Retirement Planning

Are you way behind in saving for retirement, or haven't started at all? Good news: There's a way out of your predicament! Follow these three basic principles religiously and, along with a little luck, you still should be able to achieve your long-term financial goals.

More and more retirees are looking to retire abroad where the sun shines almost daily, the weather is temperate, the lifestyle is enjoyable and the cost of living is a fraction of their current expenses. Have you ever considered Asia? This infographic compares the cost of living, lifestyle and personal safety of 9 countries worth considering. Words: 999; Photos: 5

Just 10 years ago, most Americans felt confident they'd hang up their hat by the time they turned 60. Now the average working stiff expects to retire at age 65 due to the housing crisis and credit crunch, among other nest egg busters....Experts are predicting that the trend will continue, thanks to the Great Recession so, for now, Americans are just focused on keeping their day jobs. When will you retire? Check out the graphic below to find out.

If you don't know much about investing, you may feel overwhelmed or bewildered by the choices. Enter annuities. The best of them are easy to understand, even by financial novices: "Give us your money, and we'll give you this much money per month until you die." That sounds simple - but simpler isn't always better [so let's review] whether they're needed in a retirement plan or not.

Two weeks ago a new bill was introduced on the floor of Congress that, just like all the other really dangerous legislation, i.e. USA PATRIOT Act, this bill has a catchy acronym. It’s called the SAVE UP Accounts Act, which stands for “Secure, Accessible, Valuable, Efficient Universal Pension Accounts Act”. I just tasted vomit in my mouth.

In consultation with highly experienced ex-pats who have lived and/or live in the places that I rate here I have come up with the following list of the top 10 places in Mexico to live and retire and the reasons why:

Mandatory IRAs as proposed by the Obama Administration is just the 1st step in stealth nationalization and forced investment of our retirement benefits to support the treasury debt market! [As such,] every American with substantial retirement assets must [begin now to] protect themselves from having to become buyers of last resort for US treasury obligations. [Let me explain.] Words: 6349

The modern consumer is becoming increasingly distinct from those of years past so for us to truly understand how these changes will affect the marketplace and our investments, we need to rethink and update our image of the modern consumer. Here are three ways the new consumer is different than in years past:

Here are 5 highlights for future retirees who seek to maximize benefits and understand how Social Security fits into a holistic financial plan that benefits from guaranteed lifetime income.

In preparing for retirement, there are nine deadlines everyone should keep in mind. These affect your retirement, taxes, Social Security, Medicare and other aspects of your financial health.