Search Results for: blog retirement dilemmas

Should you Save for College or Retirement

If you have kids, then it is important to invest in a college savings plan. Every dollar you save when they are young, will greater your chances of paying for their education. In turn, you must also save for retirement. How do you balance out these two important long-range investments? Most financial planners will recommend you take care of your retirement first. The main reason being that at retirement you will no longer be making money and will definitely need the savings. Whereas, when your kids are in college, you will still have an income you can rely on to … Continue reading →

Retirement Accounts – Mixing Assets

The concept of saving for retirement is often confusing. My first recommendation to you is to call a financial representative from the company that holds your accounts. They often have loads of free advice to give. It can also be worth your time to pay a separate financial planner or advisor, particularly if your assets are huge or your situation is complicated. To help you in these discussions, it is good to understand a few basics when it comes to your retirement arrangements. The following facts should give you a starting place. • Determine your target retirement goals based on … Continue reading →

Retirement Dilemmas

Retirement is one of those things that seem so far off. Therefore, planning for it often takes a backseat to many other problems and concerns. The sneaky part about planning for your retirement is the sooner you start the better off you will be. That means you do have to make some time to confront retirement plans… long before you need them. The trick is to make it simple and low maintenance. Spend a week determining how you will plan for your retirement – then do it. If you set it up the right way, you shouldn’t have to think … Continue reading →

401(k) Panic

With the recent uncertainty in the economy, much of the market has been declining. As stocks slow, retirement plans can also slow their growth, even drop in value. The key with these longer-term funds is to not panic. Even with the lower stock market, it is not a time to sell out on stocks in long-range accounts. Selling is never good when a market is low, but buying is good. If you have some extra money, this would be an excellent time to add to your retirement accounts. If you have a tax return coming, putting some of it into … Continue reading →

Clean House

It is 2008; do you know what your mutual funds are doing? With the arrival of the New Year, it is a perfect time to clean out your closets and check on your financial portfolios. After the year ends, mutual fund companies release their year-end distributions reports for tax purposes. This is a perfect opportunity to evaluate your current investments and their performance. The year 2007 saw a lot of profitable funds and healthy increases for many. Therefore, if you have funds that appear to be consistent losers – it could be time to look elsewhere. At the very least, … Continue reading →