Retirement Savings and Investments

There are a lot of questions about retirement savings and investments.

With regards to savings, you need to know: How much to save (did you know that some people save too much)? How much savings you will you need for retirement? Where should you save? Should you save pre-tax (traditional, SEP & Simple IRAs, 401ks, 403bs, 457s, 529s, HSAs, etc…) or after-tax (Roth IRAs and 401ks)? How do you find more money to save?

And, there are probably even more questions about investments: What should you invest in (stocks, bonds, real estate, funds)? How should your investments change over time? How do your financial values impact your investment strategy? What is the ideal asset allocation for you? What should you do when the market swings wildly?

See below for articles covering the answers to these questions and more.

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financial fraud

Senior Financial Fraud is Now a $3 Billion Dollar a Year Issue

Financial fraud against people 50 and older is a growing concern. Older Americans lost $1.6 billion in 2018 due to financial fraud, and the average victim lost $1,023 according to the FTC.Protect your retirement savings from financial fraud.Financial manipulation is subtle and can take place over a number of years, explains Peter Creedon, CEO of…

June 1, 2020

Podcast: Glen Nakamoto — Building a Retirement Paycheck

Episode 41 of the NewRetirement podcast is an interview with Glen Nakamoto — retired cyber security analyst and financial planning enthusiast. They discuss how Glen built his own lifetime retirement paycheck with a guaranteed income floor using immediate annuities. Glen outlines how he built his plan and paycheck. Listen Now: Don’t miss out on future…

May 28, 2020
rollover

How to Rollover Your 401(k) When You Retire or Leave a Job

Explore the pros and cons of rollovers and find out how to rollover your 401(k) when you retire or leave a job. It’s a big financial decision. Get it right!

April 15, 2020

Podcast: COVID-19 Special Episode – Effect on Commercial Real Estate

Steve Chen, Chris Tokarski, and Kurt Altvater discuss the Coronavirus and COVID-19’s impact on commercial real estate, credit markets and lenders in the on-going pandemic.

April 10, 2020

Will the Coronavirus Impact on Investment Markets and the Economy Be Particularly Difficult for Retirees and People Close to Retirement?

Here are some thoughts from Jim Seifert on the economy and retirement amid the coronavirus crisis. Jim was a serial entrepreneur from age 17 until age 40. After which he was a financial Advisor for RBC Investments and Merrill Lynch Bank of America from 40 until 58.  He has an MBA and CFP(r) and worked…

March 16, 2020
what to do when stocks go down

What to Do When Stocks Go Down: 10 Surprising Moves

Are you trying to figure out what to do when stocks go down? Check out these 10 tips. Numbers 3, 7 and 9 are particularly useful!

March 5, 2020

Podcast: David Stein — Money for the Rest of Us

Episode 36 of the NewRetirement podcast is an interview with David Stein — a former institutional money manager and current world-class podcaster with 12 million downloads, author and speaker — and they discuss his new book Money for the Rest of Us: 10 Questions to Master Successful Investing. Listen Now: Don’t miss out on future…

March 5, 2020
save more for retirement

15 Ways to Stop Wasting Money Everyday and Save More More for Retirement

You might not think of it this way, but most of us get scammed — somewhat tricked — out of our hard-earned money every single day.  Little expenses can add up to big bucks that we could be saving for retirement, spending on something you really need or want now, and being able to afford…

February 9, 2020
secure act

Important: New SECURE Act Brings Big Changes for Retirement Planning

The SECURE Act — formally known as the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement” Act — is designed to help people better use retirement savings and save more. However, it also has some big tax implications related to leaving behind an estate. It is important that you are aware of these changes and you…

January 9, 2020

Podcast: Brian Bollinger — Simply Safe Dividends

Episode 29 of the NewRetirement podcast is an interview with Brian Bollinger, an entrepreneur and founder of Simply Safe Dividends — a company dedicated to dividend investing and generating passive income. Brian is a former equity research analyst and registered CPA who quit his investment job to start his own company at 26. Listen Now:…

August 6, 2019

You Might Have Less in Your Retirement Account than You Think You Have!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you might have less in your retirement account than you think you have! At least the worth to you might be less than you imagine. Really! Your 401k or IRA account balance is not telling the whole story of your wealth — especially if your income…

July 10, 2019
SECURE Act

The SECURE Act: Will Retirement Get Easier?

