August 2012
1 post
3 tags
A Checklist for Retirement Savers
A Checklist for Retirement Savers
Robert Powell
The best way to save for retirement is to follow the usual advice: save more, save longer, delay Social Security and so on. But experts also say there are many little-known retirement tips worth following, too. Here’s a look at 10 such tips that advisers say you shouldn’t overlook.
1. Forget ‘The Number’
You are more than...
April 2012
1 post
8 tags
It's Wedding Season! - Planning
Six Tips to Help You Plan Now for Your Big Day
If you’re planning on getting married or remarried and haven’t been paying close attention to the wedding industry, you may experience sticker shock as you begin calculating costs. An average American wedding costs the newlyweds and their families about $26,000 — and that’s without the honeymoon tab.1
Even with a carefully pruned guest list and...
March 2012
2 posts
9 tags
Quick Tip: Shop Smarter Not Harder
In todays environment, it’s almost comical to ever buy anything that is not on Sale… retailers are clamoring for your dollars.
With the exception of high high end or boutiques, you have finger tip access to many online and discount retailers via the internet for 98% of the things you buy regularly.
- Amazon and Ebay to name a couple
Even if your leary of every buying anything online...
8 tags
Six Tips for Achieving Financial Fitness
You may be focused on getting in shape for swimsuit season, but take a break from the gym this spring and spend some time on your financial fitness. Here are six tips to help get your investment portfolio into prime condition.
1. Shed the weight of extra accounts. It’s not unusual to acquire multiple retirement accounts over the years, especially if you’ve changed jobs several times. Consider...
January 2012
1 post
8 tags
Americans say they feel less confident about...
You may find that your unease about financing your retirement is beginning to increase as the outlook on our economy stays gloomy, and according to a study commissioned by Ameriprise Financial, you are not alone. The New Retirement Mindscape®2011 City Pulseindex examined the 30 largest U.S. metropolitan areas to determine where consumers are the most prepared for and confident about...
December 2011
1 post
8 tags
Social Security sets inflation adjustments for...
With the New Year comes new rules, and after two years with no inflation adjustments for Social Security, changes are afoot for 2012. Most notably, those who receive Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits will see their monthly checks increase by 3.6 percent.
Though this is good news for those on the receiving end, these inflation adjustments also have an impact on those who are...
November 2011
1 post
11 tags
Is the Time Right for You to Refinance?
“Rates can’t go lower.” Or so advertisements from mortgage companies have been claiming for years. But it’s possible that now, it’s more true than ever. According to research done by Freddie Mac, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. dropped below 4% for the first time ever in 2011. Rates on shorter-term, 15-year mortgages are even lower.
For some, this may create a great...
October 2011
1 post
7 tags
The Federal Reserve and Interest Rates in Your...
We regularly hear news reports about a decision by the Federal Reserve (the Fed) to raise or lower interest rates or to leave them unchanged. Recently, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced that the Fed would hold the line on interest rates it controls until the middle of 2013. The announcement of the Fed’s interest rate policy over an extended period of time was unprecedented. So...
September 2011
3 posts
7 tags
Manage Your Health Care Flexible Spending Account...
In the face of the skyrocketing costs of health care services and insurance coverage, one benefit that can give households some relief is access to a Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA). If your family is taking advantage of an FSA, this might be the season when you have to decide how much money to defer from each paycheck toward your FSA. As you make your plans, keep in mind that rules...
5 tags
Investment Strategies Amid Downgrades, Downturns and Slowdowns
Investors are being forced to cope with what many perceive as unprecedented circumstances in the economic and political environment. At the same time that the U.S. economic recovery appears to be slowing, one independent agency downgraded its rating on debt issued by the U.S. Treasury. Confidence that government policymakers can do...
7 tags
What’s the Outlook for Social Security?
Will Social Security be available for you when you retire? Based on how much chatter and misinformation surrounds the subject, you may be surprised by the answer. Barring dramatic changes, Social Security will continue to provide benefits for all future retirees, including you. The real question is how much you will receive in benefits.
