Invest & Retire

“Investing can seem so complicated that you might shut down and do nothing about it — or feel you need to hire someone to guide you. However, it doesn’t need to be complex. You probably already have the opportunity to get started right where you work.”

Essentials

Latest Investing & Retirement

How Much Does a Financial Advisor Cost?
How Much Does a Financial Advisor Cost? Investing & Retirement May 22nd, 2024
Figuring out how much a financial advisor costs can be challenging. But it's easier if you understand how financial advisors…
3 Places You Should Never Invest Your Money
3 Places You Should Never Invest Your Money Investing & Retirement May 21st, 2024
With great power comes great responsibility. Whether you've read about the Sword of Damocles or simply watched Spiderman, you've probably…
What Are Index Funds?
What Are Index Funds? Investing & Retirement May 17th, 2024
Index funds are among the most popular retirement investments. But exactly what are they, and what are the best index…
Ask Clark Howard and Team Clark
My 401(k) Just Moved to an Insurance Company. What Should I Do? Investing & Retirement May 14th, 2024
A 401(k) plan is one of the best benefits you can receive as a full-time employee. Especially if it comes…
Roth vs. traditional IRA is a decision that you'll face if you want to fund a retirement account outside of work.
Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA: What’s the Difference? Investing & Retirement May 13th, 2024
If you're funding an Individual Retirement Account, your first decision will be a Roth vs. traditional IRA. But what's a…
Vanguard fees
Should You Stay With Vanguard Despite the New Fee Announcement? Investing & Retirement May 13th, 2024
Vanguard, one of Team Clark's favorite brokerage firms, recently announced to its customers several "junk fees," as money expert Clark…
Immediate Payout Annuity: What Is It and Do You Need It?
Immediate Payout Annuity: What Is It and Do You Need It? Investing & Retirement May 9th, 2024
Depending on who you're around, sometimes you have to watch your words. I'm not talking about avoiding certain four-letter words…
Ask Clark Howard and Team Clark
Is Robinhood Gold Worth It? Investing & Retirement May 9th, 2024
Robinhood revolutionized investing for retail investors (every-day people) by allowing free stock trades. Just as Charles Schwab had done decades…
Coins stacked up and growing in value
What Is the Rule of 72 and Why Should You Care About It? Investing & Retirement May 8th, 2024
Everybody loves the idea of doubling their money. But did you know there's a simple formula that can help you…
Ask Clark Howard and Team Clark
Should I Fire My 1% Financial Advisor To Save on Fees? Investing & Retirement May 2nd, 2024
Deciding to save and invest are great habits. But once you check that box, your job isn't done. You still…
A mutual fund is a popular retirement investment type that can get you quick access to a diversified portfolio.
Mutual Funds: Are They A Good Investment Investing & Retirement May 1st, 2024
A mutual fund is an investment vehicle that gives you access to a diversified, professionally-managed portfolio. In this article, I'll…
401(k) loan
Is a 401(k) Loan a Good Idea? Almost Never Investing & Retirement April 30th, 2024
If you are facing a large amount of debt or a big unexpected expense and have a sizeable amount of…
Your company 401(k) plan fees can make a big difference in how much sense it makes to participate in the plan beyond securing the company match.
Why You Need To Know Your Company 401(k) Fees Investing & Retirement April 30th, 2024
Enrolling in a 401(k) plan is like getting hold of a cheat code for retirement: Not only is it tax-advantaged,…
Should you roll over your 401(k) to an IRA? It depends on several factors, money expert Clark Howard says.
Should You Rollover Your 401(k) to a New Employer? How To Make the Right Decision Investing & Retirement April 30th, 2024
Should you roll over your 401(k) or leave it with your old company? If you've recently left a job or…
Ask Clark Howard and Team Clark
What Are My Retirement Account Options if My Company Doesn’t Offer a 401(k)? Investing & Retirement April 30th, 2024
If you work for a big company as a full-time employee, chances are you have access to a 401(k) account.…
Ask Clark money column
401k Fees: How Much is Too Much? Investing & Retirement April 30th, 2024
The easiest decision in retirement planning is contributing to your company 401(k) account up to the company match. You can…
The key parts of a 401(k) retirement plan include a company match, 401(k) contribution limits, withdrawal rules and traditional vs. Roth 401(k) plans.
What Is a 401(k) Plan and How Does It Work? Investing & Retirement April 30th, 2024
You've probably heard of a 401(k) retirement plan. You may even contribute to a 401(k) plan at work. Even so,…
How To Retire a Millionaire With a 401(k) Plan in 19 Years
How To Retire a Millionaire With a 401(k) Plan in 19 Years Investing & Retirement April 30th, 2024
Funding your retirement is one of the most important financial goals you'll ever pursue. But it can seem daunting, especially…
How To Use an IRA To Become a Millionaire
How To Use an IRA To Become a Millionaire Investing & Retirement April 30th, 2024
Money expert Clark Howard thinks that beyond supporting yourself, saving and investing for retirement should be your most important financial…
Why You Want To Spend Your IRA Money Before You Die
Why You Want To Spend Your IRA Money Before You Die Investing & Retirement April 29th, 2024
Prior to 2020, passing wealth from generation to generation through an IRA was a straightforward strategy. A family could take…
gold bars
Should I Buy Gold? Is It a Good Investment? Investing & Retirement April 24th, 2024
With the price of gold recently exceeding all time highs, many people are now wondering if they should have gold…
Ask Clark Howard and Team Clark
Are Municipal Bonds a Good Investment To Avoid Federal Taxes? Investing & Retirement April 24th, 2024
Bonds are an important part of a typical investment portfolio. That's especially true the closer you get to retirement and…
Ask Clark Howard and Team Clark
I’m Retiring From Boeing. Should I Take a Lump Sum or Monthly Pension? Investing & Retirement April 23rd, 2024
Deciding to take a lump sum vs. a monthly or yearly payout is a great but difficult choice. You need…
Ascensus Acquires Vanguard’s Small Business Retirement Plans
Ascensus Acquires Vanguard’s Small Business Retirement Plans Investing & Retirement April 22nd, 2024
Ascensus, the largest player in the retirement investment space, announced it will acquire many small business retirement plans from Vanguard.…
Best Financial Advisors in 2024
Best Financial Advisors in 2024 Investing & Retirement April 22nd, 2024
Type "best financial advisors" into your favorite search engine and you'll get a variety of results including lists of robo-advisors,…
Ask Clark Howard and Team Clark
I Keep $10 Million of My $13 Million in High-Yield Savings Accounts and CDs. Am I Too Conservative? Investing & Retirement April 18th, 2024
The more money you have, the more security matters. It's an almost universal truth. High-net-worth individuals are smart to diversify…
Should I Convert a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA?
Should I Convert a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA? Investing & Retirement April 16th, 2024
Money expert Clark Howard calls himself "the man from Roth." He so loves Roth IRAs that it's a small miracle…
How Much of Each Paycheck You Should Save or Invest
How Much of Each Paycheck You Should Save or Invest Investing & Retirement April 10th, 2024
As a country, the United States stinks at saving money. However, we collectively got our act together not long after…
how to open a Roth IRA
What Is a Backdoor Roth IRA? Investing & Retirement April 2nd, 2024
Want to contribute to a Roth IRA, but concerned that you earn too much money? Don't fret, high-income earners still…
How to open a Roth IRA
How To Open a Roth IRA Investing & Retirement April 2nd, 2024
Money expert Clark Howard thinks Roth IRAs are just about the best tool around when it comes to saving for…