Retirement

Source:stock.adobe.com Here is what matters if you’ve made it and want to keep it. Do the financial markets have your attention? I assume so. After all, Wednesday’s 800-point drop in the Dow was the worst day in the U.S. stock market this year. And while many investors missed it, the December 2018 plunge in stock

U.S. corporate bond debt continues to grow and protections are getting weaker for high yield bonds. Getty Non-financial corporate debt in the form of loans and bonds is now about $16 trillion, an equivalent of about 75% of U.S. GDP. This is an over 50% rise since 2007.  Presently about a third of that debt

What if there was a way you could tap this market correction to grab the biggest S&P 500 stocks cheap—all while hedging your downside and getting a 7.2% dividend yield? It’s not only possible, but you can do it in one single buy. More on that in a moment. First, I’m pounding the table on

Credit: Getty Royalty Free Getty Even though you may be retired, the tax man is ready to take a slice of your Social Security and retirement fund payouts. How can you minimize his cut? Stephen Nelson, a wealth manager at Aldrich Wealth in Carlsbad, Calif., has some very good advice here: Larry Light: With boomers

At the beginning of the year, the Fed was expected to increase interest rates in the midst of a booming economy. Now, just months later, it has reversed course, not just maintaining interest rates, but dropping them. They seem to know something we don’t know. Or, perhaps, the writing is on the wall and we’re

Congratulations, you have finally signed your estate planning documents. Now, where do you keep them?   Many lawyers (myself included) will hold your original documents in their firm’s will vault. Years ago, that consisted of an actual vault or bank safe that was locked and fire proof. Nowadays, many law firms use fireproof, locked file cabinets.

FRANKFORT, KY – APRIL 13: Kentucky Public school teachers rally for a “day of action” at the Kentucky State Capitol to try to pressure legislators to override Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin’s recent veto of the state’s tax and budget bills April 13, Getty Images Earlier this week, the National Institute on Retirement Security published a

This week, the U.K.’s Financial Times covered an important and overlooked aspect of how the U.S. treats its elders: bankruptcy. Stories of seniors filing for bankruptcy are heartbreaking and uncomfortable, so I am not surprised that it took a correspondent paid by a foreign newspaper (Patti Waldmeir) to tell this American story from the lobbies of

Will you be richer if you run away from your Equinox gym membership? MediaNews Group via Getty Images This is an article delves into a few financial planning questions I’ve meant to answer for quite some time. Is Equinox worth the astronomical monthly dues? Would the gay community be better off saving that money for retirement? Will

Photo credit: Getty Getty Now may be an ideal time to refinance student loans. Here’s what you need to know. Student Loan Refinancing: Rates Drop Student loan refinancing rates have dropped to as low as 2.24%. With the Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate cut, lenders have reduced student loan refinancing rates to a near-term low. That’s

Blacks and Hispanics are likely to face worsening retirement prospects compared to Whites in the years ahead, warns a report from House and Senate Joint Economic Committee Democratic staff. Photo credit: Getty Getty The retirement security gap of Blacks and Hispanics compared to Whites is likely to worsen because of lower earnings and personal savings,

I want you to think about your very first reaction when you flick on the TV and see the Dow has crashed 300, 500—even 800 points. It feels like you’re drowning, right? It’s physical, like a gasp after falling into a cold lake. Your first instinct is likely to reach for the closest “life preserver.”

Social Security may be one of your largest assets. What and when you collect will make a huge difference to your lifetime benefits. Today’s column addresses whether filing and suspending is still a viable option, when spousal benefit can be available, when delayed retirement credits are applied to retirement benefit checks, survivors eligibility for Medicare

Bill Nygren, a renowned value investor, is manager of the Oakmark Fund, Oakmark Select Fund and Oakmark Global Select Fund, as well as chief investment officer for U.S. equities at Harris Associates, a Chicago-based firm with approximately $118 billion in assets. His Oakmark colleague, Win Murray, co-manages the Oakmark Select Fund with Nygren and serves

Volatility is back! With the market whipsawing again, you’re likely seeing more red in your portfolio these days. At times like this, you might be tempted to give in to emotion and sell. That’s understandable—self-preservation is, after all, our most powerful instinct. But keep your nerve. Because now is the time for contrarians like us

Roughly 75% of Americans over the age of 40 are failing to keep up with saving for retirement, and close to one-third report that they have no retirement savings at all. With the future of Social Security somewhat unclear, preparing for retirement today is essential to funding your future. Oddly enough, in my experience, I

Signage is displayed outside the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) building in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. © 2019 Bloomberg Finance LP Last week, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) issued its long-awaited 2018 projections report. Its bottom line about the multiemployer program? No notable change from 2017. More specifically, the PBGC’s

In my previous article, I outlined the “Foundation Questions” for Social Security. Let’s go a bit deeper into one of those questions: Should you consider filing a “restricted application” for spousal benefits? Getty At your full retirement age, the Social Security restricted application provides the opportunity to claim spousal benefits only and defer your own

Pexels Pexels As a successful businessperson, you want to give back to your community and help the next generation of entrepreneurs grow. Choosing the right startup to back can require a critical eye. The things that you knew about your business, you need to assume about the startups, especially if they don’t divulge all the

Getty Aging is insidious. We know life flies but the future seems so far away. One day you are 30 and the next you are 50 years old. You don’t feel and look much different, but you probably notice that your parents are getting old-old. And you are worried about them. Are they okay financially?