Welcome to your first year of retirement. You made it! Hard work and diligent saving have paid off. Your financial plan should practically run itself at this point. Still, aim to check in periodically. Here are a few things to remember.
One of the biggest challenges for early retirees, aside from needing to save enough extra money that it can last though a longer retirement, is that there are early withdrawal penalties on most pre-tax retirement accounts. Luckily, there are many ways to dodge those penalties.
When it comes to the economy, we tend to focus on our personal financial health -- things like how well our retirement savings are doing. Investment advisory firm FutureAdvisor's state-by-state breakdown sheds some interesting light on where people are getting ahead, and where they're falling behind.
We all know how hard it can be to build up a big enough nest egg for retirement. But because many retirees leave their IRAs and 401(k)s untouched as long as possible to avoid paying taxes, you might someday face the bittersweet experience of inheriting a retirement account.
Saving for retirement has always been hard. But starting in 2013, the IRS is making it a little easier for you to put more money aside for your golden years. On Oct. 18, the IRS announced that it was upping the contribution limits for IRAs and 401(k) plans.
Why have predictions about retirement become so dour and hopeless? Maybe it's the seeming lack of understanding that so many so-called retirement experts seem to have on the topic. And maybe you're not as bad off as you think ...
Tax planning is more complicated than ever now, thanks to the fiscal cliff we're hurtling toward and the tax increases it would bring. And while it's possible that Congress will steer us away from the cliff, if you're in a higher tax bracket, it's time to start doing some contingency planning.
If you're one of the fortunate workers with a pension, and you're employer offers a big lump-sum payment in exchange for it, it may feel like hitting the lottery. But how you handle that offer may be the biggest money test you'll ever face.
According to a GAO report, women have a tougher time saving for retirement than men do. But women of all ages can take some steps to improve their financial readiness.
What if everything you were told about saving in your company retirement plan was bogus? What if the benefit of tax-deferred growth in your mutual fund based retirement plan was really a well-funded Wall Street marketing gimmick?
When it comes to their finances and retirement plans, women need to be better prepared and better organized than men. But as a group, they're actually falling behind in money management and investing. Here's how to start changing that.
With six months of earning, saving, and spending under your belt, you've got plenty of data to project how 2012 is going to play out. So let's lift the hood on your finances and give everything a good once over.
Here's a Mother's Day downer: On average, women have nearly $41,000 less socked away for retirement than men -- but they're likely to need more. But these three things can help get you on track, no matter what your income is.
Get ready to play the retirement game even more cautiously: The common wisdom that a 4% annual withdrawal rate is the safe way to avoid outliving your money is increasingly coming under fire. In fact, it may well become a thing of the past.
Concerns about job security and piles of debt have left American workers more pessimistic about retirement than ever. And many should be concerned: About 60% report total savings and investments of under $25,000 (excluding the value of their home and defined benefit plans.)