Retirement Resources

Risk is the chance that you won't be able to meet your financial goals or that you'll have to recalibrate your goals because your investment comes up short. Investors face many forms of risk depending on the kinds of investments they choose.

Market, industry, and company risk: General market fluctuations can affect securities trading in that market. Stocks tend to fluctuate more than…

In the past, retirement planning used to involve two planning stages: the accumulation of assets, and the distribution of assets. Nowadays, there may be three periods to consider: accumulation, transition, and distribution. “Transition” can be defined as the period between full employment and full retirement when a person is working on a reduced or part-time basis.

The tax-deferred compounding you get via an IRA or a company retirement plan enables you to grow your savings without having to fork over taxes on your investment earnings year in and year out. However, at some point, required minimum distributions, or RMDs, will take effect. All retirees must begin taking RMDs from their tax-deferred retirement plans by April 1st of the year following the…

Women face a different set of financial-planning challenges than men because they tend to live longer, earn less, and take more breaks from the work force. Women may also experience more difficulties if they are widowed or divorced. The good news is that women tend to save more.

According to Vanguard’s “How America Saves 2012” report, women saved at rates about 5% to 10% higher than…

Given the backdrop of economic uncertainty and the rise in both life expectancy and medical costs, prospects look difficult for those facing retirement shortfalls. Fortunately, a financial advisor can show you how pulling these key levers can help your retirement nest egg last.

Work Longer: Working longer is one of the easier solutions for those facing retirement shortfalls, allowing…

According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report*, between 1997 and 2005, roughly 43% of Social Security-eligible individuals began taking benefits within one month of turning 62, even though waiting until their full retirement age (65) would have translated into a substantially higher payout. Between 2000 and 2006, only 6% of retirees with defined-contribution plans such as 401(k)…

The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) is an organization founded in 1978 with the mission of encouraging and contributing to the development of sound employee-benefit programs. Every year, the EBRI publishes a retirement confidence survey. The 2012 survey interviewed 1,003 workers and 259 retirees in order to find out their confidence in being able to meet retirement financial goals…

The decision to pay off a mortgage or invest in the market is far from black and white. For those who are close to retirement and already have plenty of other liquid financial assets, paying off a mortgage could be a wise use of cash. Such homeowners aren't likely to be saving a lot because of their mortgage-interest deductions, which tend to be more valuable early in the life of the loan…

Contemplating whether to contribute to a Roth IRA or a defined contribution (DC) plan (such as a 401k)? Words of advice: Follow the money! If your company offers you a match for your DC plan contribution, you should keep investing in the account up to the maximum percentage that it will match. This is free money, and you won't find a better deal any…

In 2013, contribution limits for both traditional and Roth IRAs (individual retirement accounts) will increase to $5,500 a year for those 49 years of age or younger. If you are 50 or older, the maximum contribution is $6,500. This limit can be split between a traditional and a Roth IRA. These annual contribution limits are imposed by the Federal Government.

The graph shows both a $4,…