Stop. Walk Away From That Top Ten List!

Today someone forwarded me a list of the ten worst places to retire in the United States according to Kiplinger’s. My first thought when I saw it was “And I am supposed to care about this because….why?” Then I realized that I do care, and not just because my home state, Vermont, has been awarded the dubious honor of being the number one worst place to retire. Now, I am nowhere close to retirement age. My parents are at an age where my father could retire if he wanted to. He loves to work, so he’s still employed and loving … Continue reading

Money Lessons For Older Kids

A few days ago I wrote about starting to teach children about money when they’re very small. The important lesson is to delay satisfaction. By not getting everything the child wants when the child wants it, the child learns the value of savings and eventually earning combined with saving. The lesson should carry over later in life and increase the child’s financial good health. Elmo helps to give the lesson a visual so children will better understand. Elmo may be able to help toddlers and preschoolers understand how to save a dollar for something special instead of spending it on … Continue reading

Interview: John Hauserman on 401k Retirement Funds

Today I’m continuing my interview with John Hauserman of RetirementQuest.com. Yesterday we chatted about the money that was withdrawn from 401k plans when the economy took its tumble. You can read the full article here. John, you indicated that pulling money from our 401k accounts might have been action spurred by the emotions of the moment. Can you tell us a little more about this? Savvy long-term investors might have noticed something—history tells us very clearly that panic-driven dips generally turn out to be an unusually rewarding time to be buying stocks (assuming you have time to wait out the … Continue reading

Interview: John Hauserman on Retirement Planning

This morning I had the chance to chat with my friend John Hauserman of RetirementQuest.com. I’m a little ways down the road from retirement, but that’s the perfect time to start thinking about it—when it’s not an urgent, pressing need. By then it’s too late. I asked John a couple of questions that have been on my mind. John, I’m not a risk-taker, and I love it when people can give me a heads-up so I don’t make a huge mistake. What do you consider the single biggest mistake people make when it comes to planning for retirement? The single … Continue reading