5 Steps for a Better Retirement
Do you worry about your retirement? According to experts, you should be worried. A Government Accountability Office analysis found that average Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 have saved only about $104,000 in retirement savings.
Millennials Most Common Money Mistakes
Although young Americans who graduated this year are better off than their older siblings, they are still feeling some effects of the Great Recession. One thing they are doing right is starting to save earlier than previous generations, but their biggest money mistakes are not saving enough and holding what they do save in cash.
3 Financial Tips for the Real World
There are many and varied tips available for anyone looking to educate themselves on what the "experts" recommend when it comes to financial planning. The internet abounds with such tips and advice. However, some of these things are easier said than done, especially when it comes to the workaday world and trying to keep up in an ever-more-volatile economy. Let is take a look at some of these tips, and how they can be applied to the real world.
Retirement and Long Term Care
Nearly 70% of Americans 65 and older need long-term care at some point, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Is Divorce Derailing Your Retirement Fund?
Just as getting married involves financial decisions, so does divorce. Splitting up your assets is one of the main areas of concern - and this includes investments and retirement accounts. It is important for each of the partners to retain some of the retirement fund.
More Americans Working After 70
Traditionally, the retirement age in America is 65. The American Dream was all about working hard for 40 years and then relaxing and enjoying life for the next decade or two. According to the AARP, that is changing.
How to Overcome Barriers to Retirement Security
Many people face uncertainties and fears about their own retirement when it should be a well-deserved rest after a lifetime of hard work. A lack of planning may result in apprehensions and stress. There are plenty of obstacles Americans claim are in their way when it comes to saving for retirement: credit card debt, student loan debt, low wages, the need to save for a child is college education, and the list goes on.
A New Look at the American Dream
Whenever the conversation turns to financial goals and a secure future, certain ideas at the core of The American Dream pop up - save for retirement and own your own home are two of those. However, times have changed economically.
The Retirement Spending Smile
Most people assume that once you retire, your spending pattern will be the same year-to-year. Research has shown that this, in fact, is not the case. Two studies came to the same conclusion. We spend more at the beginning of retirement and again towards the end. The graph of a retiree is spending pattern looks like a big smile.
Why the 4 Percent Rule No Longer Works
For decades Americans have calculated their retirement saving needs on the 4% Rule - if you can withdraw 4% of your retirement fund per year, there is every chance you will have enough money for your golden years. That rule was calculated on interest rates much higher than we are seeing now, and it is proving to be not so reliable for people who will retire in the future.