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Jason Fieber is a man with a goal: He wants to retire at 40. Just how he’s making that happen is the thrust of his site, Dividend Mantra. He spoke with us about making the goal and making it work. It’s a goal of yours to retire at 40. What are the strategies you use…

Vince Shorb’s answer to the question “How literate are Americans when it comes to their money?” is sobering. “Most Americans are financially illiterate,” the CEO of the National Financial Educators Council says. “They never received a financial education and lack the knowledge necessary to make financial decisions that are in alignment with their goals.” Money…

Christopher Holdheide knows from personal experience how tough it can be to handle your finances; he was inspired to become a financial services expert and found his personal finance blog Stumble Forward thanks to buying a time share he just couldn’t get rid of. Personal experience informs his perspective, and he was happy to share…

Retirement planning is a lot easier with the weight of debt off your shoulders. Some debt is almost unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t clear it away, and smooth your path forward. All it takes is a plan, and the stick-to-itiveness to see it through. If you’re trying to hone in on the best…

Colin Williams has worked almost every aspect of the financial planning industry, starting as a financial advisor and working his way up to top management at major financial firms. Currently, he’s sharing insights on personal finance and retirement planning as the founder and key contributor to Humble Savers. He spoke with us about planning retirement…

Where are the best places to retire?  If you are choosing a location based on weather and golf courses, the answers from a recent analysis by Bankrate about the best states to retire may really surprise you. Bankrate ranked states using health care, cost of living, crime rate, tax burden and weather.  Using these criteria…

Miron Lucic 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…

Retirement isn’t a static thing, and your retirement needs aren’t either. How much will you need? Nobody can say with 100 percent accuracy. There are too many factors to consider. But good retirement planning advice helps you cover all your bases. Retirement spending isn’t the same from person to person, but neither is it the…

Using a retirement calculator can help ease some of the stress of retirement planning. One of the biggest questions people want an answer to is “When can I retire?” There’s a lot to factor in — it hinges on everything else, but a retirement calculator can help. No retirement calculator is perfect, but it can help…

As one of the top editors at My Bank Tracker, Claire Tak is an expert in retirement planning and figuring out what you need to save. She spoke with us about how to plan for retirement the right way. What are some common misconceptions you see about retirement planning? One of the biggest misconceptions folks…

Retirement plan advisors help make the plan more efficient. It almost seems to go without saying. Retirement plan advisors help retirement plans perform better. And that’s what a recent study by EACH Enterprise, LLC, and Transamerica Retirement Solutions Corporation has revealed. A survey of retirement plan sponsors that work with an advisor found that over…

Reverse Mortgage Facts: Reasons these loans are growing in popularity. Reverse mortgages are not for everyone. But, as more and more Americans retire, they are likely to be more and more popular as a way for people to tap into their largest asset as they age. Until recently, reverse mortgages have been portrayed by the…

Don’t let a rainy day dampen your retirement plans. Saving for a rainy day and saving for retirement aren’t the same thing at all. In fact, if you want to keep your retirement safe and sound, the two should never meet. According to State Farm, over half of Americans don’t have any emergency savings to…

We all worry about money and our financial future. And if you are approaching retirement, then your concerns are probably heightened. In today’s financial environment, few things are sure. In retirement, you require your existing assets to be stable and predictable, since you are not making money from work (or making less from work). For both…

One of your favorite pastimes could teach you a lot about retirement planning. Retirement planning isn’t a game, but it doesn’t have to be dull, either. You can make it as interesting as you want without risking too much, and you might also learn a thing or two by taking some calculated chances. For example,…

Retirement might not be on the minds of people in their 20s or even their 30s, but there does come a time when everyone wonders: “When should I retire?” Retirement readiness depends a great deal on how well you’ve prepared financially. But there are other factors to consider, including whether you want to retire at…

Annuity purchasers are getting younger. And for a good reason, financial planners say. “We’re seeing more knowledge around annuities, and more younger people are using them,” says Chad Noyes, managing director and financial advisor of Chicago-based Hoopis Financial Group, a member of MassMutural Financial Group. An annuity – a type of insurance product that pays out…

Many Americans are planning to work into retirement, or to return to work after retiring. Seventy-five percent of Americans expect to work for as long as they can, and 39% say it’s because they like to work, according to a recent Bankrate Financial Literacy poll. One-third, or 32% of Americans say they’ll continue working because…

Good financial advisors can usually improve the finances of almost anyone. But when money is exchanged for a service—especially a service involves your personal finances — there are important considerations for choosing the right professional. You want an advisor who is ethical and has your best interest in mind. Add to these considerations the fact…

Reverse Mortgage Counseling Can Help You Make the Best Decision for You Reverse mortgage HUD counseling is not only required but is an important part of securing a reverse mortgage. Here is your guide for how to find an approved counselor and what to expect from the counseling. What is the purpose of reverse mortgage…

Saving $2,000 per year towards retirement starting at age 25 instead of age 35 will yield an additional $315,000 at retirement, assuming an 8 percent annual rate of growth. If you or a young adult in your life need any convincing that putting money into retirement savings should be made a priority, Bobby Lee, founder…

A reverse mortgage is not a one-size-fits-all product, but it can be a useful way for many people in retirement to offset mounting costs or simply provide an emergency resource by using home equity. However, there have been some perceived cons — downsides — to the product, some of which have raised the attention of…

If there’s one conventional idea about retirement that the anonymous personal finance blogger behind My Money Design wishes people would re-examine, it’s that they don’t have to wait until they’re 59 ½ to retire.“There are plenty of other ways you could retire early and bridge the gap between now and then,” he says, adding that you could…

Most Americans facing retirement today say they are not confidently prepared for financing their golden years.  But a new study finds retirement maybe more comfortable than pre retirees think it will be. The outlook from those already retired is positive.  According to a survey of 401(k) and IRA contributors conducted by global investment management company…