such might be the case with investing in annuities. If you’re not familiar with annuities, you can think of them as a type of retirement insurance. You pay in before…

Retirement is the time to relax and enjoy a slower pace, but you still need to remain active in order to stay healthy. Sir Isaac Newton said that a body at rest tends to stay at rest while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. The more often you get up and get…

We’re guessing there might be one or two readers out there who are overwhelmed about the amount of money they need to save to retire comfortably. But there’s no need to panic, says Robert Henderson, president of Landsdowne Wealth Management in Mystic, Conn. “It’s one step at a time,” he says. “There are options to…

We’re going to hazard a guess that talking to your partner about finances and retirement ranks somewhere up there with conversations about disciplining your belligerent 2-year-old and whether your mother-in-law should stay with you for the summer. But conversations about money are some of the most important discussions you can have with your significant other…

As America’s aging population continues to grow, one crime in particular stands to gain from this booming cohort: elder financial abuse. It has already proven to be a $2.9 billion a year business, but nothing has stopped it from thriving. Why? It’s under-reported and misunderstood, according to the 2014 “Safeguarding Our Seniors” study by Allianz…

When it comes to retirement planning, men and women exhibit some stark differences. At most income levels, women are more likely to participate in their employer retirement plans, yet women’s account balances tend to be lower, according to recent research by The Vanguard Group, Inc. Women contribute more And not only do women participate more…

Retirement is a tricky business. You can save and plan your whole life, but that doesn’t mean you’ll know how to best use your Social Security benefits. Counting on the Social Security Administration (SSA) to help you find your way doesn’t always work either. And then there’s the elephant in the room, which is the…

Lifestyles vary dramatically from one household to the next, and so do retirement needs. Someone who is accustomed to a 6-figure or higher income will have markedly different needs than someone who has a modest lifestyle. And the length of time spent in retirement can complicate matters even further. You could retire with $1 million…

A retirement calculator is a wonderful thing. It can help you forecast what you’ll need to live a comfortable life after your retire. And that allows you to make adjustments early to be sure all of your needs are met. One thing that a calculator can’t do is predict the future. And the future of…

The aging population is facing a housing crisis in America, and it’s coming fast. Such are the findings of a landmark study and report released by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and AARP last month. The annual study showed that 1 in 3 people over age 50 in the U.S. were carrying a…