While every American dreams of retirement, the big question most people face is how much money they will need to save up in order to retire comfortably. Many financial planners advise at least a million dollars worth of assets which, thanks to the recent stock market boom, is not outside the reach of many Americans anymore. But others recommend...
Thanks to the stock market’s performance since 2016 there are now more 401(k) millionaires than ever. It’s pretty heady stuff to think that you’re a millionaire, but many of these newly-minted paper millionaires don’t realize just how fragile their wealth can be. All it takes is a severe stock market crash and all that hard-earned savings and investment can...
Planning for retirement isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be horribly difficult either. Hard work and dedication can make just about anyone’s retirement dreams come true. Despite that, many Americans hamstring themselves when it comes to saving for retirement. From not saving early enough to spending too much money while they’re working, they fail to do what they...
The rebound in stock markets earlier this month had many investors believing that the turbulent and volatile behavior of markets that has occurred since the highs reached in February was finally over. The Dow Jones and S&P 500 reached new highs and commentators everywhere were touting that as proof that the economy was on fire and markets were poised...
Eight months after the stock market turbulence that rocked markets in February, the markets are at it again. Near-record drops, severe slides, and big bouncing recoveries are back again. But while many mainstream financial analysts continue to urge investors to buy the dip, arguing that stock markets are still a great investment, those who remember the events of 2007-2009...
The dream of every American is to retire comfortably and securely. After decades of working in an office, at a factory, or in a school or hospital, people want to be able to relax and enjoy their golden years in retirement, seeing the sights and having the experiences that they didn’t have time for while they were working. But...
While most investors know that past performance is no predictor of future performance, they nonetheless look at past performance as a potential indicator of the future. Particularly when you’re looking at mutual funds or index funds, judging fund managers on their ability to pick the right assets for a fund can be a very important part of doing your...
Read any financial news site today and it will be full of accounts of people who worked hard to retire early. Whereas most Americans hope to retire around 65 and think of retiring at 50 as retiring early, some of these accounts feature people who have retired as early as 35. It’s pretty impressive to think that people have...
Although the Social Security system was originally intended only to provide a backstop to retirees who may not have had enough money saved up for retirement, the initial benefits received by Social Security recipients lured many people into a false sense of security, leading them to believe that they could survive in retirement solely on their checks from the...
With stock markets near all-time highs and economic data such as GDP and the unemployment rate looking rosy, many investors have been lulled into a false sense of security, believing that the economy is going strong and that they’ll continue to make gains well into the future. But that feeling is dangerous, as there are numerous issues lurking about...