At the end of October, the IRS released their 2011 IRA contribution limits. If you have a Roth IRA (and you should), you’ll want to keep a close eye on the amount you’re allowed to contribute each year, because from time to time the amount does go up. When it does, you want to make […]
Are Americans More Financially Secure This Year Than Last? Or Just Being Optimistic?
The past few years have been tough ones for our economy, with the market dropping, unemployment skyrocketing, and other general economic indicators not being too favorable. A lot of people have lost a lot of their net worth during that time, and many of them were on the point of despondency because they didn’t know […]
What Is The Best Place To Open A Roth IRA?
As my wife and I go through the Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps, we’re finally completing step 3, building 3-6 months of expenses (although we decided to save closer to a year of expenses), and we’re now entering step 4 where you are to invest 15% into Roth IRAs and other pre-tax retirement accounts. While […]
Lending Club Update: Still Making Good Returns, But They Could Be Better
I‘ve been investing in Lending Club for quite some time now, and so far I’ve been extremely happy with the experience. I’m getting a good return on my money, while at the same time helping others to get loans at lower rates than they might have otherwise been able to obtain. I really do think […]
Nearly A Quarter of Fidelity’s 401(k) Accounts Have Loans Against Them. Why This Is A Bad Idea.
A while back I wrote an article about 401k loans and taking early withdrawals from your retirement account. I talked about the penalties you could face, and explained why I think it’s a bad idea. This week I was reading some economic news and came upon an article on Reuters.com that gives a startling statistic […]
What Is An Economic Bubble Anyway?
It seems nearly every financial publication released today has the term “bubble” in it somewhere. Many of us know it’s a bad thing, but what does it really mean and how do they happen? Do they truly have an effect on the average consumer? Hopefully we can clear up the confusion of what an economic […]
Online Retirement Calculators: More Harm Than Help?
People often ask me to point them to a decent online retirement planning calculator. I never do. You see, I don’t trust such calculators. It’s not that their math is wrong. (At least, not usually.) The problem is that their calculations are often based on shoddy assumptions and unknowable variables. You Know What They Say […]
Roth IRA Withdrawal Rules
The Roth IRA is a wonderful investment option that many people take advantage of every year mainly because of it’s tax free growth and because it allows you to diversify your tax situation at retirement if you also invest in some pre-tax investment types like a 401k or IRA. While the ideal situation is to […]
Important Inheritance Tips For Your 401(k)
Most people are busy learning about a 401(k), taking steps to set it up and choose the right investments. But how often do you think about what will happen to your retirement savings if something were to happen to you? To be honest, such thinking has been off my radar screen, but after getting a […]
3 Reasons Not To Save Into A Roth IRA For Retirement
Everyone should be saving into a Roth IRA for retirement! Have you heard those words before? I’ve seen them strewn about the web here ‘n there on various blogs or in comments on other personal finance sites. Is that true? – Should everyone be saving into a Roth IRA? Not exactly. Although Roth IRA’s have […]
What You Need To Know About Mutual Fund Sales Fees And Expenses
If you’ve read about mutual fund investing, or perhaps discussed it with someone knowledgeable on the subject, the topic of fees and expenses most likely came up in the conversation. For someone who isn’t a financial advisor or broker, mutual fund fees and expenses can be quite a confusing subject. How do you know when […]
How Do I Choose A Mutual Fund?
How do you choose a mutual fund? But first, is it time for you to start investing? You may be asking the question – should invest while you’re still in debt? Or, perhaps – what is enough emergency savings before investing? These can be challenging questions to answer, but in general, you should invest as […]
How To Mitigate Retirement Investment Risk
I recently received a financial advertisement in the mail that mentioned some retirement investment risks I thought were pretty good to keep in mind. Along with each were some practical tips in mitigating the risks, or ways to make them less severe. Before discussing a few of these risks, lets first look at the nature […]
Should You Convert Non-Deductible IRA Contributions To A Roth IRA?
Oh what a great year for debate on Roth IRA’s and Roth IRA Conversions! Roth IRAs are a great tool for building up retirement savings, but some things have changed for conversions. 2010 has ushered in some new Roth IRA rules -here’s what you need to know about the 2010 Roth conversions. I recently received […]
