investing

Retirement

Figuring Retirement Needs in Shaky Economy

Posted September 2, 2009 4:36 PM

America's retirement picture looks anything but rosy. Bankrate's recent survey reveals that 70 percent of Americans worry about saving enough money for retirement. And after getting burned in the recent bear market, only half (49 percent) believe stocks and stock funds offer the best chance for good long-term returns. Even American attitudes about homeownership are mixed. A whopping 92 Read more...

See also: boomers, investing, real estate crisis, recession

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Retirement

401(k) Fundamentals

Posted July 2, 2009 8:23 PM

America's most predominant workplace retirement plan enables you to save on a tax-favorable basis. It's an opportunity of which everyone should take advantage. A 401(k) is an employer-sponsored retirement plan that's funded by employee contributions. These contributions are deducted directly from your paycheck. Many companies match contributions up to a certain percentage of salary. Most Read more...

See also: 401(k), investing, retirement plan, Roth 401(k), Roth IRA

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Real Estate

Stay in Your Home to Recoup Costs

Posted April 13, 2009 1:07 AM

Buy and hold. The traditional advice for stock investing now applies to home buying. With a long-term horizon, you can ride out cycles where prices are depressed. Just as stock investors console themselves in knowing that today's troubled market doesn't really matter if they don't sell now, homebuyers who put down roots won't worry about selling at a loss should real estate prices slide Read more...

See also: housing market, investing

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February 2

A Great Rule of Thumb

by Paul B. Brown @ 6:41 am. Filed under investing, retirement, savings
As I mentioned a while back, Frank Armstrong—a terrifically smart CPA—and I are working on a book that will be called Rescuing Your Retirement. While talking the other day, Frank came up with this wonderful rule of thumb: More…
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Retirement

13 Smart Retirement Moves in 2009

Posted January 29, 2009 10:11 PM

If what doesn't kill you really does make you stronger, then retirement investors will rule the roost in 2009. While the financial world crashed and burned in 2008, there was hardly a moment to pause and ask, "OK, but what can we learn from this?" Now as consumers take a breather, pop the corks and usher in 2009, it's a great time to reflect on how those costs came with a few lessons. Read more...

See also: 401(k), financial crisis, investing, saving

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Retirement

Super-Size Social Security

Posted January 24, 2009 5:37 PM

Life doesn't allow many do overs, especially when it comes to financial planning. Most of us simply save and invest as best we can and hope that in retirement we run out of time before we run out of money.Until recently, financial planners tended to treat Social Security benefits as the arthritic component of a retirement plan: a predictable, if feeble, income stream with limited range of Read more...

See also: investing, second chance, Social Security

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January 21

Don't try to catch a falling knife

by Paul B. Brown @ 6:57 am. Filed under banks, investing, savings, Wall Street
A confession. I sometimes buy individual stocks. Not often. And never with very much money because I really do practice what I preach and believe in having a fully diversified portfolio. (Besides, I have three kids in college. There isn't a whole lot of money to spare.) But, I will from time to time I will buy a stock because I think I have spotted something that most people have missed. So, how do I with my little investing hobby.? Not great. My biggest failing is that I try to identify when I think the price of a good stock has hit bottom. Almost always, I buy too soon. What triggered this thought was the price of Citibank. I thought about buying it when it fell to $10 a share. And again at $8. And I almost placed an order when it dipped below $4. More…
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January 18

Do as I say?

by Paul B. Brown @ 7:45 am. Filed under advice, financial advice, investing, irony
Back when dinosaurs ruled the earth, I had a radio talk show where for three hours a day I answered financial questions about such things as the best way to pay for college, and what kind of mortgage to get. Eventually, we arranged it so I could do the program out of my office at Financial World in New York—callers liked that because periodically they would hear police siren in the background—but at first I had to go into the studio. The guy on before me, a charming fellow, did a similar show. He was a legend in the business, someone I grew up listening to. One day, he was arrested for insider trading. More…
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January 16

A Quick Portfolio Quiz

by Paul B. Brown @ 8:03 am. Filed under Asset Allocation, investing, retirement planning
Here is news that won't stop the presses: The Stock Market Meltdown of 2008 has devasted just about everyone's savings portfolio. But in addition to dramatically reducing the amount of money you have, it may have shifted the percentage of money you have in various asset classes. (For example, the percentage of your holdings in bonds and cash are probably greater than they were, given how far stocks have fallen.) More…
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Taxes

Tax Costs for Poorly Timed Stock Transactions

Posted January 14, 2009 12:08 AM

Your portfolio took a beating, but you were able to use that to your tax advantage by selling some losers. Now one of your former stocks has turned around and you want it back. Don't be in too big of a hurry to call your broker. If you repurchase the stock too soon, you'll violate the wash sale rule. This regulation prohibits a shareholder from selling a holding at a loss, using that loss for Read more...

See also: investing, portfolio, tax deductions

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