How to Estimate Your Social Security Benefits

An often overlooked component of retirement planning is Social Security. It’s not that no one knows it’s there – but more that getting reliable estimates of your benefits is something of mystery. In addition, many people believe that Social Security will become “bankrupt,” so they try not to rely too heavily on it as a […]

Retirement Plans Aren’t Where They Should Be – What Should You Do?

Personal finance blogs, financial media, and financial advisors are awash and plentiful in advice on how to build the biggest retirement portfolio possible. But despite the subject’s incredible popularity, real world application isn’t living up to the hype. The numbers on 401(k) plans – the cornerstone of self-directed retirement planning – are not encouraging. A […]

401(k) Loan – Is Borrowing from Your Retirement Smart?

In these tough economic times, it can be tempting to see your retirement account as an emergency fund. You can tap those assets when you are in a pinch. And, if you feel bad about it, you can get a 401(k) loan, so that you are essentially borrowing from yourself. Advantages to a 401(k) Loan […]

5 Investing Mistakes to Avoid with Your Retirement Portfolio

For most “regular” folks, investing is done through a retirement account. Investments in a tax-advantaged retirement account like a 401(k) or an IRA can be a smart move. You see your money grow with the help of compound interest, and it grows even more efficiently since there is a tax break involved. When your retirement […]

Is Rental Property a Good Investment for You?

Let’s forget about the last five or six years for a moment – historically, rental property has been one of the best investments available. Not only can you use rental income to pay the carrying expenses on the property, but equity builds up over time creating large future investment windfalls. In addition, rental property can […]

Are You Taking Advantage of a Spousal IRA?

Just because your spouse does not work outside the home does not mean that he or she cannot be covered by some sort of retirement plan. Individual retirement arrangements (IRAs) are available for non-working spouses, even if they have no income. Such IRAs are known as spousal IRAs, and if you aren’t taking advantage of […]

Why Early Retirement is About More than Retirement

Lots of people are hoping for and working toward early retirement. Some are hoping for retirement as early as age 35 or 40, but most are probably targeting something closer to 50 or 55. While we might think of early retirement as simply a version of traditional retirement that comes sooner in life, there other […]

Is it Possible to Save Too Much for Retirement?

On the surface, this seems like a ridiculous question, but I‘m going to put on my contrarian’s hat here and dare to raise the question. There are probably far more people who are inadequately prepared for retirement than there are people who are over-funded for it. And yet retirement preparation can be a little bit […]

How Waiting to Invest Could Crush Your Retirement

As a general rule of thumb, procrastination is not a good idea. You’re waiting to do something that deep down you know you really should get started on. You delay on the important class paper. You delay on having the tough conversation with a friend. And naturally, you want to delay beginning to save for […]

4 Early Retirement Risks – and How to Avoid Them

In the last few years early retirement has become the holy grail of retirement planning. After all, if retirement is a good thing, then early retirement is even better! The abundance of investment vehicles like the IRA and 401k combined with easier and wider access to investment information, in tandem with the power of compound […]

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