The House of Representatives’ Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act and a similar bill in the Senate, the Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act (RESA) are bills backed by both Republicans and Democrats (gasp!) that aspire to improve retirement and retirement planning for Americans. The Secure Act was approved by the House of…

June 20, 2019
retirement investing

Retirement Investments for Dummies: Get the Answers You Need to Rest Easy

Sorry. You probably are not a dummy about everything. But, research suggests that almost 80 percent of all Americans have a very low financial IQ (What’s yours? Take the quiz now.) So, the chances are high that you are a personal finance and investment dummy! And, good for you for doing something about it. (Maybe…

June 19, 2019
dave ramsey how much do you need to retire

Dave Ramsey: How Much Do You Need to Retire Comfortably

Ask Dave Ramsey how much money do you need to retire comfortably, and you’ll probably get the same answer he has given many times before: It depends. That might not seem helpful at all, but of course there’s more to it. Keep reading to find out how to get a more specific and personalized answer.…

May 1, 2019
economic indicator

Economic Indicators: Be Aware, But Why You Don’t Necessarily Need to Care

An economic indicator is information that can suggest what is going on in the economy — is the economy healthy, growing or headed for trouble? Sounds useful, right? Well… maybe… Let’s explore the pros and cons of following economic indicators. Be Aware: The Upsides of Knowing About and Following Economic Indicators Being aware of what is happening…

March 27, 2019

Thank You John C. Bogle for the Bogglingly Significant Legacy to Retirement Planning

John Bogle died on Wednesday. He was the founder of the Vanguard Mutual Fund group. However, his real legacy is not in how he built a $4.9 trillion investment company but rather how he led a new way of thinking about retirement investing. Want to be a successful investor?Just buy the haystack (and thank John…

January 17, 2019

Podcast: White Coat Investor Dr. Jim Dahle – Top Retirement Lessons

Episode 21 of the NewRetirement podcast is an interview with Dr. Jim Dahle — a hockey playing emergency room doctor based in Salt Lake City Utah who runs White Coat Investor in his spare time. We dive into personal finance and retirement issues like how do you know if you’ve saved enough, what’s a safe…

January 9, 2019
stock market correction

How Much Should You Worry About a Stock Market Correction? Numbers and Tips for Weathering a Financial Storm

The past month has seen some wild dips in the stock markets. Nothing yet too terribly miserable for most, but enough to make us jittery. Should we be worried about a stock market correction? The easy answer is yes. After all, investing in the stock market is inherently risky and today’s world feels more unpredictable…

December 13, 2018
fund college education

How to Fund College Education When You Are Trying to Retire

College costs can feel overwhelming — especially if you are trying to retire sometime soon (or even just save for a future retirement). How to fund college education is a critical question and families need to explore all of their options. You are not alone if you are worried about paying for both big expenses…

October 18, 2018

Drip or Draw: What to Do with Stock Dividends in Retirement?

Stocks that pay dividends can be enormously appealing to retirees.  But what to do with those dividends can be confusing.  Should you participate in a Dividend Reinvestment Program (DRIP)?  Or should you just cash the check? Before answering that question, let’s learn a little more about dividends. What is a Stock Dividend? Different companies offer…

October 4, 2018

Podcast: Michael Batnick on Big Mistakes and Finding Your Calling

Episode 16 of the NewRetirement podcast is an interview with Michael Batnick — Director of Research at Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC and author of Big Mistakes. We discuss what we can learn from the biggest mistakes of legendary investors, his long and winding path to his calling and what he’s learned along the way building…

October 3, 2018
financial anxiety

Financial Anxiety Skyrockets: Why You Are Worried Even if You Have Saved More than the $14,500 Median

Is the retirement crisis real?  Whether or not you yourself are suffering, financial anxiety is acutely felt by many Americans. Research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (ERBI) finds that the median retirement account balance for households led by someone between the ages of 55 and 64 is a mere $14,500. If you have more…

October 3, 2018

Can You Recover if the Stock Market Crashes?

The stock market is enjoying a crazy long record setting expansion.  By some measures, this is the longest bull market in the history of the United States. If this fact makes you nervous, you are not alone.  No one wants their retirement savings at risk. So, Will the Stock Market Crash? Ha.  Thought you’d get…

September 6, 2018

Podcast: Legendary Investor Jim O’Shaughnessy on Active vs. Passive Investing

Episode 14 of the NewRetirement podcast is an interview with Jim O’Shaughnessy – founder of O’Shaughnessy Asset Management. We discuss the investing lessons he’s learned from 30 years of investing – partially summarized in this tweet storm and why human behavior is the most predictable (and exploitable) element of the stock market. Listen Now: Don’t…

August 22, 2018

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