How Does Inflation Impact Social Security Benefits?
Investing & Retirement
June 8, 2022
ARE YOU IN YOUR 60sand worried about rising consumer prices? It’s worth understanding how inflation affects Social Security benefits—especially its…
4 Factors That Help Make Investors Successful
Investing & Retirement
June 8, 2022
A FEW WEEKS BACK, I discussed the notion of “the four horsemen of the investor apocalypse.” A concept proposed by Morningstar Managing Director Don Phillips,…
Should You Continue Working After Starting To Collect Social Security Benefits?
Investing & Retirement
June 6, 2022
SOCIAL SECURITY’Scomplexity never fails to surprise. While many retirees have some sense for what factors determine the size of their…
How Inflation Obscures the Real Value of the Dollar
Money & Credit
May 20, 2022
DO YOU SEE THINGSclearly when it comes to money? Here’s a test to find out. Which of the following scenarios…
10 Rules for an Enjoyable Retirement
Investing & Retirement
May 18, 2022
WANT A HAPPIER,more fulfilling retirement? You work your entire life to get there, and you want to make the most…
Should Retirees Be Nervous About the Stock Market Right Now?
Investing & Retirement
May 10, 2022
EVERY MARKET DECLINEis different, but all of them can feel unnerving, even for the most steadfast of investors. Spooked by…
How This Man Overcame His Biggest Financial Blunder: A Failed Business
Business & Entrepreneurs
April 15, 2022
IF YOU ASKED MEabout my financial life, I could regale you with stories about working the swing shift at the…
What Is the Best Way To Withdraw Money in Retirement?
Investing & Retirement
April 5, 2022
LOTS OF RESEARCHhas been done on the best way to generate retirement income. It’s one of the most popular topics…
10 Questions To Help You Squeeze More Happiness Out of Your Financial Life
Save Money
March 29, 2022
COULD YOU SQUEEZEmore happiness from your dollars? Here are 10 questions to ponder: Which expenditures from the past year do…
Your Credit Score May Help Lower Your Auto and Home Insurance
Insurance
March 28, 2022
I RECENTLY STUMBLEDon a way to save a significant sum on my home and auto insurance. While I knew that…
Ask Yourself These 8 Money Questions To Gain Perspective
Money & Credit
February 22, 2022
MONEY MAY SEEMimportant—and it is. But it isn’t nearly as important as we imagine. Want a little perspective on your…
Why This Retiree Isn’t Afraid To Spend Money
Investing & Retirement
February 18, 2022
THE DRUMBEATof “retirement crisis” is much too loud. While 54% of retirees believe there’s a national retirement crisis, just 4%describetheir…
Why a Financial Analyst Switched to a “Do-Nothing” Investment Strategy
Investing & Retirement
January 28, 2022
I ONCE JOINEDa book club led by an amazingly smart guy. We were reading a challenging book by Nassim NicholasTaleb,…
A Retiree Shares His 5 Best Money Moves in Retirement
Investing & Retirement
January 19, 2022
WHEN FOLKS TALKabout their best financial decisions, they’ll often mention the investments they bought. But my list is quite different.…
Are You Investing or Gambling?
Investing & Retirement
December 21, 2021
MANY TIMES IN MYcareer, I’ve heard people say, “The stock market is just one big casino” or “Buying stocks is…
Why I Decided To Stop Obsessing Over My Investment Portfolio
Investing & Retirement
December 17, 2021
TWO MONTHS AGO,Ifessed upto my addiction to financial market news. Despite knowing better, I’ve followed the markets closely for years…
4 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Retiring Early
Investing & Retirement
December 10, 2021
I RECENTLY LEFT MYjob without having another lined up. Upon quitting, I noticed an immediate mindset shift: I went from…
Are We Heading Into a Recession?
Money & Credit
November 3, 2021
I’M PLAYING ECONOMISTtoday, looking ahead to third-quarter GDP, thefirst estimateof which was released Thursday. No, I won’t be offering a…
The 5 Big Mistakes This Career-Long Banker Made in Retirement
Investing & Retirement
October 26, 2021
IT’S EMBARRASSINGto admit in a public forum that I failed at retirement. But I’m doing so—because I think people can…
A Unique Way To Think About Spending Money
Money & Credit
October 25, 2021
A LOT OF INK HASbeen spilled over young people’s spending decisions and the impact on retirement savings. Whether it’s a…
Is 65 the Best Age To Retire?
Investing & Retirement
October 19, 2021
ONE OF THE VERYbest financial decisions is available to almost every American worker. That’s the good news. The bad news:…
9 Things To Do Before You Quit Your Job and Retire
Investing & Retirement
October 14, 2021
IMAGINE YOU PLANto retire next year. What can you do beforehand to gain the most later on? Here are some…
6 Things Retirees Often Overlook
Investing & Retirement
October 5, 2021
PERSONAL FINANCEpundits love to debate safe withdrawal rates—the amount a retiree can withdraw each year from a portfolio without depleting…
Why You Should Ignore the Free Dinner Invitation in Your Mailbox
Investing & Retirement
September 30, 2021
HOW LUCKY I WASto be the recipient of a dinner invitation to Ruth’s Chris. I love a sizzling ribeye, so…
Vanguard Is Cutting Costs of Its Target-Date Funds Soon
Investing & Retirement
September 29, 2021
VANGUARD GROUPrecently announcedsignificant price cuts for its fleet of target-date retirement funds. Currently, investors can own a Vanguard target fund…
This Decision Could Increase Your Social Security Benefit by 8% Each Year
Investing & Retirement
September 28, 2021
“SHOULD YOU BUYan annuity from Social Security?” That’s the title of apaperreleased by Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research (CRR)…
3 Personal Finance Rules You Can Consider Breaking
Money & Credit
September 21, 2021
I’M NOT A RULEbreaker. In the nearly 40 years I’ve had a driver’s license, I’ve received just one traffic citation.…
12 Horrible Investment Mistakes
Investing & Retirement
September 14, 2021
WANT TO IMPROVEyour investment results? The deadly sins below are not only among the most serious financial transgressions, but also…
Is This Investing Approach Better Than the 4% Rule?
Investing & Retirement
September 10, 2021
THE MUCH-DEBATED 4%rule—which Iwrote aboutback in July—is a popular way to think about portfolio withdrawals in retirement. But it isn’t…
6 Tips To Stop Worrying About Your Investments
Investing & Retirement
September 7, 2021
TODAY’S STOCK MARKETreminds me of Charles Dickens’s famous line: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of…