Archive for the ‘Retirement’ Category

The Candidates on the Pocketbook Issues

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

Americans of all income levels face some tricky times ahead when it comes to their personal finances. What steps would the men and women vying to be the next President take to help bolster your bottom line? Below, in alphabetical order, we lay out some of the stances the current ...

The Right Insurance for a Rocky Economy

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

Unemployment currently stands at 5%, but David Wyss, the chief economist for Standard & Poor's, sees it creeping up to 5.5% by the end of this year. That means as many as 750,000 Americans could lose their jobs in 2008. Are you prepared—financially, if not emotionally—if you lose your job? ...

The Candidates Face the Baby Boomers

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

During the next President's term, baby boomers will begin to retire in earnest. The U.S. Census has predicted that between 2000 and 2010, the number of Americans age 45 to 64 will increase from 62.4 million to 81 million; and those age 65 to 84, from 30.7 million to 34.1 ...

Outwitting the Estate Tax

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

In a time when many folks are worried they won't have enough money for retirement, others are worried they'll have too much left over. The estate tax now sits at 45%, and while the exemption will grow to $3.5 million and then disappear by 2010, the estate tax is set ...

Roll With the Changes

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

Remember REO Speedwagon, one of the bands that formed the holy trinity of arena rock (Journey and Styx being the other two)? REO elevated the power ballad to unparalleled heights during its Carter Administration heyday. One of the group's best-known songs is a hard-driving number exhorting the listener to Roll ...

Managing Financial Ties to Your Kids

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

Talk to people between ages 55 and 65 and they'll tell you: An empty nest doesn't necessarily mean you've stopped doling out worms to the youngsters.Part of the reason older parents still provide financial assistance to young adults stems from the escalating cost of living, particularly when onerous payments on ...

Will Your Retirement Money Last?

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

From Standard & Poor's Financial CommunicationsWith so much at stake when planning a retirement income stream, it pays to take a step back and see whether your plan takes into account the major obstacles to retirement income adequacy. When you take this big-picture view, consider the five major challenges most ...

How to Protect Your Portfolio

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

Once burned, twice shy. Even though the major stock indexes are trading at record highs and concerns about a possible credit crunch-led recession have abated slightly, many of today's investors have vivid memories of the market meltdown of 20 years ago. No surprise, then, that one feature distinguishing the current ...

How to Make the Most of a 401(k)

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

From Standard & Poor's Financial CommunicationsAs more Americans shoulder the responsibility of funding their own retirement, many rely increasingly on their 401(k) retirement plans to provide the means to meet their investment goals. That's because 401(k) plans offer a variety of attractive features that make investing for the future easy ...

Flying Solo in the Golden Years

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

Whether it's intentional or not, 19% of men and 40% of women over 65 live alone. This includes people who may be divorced, widowed, or just temporarily without a partner.Because of the inevitable changes that arise with aging, including some physical limitations and, for most people, a reduction in income, ...