A “pay as you...
August 2011
2 posts
7 tags
Five reasons for investors to be encouraged
It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the constant stream of negative news about the state of our country and the world. This feeling also makes it difficult to be confident as an investor.
At times likes these, a little perspective might be in order. A good place to start is to remember that smart investing is not dependent on today’s...
7 tags
Managing the Financial Side of a Relocation
You’ve just been offered your dream job in a city far from your current home. Now the panic sets in. How are you going to manage the move without it costing an arm and a leg? To be sure, you’ll have a long list of to-do’s associated with managing your transition to a new community. Tap into whatever network of support your employer can offer. With...
July 2011
4 posts
9 tags
http://www.rothira.com/blog/hidden-fees-inside-your... →
A 401k is a great way to save for retirement, but do you really know how much it is costing you?
10 tags
Stay-at-Home Spouses Deserve a Retirement Plan,...
Contrary to popular belief, retirement planning is not just for employed wage earners. Spouses who forgo a paycheck to stay at home need a financial safety net just as much as their working counterparts. Planning for the financial security of a nonworking spouse can help ensure there is replacement income if circumstances change. Here are some potential strategies for you to consider.
Realize...
7 tags
7 tags
June 2011
5 posts
8 tags
Should women take the financial lead in the...
A couple of years ago Jason Zweig of The Wall Street Journal reported on a study showing women to be superior investors:
Finance professors Brad Barber and Terrance Odean have found that women’s risk-adjusted returns beat those of men by an average of about one percentage point annually. In short, women trade less frequently, hold less volatile portfolios and expect lower returns than men do.
...
8 tags
Jump-Start Your Student’s Post-Graduation Finances
That ceremonial toss of the mortarboard at graduation means your child has officially entered the next phase of his or her financial life. Chances are that up to this point you’ve played a key role in his or her financial well-being. But don’t bow out just yet. You can still help get your graduate on the road to financial independence with these suggestions.
Encourage Organization. Balancing a...
10 tags
Understanding ETFs
Over the past several years, Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have become quite popular. There are now more than 1,200 ETFs available adding up to more than $1 trillion in assets, according to National Stock Exchange.[i]
Investors have flocked to ETFs because of their low costs, tax efficiency, and stock-like features. But before you decide to invest, be sure that you understand exactly what you...
8 tags
Make your Child or Grand-Child a TAX-FREE...
If your teenaged child or grandchild is gainfully employed, they can contribute up to $5000 a year to a Roth IRA. The contributions aren’t tax deductible, but at the child’s low tax bracket it doesn’t matter.
Let’s say the child puts in $5000 a year between the ages of 16 and 21, and then doesn’t contribute another dime. If, over the long-term, the Roth IRA earns...
8 tags
WatchWinning the Relationship with Clients! - WSJ
May 2011
6 posts
8 tags
Safe Investing with High Returns?? →
Investing Basics 101: How to get the most bang for your buck
What is Risk Tolerance and why is it important?
8 tags
Why Do So Many Celebrities Wind Up Broke? →
What type of advice are you getting?
6 tags
8 tags
Giving to charities – who can you trust?
When devastating events occur, such as the recent earthquake and tsunami that severely damaged large portions of Japan, charities tend to step up their solicitations for funding. It makes sense. When tragedy strikes, our awareness and our empathy level tend to rise and we’re in more of a mood to give generously to worthwhile causes. It is good to provide help to people in need, but it is also...
12 tags
“The Bank can never ‘go broke.’ If the Bank runs out of money, the Banker may...”
– Monopoly (the game), or is it the FED???
6 tags
How to 'Rent' Your Stocks for Extra Cash Each...
If you were a real estate investor who owned an apartment building, you would never try to leave your apartments vacant. Every time someone moved out you would try hard to rent it to someone else to keep generating steady cash flow each month. Did you know that you could do this with your existing stock positions? Consider, for a moment, all of the stocks you bought (and still own), believing...
