Planning

All things considered, the average woman has a longer retirement than the average man. It’s fairly well documented that women tend to live longer. Couple that with the trend of women leaving the workforce at a younger age, and you’ve got more retirement income years to think about than you might have realized. A longer…

A lot of retirement advice skews toward married couples, but what about those who are single? Many retirees today are divorced, widowed or never married. This means they are doing their planning for one, instead of for two, and that they’re relying on their own sources of retirement income, rather than those of a spouse.…

Slow and steady wins the race. That’s the lesson from The Tortoise and the Hare, and it applies to financial planning, too. People begin saving for retirement at all different ages. But which idea sounds more appealing: Working extra hard later in life, and hoping you’ve saved enough to retire when the time comes? Or…

More than half of Americans (52%) aren’t financially prepared for retirement, lacking the necessary income to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living. In fact, Americans’ financial preparedness has improved only slightly since 2010, despite gains in the economy, according to a recent report by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. That study, based…

Preparing for retirement is not as simple as it used to be. A number of seismic shifts in the prevailing culture are affecting the way we perceive, and prepare for, the future. With people shifting jobs more regularly, as well as uncertainty about what the state of the economy will be when the time comes…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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 Great Recession has definitely altered the way Americans spend and save money, says Janet Stanzak, president of the Financial Planning Association. More Americans are living within their means and have reduced debt to improve their balance sheets, and we’ve also increased savings to provide for job loss and emergencies. When it comes to investing,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…