After years of honing your skills, you apply for a job at a company that’s generating buzz. Not only do you score an interview, the company eventually offers you the job. Employee benefits include health insurance, paid holidays and sick days. Missing from the mix: your dream job doesn’t offer a 401(k) plan or other [...]
Being your own boss offers a lot of flexibility and opportunity for financial growth. But saving for retirement when you’re self employed can be a difficult path to navigate. That’s why Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd., equates the strategies of investing and creating a self-employment retirement savings plan to playing a [...]
Saving for retirement can be confusing—and even a little intimidating—yet it’s utterly essential. Though nearly every financial professional recommends opening a retirement savings account as early as possible, the myriad options and often-confusing financial terrain can cause many people to procrastinate. It used to be simpler. In 1970, 42 percent of Americans had a defined-benefit [...]
Many resourceful parents aim to do everything they can to help their children through each stage of life: childhood, emerging adulthood, and, for some, even retirement. Before considering whether to save for your children’s retirement, it’s essential to first make sure you can finance your own post-work life chapter, says Chris Long, CFP®, of Chicago-based [...]
“Loose lips sink ships,” a saying popularized during World War II, is a reminder that making the wrong choice can lead to grave consequences. It’s just as applicable today when it comes to your retirement savings plan; a couple of missteps can potentially jeopardize your financial future. As you prepare for retirement, ask yourself if [...]
In a world bombarded with investing advice, it can be tough to figure out which individual retirement account (IRA) is right for you. Ideally, you want to begin investing for retirement as soon as you start earning an income. While many young adults may think there’s no need to rush into funding a retirement account [...]
Planning for retirement may not seem like a feasible option for some young adults in today’s economy. While the U.S. job market and economy is slowly recovering from the Great Recession, those in what is known as the “millennial generation,” who were born after 1980, have more debt and lower wealth than their parents had. [...]
Saving money for retirement can be difficult, especially if you’re living paycheck to paycheck. Every dime counts, and putting $50 into savings can feel like a punishment when you know that money could go toward something you need or want now. But what if there was some incentive—other than retirement—that could inspire you to save, [...]
A couple of years ago, I was invited to a presentation put on by an aggressive financial planner about all the reasons I and other tax professionals should try to convince our clients to begin investing in Roth IRAs instead of traditional IRAs and 401(k) plans. What did I learn? That if those of us [...]
January is a good time to make an appointment with your financial planner—or find one if you don’t already have one—to make sure your retirement plan is growing in the right direction. Fee-only financial planner Brent Perry, CFP®, of Piedmont Financial Advisors, LLC, in Indianapolis, Ind., suggests asking your advisor these five retirement questions during [...]
