Retirement Savings and Investments

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…

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…

Rick Pendykoski, founder of Self Directed Retirement Plans LLC, doesn’t think retirement savings will look all that different in the future than it does now. But he hopes there’s a big difference in how children are educated about money management in the coming years. “If only high school students were taught how interest works, compound…

Toronto Star columnist Ellen Roseman has made it her job to understand the ins and outs of personal finance and consumer affairs. Which is why we checked in with her to ask about the most common consumer problems seniors and retirees are facing today. Her response? Fraud. Scam artists are savvy about finding new easy…

Today, Americans look at retirement as an entitlement – a reward for a lifetime of hard work – but that wasn’t always the case, says CFA Charles Lewis Sizemore, principal of Sizemore Capital Management. “Workers started getting retired during the industrial age as a way of avoiding industrial accidents and to make way for younger workers…

 Reassess, review and reallocate for the best retirement plans. The fourth quarter is upon us, which marks the ideal time to start coming up with year-end retirement saving and planning strategies to help beef up your accounts. The best retirement plans are made with the benefit of time and careful consideration. While there are plenty…

It’s no secret how crucial investing in retirement savings is in order to live a comfortable life in your Golden Years. While such savings accounts are extremely helpful in building a financial cushion for later in life, an important retirement planning question you should be asking is, “How much is my retirement savings accounts costing…

A majority of Americans have changed how they manage their money as a result of the Great Recession, says Philip Taylor, founder of PTMoney.com. On the positive side, we’re saving more and have less interest in taking on a lot of debt. But on the other hand, we’re more reluctant to become home owners and…

As the Budget Blonde, Catherine Alford is all about saving and keeping your finances in good shape, and that includes retirement planning. She spoke to us about how younger workers should fit retirement into their sometimes tight budgets. What are some common misconceptions you’ve seen about saving for retirement? Many people believe that retirement is…

The importance of saving up for retirement goes without saying, but sometimes the task can seem daunting. You need the discipline to set aside money every month, but you also need to know how to invest it.  Luckily, there are financial experts available who can offer sound advice when it comes to retirement investments. While…

Americans fear running out of funds in retirement even more than public speaking, suggests a recent report.  So, how to overcome that fear?  Should you imagine yourself in an old folks home with everyone else in their underwear (like pretending your audience is naked when you are making a speech)? Um… no.  Those images probably…

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…

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…

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…

While a hard and maybe scary question, it is critical for those approaching retirement to get a really good answer: How much should I save for retirement? With healthcare costs expected to be over $200,000 for the average 65-year-old couple retiring this year throughout their retirement, it’s important that consumers come up with a concrete…

What will your retirement fund look like when it’s time to leave the work force? Will you have enough money saved up for the golden years? How much should you be saving each month to ensure that you’ve got a nice financial cushion at retirement? Answering these questions can be done easily with the use of…

Noticing an increase in the number of unprepared Americans beginning to retire, federal and state governments are launching special programs to help. According to the New York Times, 17 states are exploring simple, low-cost savings plans that would allow workers to direct pre-tax earnings into retirement accounts to help guard against future risk—and help protect…

In much of life, there’s a tendency to compare your lifestyle to others, whether it’s the size of your house, the kind of car you drive, or where you go on vacation. Now, financial firms are asking whether keeping up with the Joneses might actually be a good strategy when it comes to saving for…

Leading up to retirement, many people focus on building up enough wealth to last throughout their golden years. But the focus should be on something a Nobel Prize winner in economics says is even more important: creating income throughout retirement. Without this attitude, your retirement could be a disaster. “The seeds of an investment crisis…

It’s a well-known fact that a small percentage of people control the majority of wealth in the United States. But all investors can take cues from high net worth individuals when it comes to investment and money management. Here are four ways to invest like the wealthy and hopefully get richer in the process: 1.…

What’s the number one financial concern Americans are worried about? For more than a decade, the answer has been the same: Not having enough money for retirement, according to Gallup’s annual Economy and Personal Finance poll. “Retirement may be a time that many working adults look forward to, but it is paradoxically a source of…

According to a new study from Ameriprise Financial, there appears to be a significant disconnect between average retirement goals and reality. While the study suggests that Americans have a positive view of retirement – with 78 percent of respondents expecting to be extremely happy, it seems that most Americans have a gap of $250,000 between…