retirement « Personal Finance Blog

Posts Tagged ‘retirement’

5 Hidden Financial Risks of Everyday Life

October 19, 2011

With all the bad economic news America has witnessed during the past few years, people are more familiar than ever before with the concept of financial risk. Stock prices can go down as well as up. Housing prices can plunge as well as surge. It’s all too possible to lose a job and not be able to find a new one anytime soon.

But in addition to these prominent financial risks that are always in the news, many people are facing various “hidden risks” to their personal finances, without necessarily thinking of them as “risks.”

Boost Your Retirement Savings with Individual Retirement Accounts

September 1, 2011

Certified Financial Planner Heidi Davis explains what an Individual Retirement Account is, how it might benefit you and how to choose which kind of IRA is right for you.

3 Ways to Catch Up on Your Retirement Savings

August 5, 2011

It’s best to start saving for retirement as soon as you start working. Even if you’re only part-time, you should put away what you can from each paycheck. Every little bit helps and will add up over time. If you weren’t able to start saving early like this, however, it’s not too late to get back on track and begin saving now. You may need to make some adjustments in your lifestyle today to accommodate for tomorrow, but there’s still time.

How to Prioritize Your Financial Life

July 8, 2011

Everyone has different priorities in life, but your finances should take a front seat rather than a back seat in these priorities. Organizing your financial life and deciding what’s important doesn’t have to be a burden if you learn how to do it right the first time. We show you how.

9 Things to Consider When Planning for Retirement

April 21, 2011

To achieve your own retirement dreams later in life, it helps to have an idea of what your situation might ideally look like in retirement so you can plan ahead and make sure your retirement years are secure. Certified Financial Planner Heidi Davis explains.

Personal Finance for Beginners

April 18, 2011

When you take that first leap toward financial independence, it can be rather overwhelming. People start throwing abbreviations at you like FICO and IRA, and you may often be left scratching your head. Don’t worry! With these five easy steps, you’ll be well on your way to financial success.

To Defer or Not to Defer; The Ultimate Pre-Retirement Question

April 7, 2011

Should you fund your retirement plan (401(k), IRA and Roth IRA), or not? Which plan? How much? As a Certified Financial Planner, these are the most common questions I am asked by clients, workshop and webinar attendees. Ask three people and you’ll probably get three different answers. Here’s my answer (and it is sure to be different as well).

How to Manage Your Money after Retirement

March 22, 2011

You’ve worked hard for a lot of years and the day has finally arrived. Your office mates threw you a party. You packed up your belongings. And you drove away from work for the last time. You did it. You retired. For many people, retirement means freedom. And while retirement does bring some freedoms, some restrictions come with it, too. In order to manage your money well after retirement, you will need to find a good balance between the freedoms and restrictions.

Should You Contribute to a 401(k)?

March 16, 2011

It’s one of the fundamental rules of financial planning: you must save for retirement. But what is the best way to do it? Most people have access to a “defined contribution” retirement savings plan through their employers, like a 401(k). Here’s what it is, if you should contribute to one and other retirement savings options.

Take Advantage of an Empty Nest to Built Your Retirement Fund

March 2, 2011

Many parents find themselves with extra money when their kids leave for college. But instead of hunkering down and putting those extra funds toward retirement, more than half of adults increase their spending and ignore the future. We give you helpful tips that will allow you to have fun with your hard-earned money and even splurge a little bit, but also save for retirement and secure the days ahead.

3 Ways to Boost Your Social Security Benefits

February 24, 2011

As many Americans know, you can retire and start collecting Social Security benefits anytime from age 62 to 70. Most people start collecting right away at age 62. But what many people don’t know is that you can raise your benefit substantially by exercising a few simple options. Certified Financial Planner, Tammy Kraig, explains what these options are and how much you can boost your benefits by using them.