It’s no surprise as to why. A 401(k) plan offers a number of benefits, including tax-deferred accumulation, a high contribution limit for pre-tax savings, and in many cases an employer match.
As retirement nears for many Americans, it brings up an important question: How will their 401(k) plan prepare them to enjoy a comfortable, meaningful post-work lifestyle?
Even with these benefits, some Americans are dissatisfied with their 401(k) because they perceive shortfalls in other areas. Personal perceptions of there being limited investment options, “low” access to personal financial guidance with some plans, and a lack of money control are just a few investor frustrations.
There is also the issue of subpar financial knowledge. Surveys indicate many people don’t understand 401(k)s, even though these plans dominate the workplace savings landscape.
According to the Investment Company Institute, as of December 31, 2016 Americans held $7 trillion in all employer-based defined-contribution plans. Of this, $4 trillion was in 401(k) plans – or 57.1% of total defined-contribution plan assets. Read More
However, even as the market goes up many people still worry about their investments. What will the market do next? Do they own too many stocks? When the market goes down, will it be just be a spill, a correction, or a crash? For that matter, do they have too much money in other risky, market-based investments?
Good news: People are living longer. But it does come with downsides. For one, increasing lifespans bring greater financial risk, like outliving your retirement money or forking over income for costly health expenditures. Then there is the evolving question of what a longer retirement looks like.
Just some decades ago, many Americans shared a common vision. You worked for the same company for years, often in exchange for a defined-benefit pension. Then you left your job and shifted into a post-work lifestyle, drawing on your pension and living comfortably.
However, times have changed. As evolving trends and statistical projections indicate, retirement could last as long as 20-30 years, or perhaps even 40 years! Now it’s hard to define what retirement should be. That brings yet another challenge: How can we prepare financially for an extended post-work lifespan?
If you wonder about what you can do, here are some quick tips you can put into action. Before we go into those, let’s address an important topic affecting the near future: the pace at which longevity has changed over time. Read More
Retirement planning involves many decisions. For many retirement savers, an important question is what to do with their 401(k) retirement account. As they near retirement, investors must decide whether to leave the money within their account or choose another option, such as an IRA rollover.
The good news is Americans typically have six options for moving 401(k) assets around or leaving them alone. But not all of these possibilities may be appropriate, depending on the merits and downsides of a particular rollover option for your personal situation.
It’s also not unusual for an investor to have the lion’s share, or even a large bulk, of their retirement assets in a 401(k) plan account. So, whatever they do with these retirement assets, it’s a decision that will have tremendous implications for the future.
If you are mulling over 401(k) rollover options, be sure whoever you work with understands all the ins-and-outs of different rollover outcomes. Your financial professional should clearly explain the positives, negatives, and details of each rollover option to you. They should go over how it may help or hurt your personal situation. Read More
The holidays offer a great opportunity for us to reconnect with loved ones, relatives, and friends. From Thanksgiving dinners and seasonal gift shopping to holiday get-togethers and family gatherings, these times are truly special. But apart from the joy, merriment, good cheer, and great company, many Americans find this period financially stressful.
Discretionary spending, in the form of gift buying and other holiday shopping, ups the pressure on household budgets. And for a large proportion of retired and working Americans, the coming year-end may increase the brunt of existing financial pressures and obligations. Having sufficient income and healthy cash-flow is a concern for all households, especially people in their retirement years. The holidays are an ideal time-frame for financial review, but it can be intimidating to get our house in order, as personal finances are tedious, detailed, and, for many, overwhelming.
However, a secure financial life is well within reach, and it involves taking the right steps. If you are retired or approaching your golden years, read on for four quick tips to boost your financial wellness this holiday season. Read More
After years of hard work, all of us want a comfortable retirement. But it may be unclear as to what we need to achieve this. What steps are necessary for a worry-free financial life – the ability to spend with confidence?
Part of it means a transition in thinking. In real-world terms, it encompasses a shift in focus from asset values to monthly income. We want to be sure we have sufficient cash-flow for funding a retirement lifestyle. On the other hand, we should also be attentive to the matter of preserving wealth. With all those savings accumulated over many years, our money will now need to last for the rest of our lifetime.
However, this doesn’t mean that savings growth has to be put on the back-burner. For Americans looking for “safe money financial” vehicles, annuities may be attractive. In particular, fixed-type annuities can offer guaranteed lifelong income, tax-deferred accumulation, and growth via guaranteed interest rates or rising index values.
If you are investigating fixed annuities or fixed index annuities for personal growth or income goals, here’s a quick look at a few variables to consider. Read More
As many of us know, October is the renewal month for many bank certificates of deposit. Some common selling points for bank CDs are low risk and steady earning potential. But today’s low interest rate environment throws some real curveballs for retirement savers.
In fact, CD rates have remained low for some time now. And what interest rates might be in the future still remains unclear. With the diminished prospects for wealth accumulation, many people seek an alternative to bank CDs and their low yields.
When used properly, annuities are often tapped as transfer-of-risk strategies. Many Americans rely upon them for lifelong income security, dependable asset protection, or other financial assurances. Nevertheless, annuities of the fixed variety – particularly fixed index annuities (FIAs) and multi-year guarantee annuities (MYGAs) – can also offer value as tax-efficient savings vehicles.
If you are looking for alternatives to CDs, here’s a quick look at fixed index annuities and multi-year guarantee annuities – and how they can differ from today’s low-yield bank CDs as retirement-savings solutions. Read More
When it comes to lifestyle, it can be said that we have “two” lives – or rather two different life phases. The first phase is the working years, or when we work for a living. The second phase is retirement, or when we can choose to stop working, should we desire to, and do what we want. From volunteering or spending time with family to social gatherings, vacation getaways, gourmet dining, or personal luxuries, there’s no shortage of ways we can enjoy our time in retirement.
However, many Americans who are retired or nearing retirement face unique barriers – financial challenges which can keep them from enjoying the lifestyle they worked hard for. Preparation is key, so the importance of planning ahead can’t be overemphasized. Here’s a quick look at some common financial challenges to account for. Read More
Chances are you have heard of “safe money” at some point. From financial talk shows and radio commercials to television broadcasts and retirement seminars, it’s a concept that is all over the place. “Safe money” is commonly defined as the money you can’t afford to lose.
But for those of us approaching retirement, what does that mean in real-world terms? Many advisors explain safe money in investment terms. For example, it could mean discussion of “safe money investments,” or vehicles with less exposure to market volatility.
A downside with this approach is its investment planning focus. We have discussed how retirement planning should emphasize monthly income over asset values in its goal-setting. After all, retirement is a life stage in which we draw on a nest egg and other income sources for income – wealth we have accumulated over many years for this timespan. So, when discussing “safe money” in retirement, we shouldn’t frame it in terms of only the possibility of money losing value. Read More
Record numbers of Americans are retiring. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there will be over 80 million retirees by 2040. Life expectancies are on the rise – people are living longer. And a large proportion of Americans worry about market risk. They get anxious over how the stock market performs or fear potential losses.
Because of these and other reasons, some Americans have been adopting annuities as transfer-of-risk strategies. They want the guarantees associated with these contracts – particularly the assurance of lifelong income, for many annuity buyers. For those of us worried about outliving our money or other income-related risks in retirement, this raises an important question: “Should an annuity be part of my income strategy?”
It’s indisputable that many Americans desire guarantees in their financial plan, and this number continues to grow. But that doesn’t mean annuities are right for everybody. If you are wondering whether an annuity is for you, here’s a quick look at some situations you may want to consider. Read More
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