Retirement Planning

40 years ago, a grand experiment was embarked upon that promised American workers that by contributing to newly introduced defined contribution vehicles they would be better off when they reached retirement age. That raises a simple but very important question: How have things worked out? Well, the bottom line is that the vehicles and the promises made are proving woefully insufficient to fund the "retirement" dream you've been sold your whole life. Frankly put: retirement is now a myth for the majority.

Daydreaming about retirement is easy, but saving for it, however, takes time and effort — and is something a lot of Americans struggle with - but there are strategies that can help make the process easier. Here are 20 ways to pad your bank account before it's time to retire.

The Wall Street Journal writes that "many US states have been slow to improve their finances nine years into the economic expansion raising a risk they won't be prepared when another downturn hits, making them susceptible to big spending cuts that make the next recession worse".

Here's some good news for anyone behind on retirement savings: Being a smart saver isn't difficult. There's no magic secret to getting it right. Once you understand the rules of the game, you'll know exactly what you need to do to manage your money wisely as you navigate through life. Here are 5 standard practices that every retirement-savvy saver lives by. Let them inspire and guide you during your own phase of accumulating wealth.

Waiting a few months or years to receive your Social Security retirement benefit would increase the amount that you eventually receive and this would have a huge impact on your total lifetime benefits. Conversely, taking your benefit early would result in a reduced payment based on how early you do so. Here are the details to help you decide what to do.

Albert Einstein once said that compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world yet, sadly, many people do not fully understand the power behind it. If they did, they might make smarter financial choices and see their finances improve almost immediately. In this post, I’ll walk you through the basics of compound interest and show you why you need to start taking advantage of its amazing power.

Most people globally don’t really understand some of the central tenants to global monetary policy, nor do they understand some of the key concepts about retirement.

The Financial Independence/Retire Early (FIRE) movement is hot right now. People working toward FIRE are hoping to retire in their 40s and, in some cases, even their 30s and, while the focus of FIRE is to produce financial freedom and not ascribe to a strict definition of the term "retired," it is a tantalizing goal many find worth chasing. However, if not properly planned, early retirement can be more of a burden than freedom. The earlier you retire, the longer your money has to last. Your life mitigation plan also has to be more solid and thorough than those who retire at the standard age. Below are 5 things that could derail your finances if you retire early.

One of the things that really frosts me is the financial planning industry that insists on using rules of thumb such as the “set and forget” tools - specifically the 4% and 60-40 rules.

Retiring does not mean retiring from life. No, for many people, it’s the beginning of a new life but how do you decide where to retire? It’s a big question that requires research and we’ve done the hard lifting for you. This article puts together a comprehensive list of the best places to retire depending on your financial status, which usually the biggest factor for most people.