Retirement Planning

The sad truth is that many Americans are vastly underprepared when it comes to retirement savings with a 2016 GoBankingRates survey revealing that 33% of Americans have nothing saved for retirement at all and, in total, 56% have less than $10,000 saved. [That begs the question] "How much money does it actually take to retire comfortably?" It seems like one million dollars is the magic number many people think of but is it really necessary? Could some people could get by in retirement on less? Let's explore all the different ways you could live a happy retirement even if you don’t amass a million-dollar nest egg.

In my view, most people who are selecting stocks for their retirement are doing it wrong. Most investors are picking “good companies,” stocks that have gone up a lot in the past, stocks of companies that are soon to release higher earnings, or stocks that have been selected because the technicals look good. All of these make for lousy long term investments. Here's a better path to retirement bliss, one that’s much more likely to work out if you are prepared to put just a little bit of time and effort into your portfolio.

If you've had your heart set on moving to Europe there are still history-steeped places there where you can experience old-world charm on a limited budget. Here are some of the cheapest cities you can settle down in across various European countries.

The Sustainable Withdrawal Rate (SWR) strategy is based on the work of William Bengen whose research revealed that the order of market losses is more important than the average return sequence of returns risk. With all due respect to Bengen, though, I consider this strategy irrational and believe that it probably makes sense only for households with so much savings that they don’t need it. This article substantiates my conclusion.

Many Americans have taken it upon themselves to do the vast majority of retirement planning without the help of a financial advisor. While that is perfectly fine and legal, it is not entirely wise considering the long-term margin for error. Plenty of things can go wrong, and they do, often leaving investors lost and confused about what they can do to better their circumstances. There are 5 major errors committed by solo investors that can greatly impact their ability to maintain wealth throughout their retirement. Here they are!

Your insurance needs don't remain constant throughout your life. You need different insurance coverage when you're single and in your 20s than you do when you're raising a family in your 40s. When you retire, your insurance needs will evolve once again...Here is a primer on the kinds of insurance that every retiree should consider.

Here are the top 10 places to live and retire in Mexico and the reasons why:

How prepared are you for retirement? Take a look at the following potential unpreparedness indicators. After reviewing them, if you don't see any concerns, you may, indeed, be headed down the right path toward retirement. However, if you do, it'll be far better to address them now while you're still gainfully employed.

America is facing a retirement crisis. It is a ticking time bomb and most people have their heads in the sand. The long and the short of it is that the older you get, you don’t spend less, you just spend differently - and more. The fun goes down and the healthcare costs go up.

How much money do you really need to retire on? We’re bombarded with messages about retirement savings – that...[we] haven’t saved enough; that company pension plans are underfunded; that the Canada Pension Plan [or U.S. Social Security] won’t be able to handle the influx of boomers who are set to retire over the next 10 to 15 years. If that’s you, then you might be panicking right now. Stop! According to a new book retirees may not need as much as they’ve been led to believe.