Mutual Funds

By Anna M. Rappaport We all want to avoid disappointment and unpleasant surprises later in life. Many people retire in their 60s or early 70s without considering some of the challenges they will likely face later in life. They save money, do their planning and retire with the feeling that all will be well. But

There is a lot of discussion around the favorable benefits of Roth IRAs, but for many higher-earning Americans, contributions to Roth IRAs are out of reach. The IRS begins limiting contributions to individual Roth IRAs at higher income levels (the current maximum income for eligibility is $144,000 per year for a single filer). However, there

When looking to buy a house or just needing some quick cash, it’s not uncommon for people to look to their retirement accounts for easy money. I usually advise against this and feel it can cause more damage to your financial security than good, and I’d like to explain why. Spoiler alert: we’re going to

When you picture an 89 year old, you might think of a frail older person who maybe does a lot of TV watching. But not this 89 year old! Maureen is as sharp as any person you might meet at any age. She looks healthy, sounds clear, and knows what she wants. What’s her secret

Topline Stocks finished slightly higher on Monday, attempting to find their footing after last week’s brutal sell-off, but Wall Street experts warn that even after the market’s worst month since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, investors should be wary of more volatility ahead. Key Facts Stocks inched higher on Monday, notching

Technology has been hit or miss when it comes to our money. While fintech apps promise to make managing our money simple, if not even enjoyable, not all of them deliver. I’ve tested hundreds of personal finance apps and tools over the years. Here are 5 of the best money apps I’ve found to manage

Women in traditional marriages, as many of our aging parents are, frequently leave the earning and directing of finances to their husbands. Some are in long-term, unmarried relationships that have the same feature. The man handled the money. We also know that statistically, women tend to outlive their men. Where does that leave the aging

So far, 2022 has been an extremely unkind year to investors. To recap, as of this writing: · The S&P 500, which tracks the 500 largest US stocks, is down over 10% · The technology heavy NASDAQ NDAQ , that has delivered stellar performance for over a decade, is down nearly 18% · The Russell

It’s hard to find many reasons to be bullish on the stock market right now. On the other hand, there are many reasons to be bearish, at least in the short term, from war to inflation to monetary tightening to fiscal spending declining in 2022. From an investing standpoint, a far more transformative event than

Topline Stocks plunged on Friday and hit new lows for 2022, wrapping up a brutal sell-off this month as investors continued to dump tech shares amid ongoing uncertainty around an economic slowdown caused by surging inflation and the prospect of aggressive interest rate hikes. Key Facts The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.8%, over 900

By Chris Farrell, Next Avenue Carline Bengtsson, age 59, retired in September 2019 after a nearly 27-year career as an engineering program manager with Medtronic MDT , the global medical technology company headquartered in Minneapolis. She launched her for-profit social enterprise Dine4Dinners in June 2020, despite the pandemic. “I would say I got the idea

By Lazetta Rainey Braxton, Next Avenue Inflation, the increasing costs of everyday expenses, has slowly crept its way into our lives like undesired weight gain; at some point, you’re guaranteed to feel the pinch at almost every turn. With rising prices, Gen Xers face spending more money now to maintain our current lifestyle while feeling

When establishing a Plan B or backup residency, most people look for the easiest option… but “easiest” isn’t a one-size-fits-all concept. You also want to consider how difficult the residency, once obtained, is to maintain. As well, there are different kinds of residency programs—those intended specifically for retirees, for example, and those you qualify for

What if you could invest your money in ways that also help achieve positive environmental and social impacts? Now you can — with an investing strategy known as socially responsible investing, or SRI. Also known as environmental, social and governance (or ESG) investing, this strategy allows you to invest your money in ways that align

One area that has not experienced the cryptocurrency trend is the 401k. That could soon change, with the announcement by Fidelity this week that it would let 401k operators opt-in to allow their employees to invest in bitcoin through a retirement plan. It marks the first time that a major brokerage house has signaled that

It’s been more than two years since the pandemic triggered massive unemployment in the U.S. Some might say we have almost fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels, for instance, by referring to the recovery of the ‘prime age’ labor force participation rate. But that success story doesn’t extend to older workers. Even if the news recognizes

Women are often associated with caring about the environment and fossil fuel free investing. Makes sense, given that we use the term “Mother Nature.” As You Sow’s Fossil Free rating system allows us to incorporate the desire to be fossil fuel free while pursuing your investing goals, such as a carefree retirement. Let’s examine aligning

Given that most people want to age in place in their own homes, some will need to hire home care workers. Usually, the need to hire helpers arises when your aging loved one has trouble with basic tasks of daily life like walking or bathing. These so called “activities of daily living” or ADLs are

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Your cash bucket has a real return of minus 8.4%. It should be empty. If you are in or nearing retirement, you have probably heard the lecture about a “cash bucket.” Put one to two years of spending in a cash reserve, intone the experts. That

Topline The housing market has taken off this year as home prices continue to surge amid high inflation and ongoing supply chain issues, but some experts say prices could soon level out as mortgage rates rise and demand drops. Key Facts With the Federal Reserve gearing up to reduce its portfolio of roughly $5 trillion

If you are interested participating in the highest yield in history of government issued I bonds, now is the time to buy. With inflation jumping in recent months the anticipated yield will be 9.62%, certainly better than any other guaranteed investment I can think of in the current environment. In this article I will explain

27,375. That’s the number of days an average person lives. “Fewer if you eat salt-water taffy, and a few more if you eat broccoli,” according to Bob Goff in his inspired new book, Undistracted. So according to Bob, and assuming my taffy-to-broccoli consumption nets out, I’ve got 10,525 days left, give or take. Here are

Today’s Social Security column addresses questions about filing options when not able to file a restricted application for spousal benefits only, when delayed retirement credits might be applied and how the potential effects of the Government Pension Offset. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of Economic

A recent WSJ headline sent chills down the backs of every retiree—”Cut Your Retirement Spending Now, Says Creator of the 4% Rule.” In the article, the WSJ quoted the father of the 4% rule, William Bengen, as saying that “there’s no precedent for today’s conditions.” Stock and bond prices are still at record highs. Mix

If you’re like most people, when you think of retirement investing you don’t also think of deforestation. When I was younger, I heard those who cared about deforestation referred to as “tree huggers.” That concern was often associated with being “bad for the economy.” Fortunately, organizations like As You Sow think deeply about these issues,

The deeper you dig into the investment costs state and local pensions disclose, the more questions arise. It’s confusing to even the most sophisticated investors. It’s common knowledge that sponsors of retirement plans have a fiduciary duty to ensure the fees their plans pay Wall Street money managers for investment advice are reasonable. Fees paid

Today’s Social Security column addresses questions about whether income after 70 can increase benefit rates, taking retirement benefits before survivor’s benefits and how the earnings test is applied if your income ends in the middle of the year. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of Economic

Topline The stock market reversed gains and moved lower on Thursday following comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who signaled aggressive interest rate hikes ahead while all but confirming market expectations of a half-percentage point increase at the central bank’s next policy meeting in May. Key Facts Stocks rose earlier in the day thanks

The US desperately needs more direct care workers to provide personal assistance to frail older adults and younger people with disabilities. Many native-born Americans were unwilling to do this work even before the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, shortages are far worse. Yet, the US continues to bar entry to those who are willing and able to

Today Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued the following statement in support of a Special Audit of the $100 billion State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber and his office is currently conducting. “This week, I spoke with Auditor Faber regarding his ongoing special audit of STRS. The issues being reviewed are