Retirement

September 19, 2008

Keep Wall Street Out of the Retirement Business

Remember the Bush Administration's push to partially privatize Social Security? The privatization advocates warned that insolvency loomed unless dramatic changes were ...

September 10, 2008

Are Your Retirement Accounts Safe?

In the wake of the historic government bailout of Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE), investors wonder which bank will fail next. Indeed, images of customers lined...

August 11, 2008

Can Women Bridge the Retirement Savings Gap?

Many studies have shown that women lag behind men in saving for retirement. In a 2008 survey of more than 1,300 workers or retirees over age 25 by nonpartisan Employee...

June 5, 2008

Don't Let the Rules Overtax Your Retirement

Due to common pension plan requirements and Social Security rules, ages 55, 60, 62, and 65 often surface as benchmarks in retirement planning. But planning for your ...

May 2, 2008

Safeguard Your Retirement in Hard Times

Investment losses, job loss or downsizing, an upward adjustment on your adjustable rate mortgage, and higher prices on everything from gas for your car to rice for the...

March 4, 2008

Election 2008: The Pocketbook Issues

So far the Presidential campaign has focused on foreign policy, immigration, health care, and, of course, the broader economy. But candidates Clinton, McCain, Obama, ...

March 4, 2008

The Candidates on the Pocketbook Issues

Americans of all income levels face some tricky times ahead when it comes to their personal finances. What steps would the men and women vying to be the next President...

January 31, 2008

The Right Insurance for a Rocky Economy

Unemployment currently stands at 5%, but David Wyss, the chief economist for Standard & Poor's, sees it creeping up to 5.5% by the end of this year. That means as many...

December 28, 2007

The Candidates Face the Baby Boomers

During the next President's term, baby boomers will begin to retire in earnest. The U.S. Census has predicted that between 2000 and 2010, the number of Americans age ...

November 5, 2007

Roll With the Changes

Remember REO Speedwagon, one of the bands that formed the holy trinity of arena rock (Journey and Styx being the other two)? REO elevated the power ballad to ...

November 5, 2007

Will Your Retirement Money Last?

From Standard & Poor's Financial Communications With so much at stake when planning a retirement income stream, it pays to take a step back and see whether your plan ...

November 5, 2007

Managing Financial Ties to Your Kids

Talk to people between ages 55 and 65 and they'll tell you: An empty nest doesn't necessarily mean you've stopped doling out worms to the youngsters. Part of the ...

November 5, 2007

Real Estate: Seven Smart Strategies

For millions of Americans approaching retirement, a big part of their fortune is tied up in something they might never want to sell: their homes. Even with the recent ...

November 5, 2007

A Smooth Move into Retirement

People ages 55 to 65 are often just beginning to consider where they might spend their later years. Should they stick close to home or try out an entirely different ...

November 5, 2007

Outwitting the Estate Tax

In a time when many folks are worried they won't have enough money for retirement, others are worried they'll have too much left over. The estate tax now sits at 45%, ...

October 15, 2007

How to Protect Your Portfolio

Once burned, twice shy. Even though the major stock indexes are trading at record highs and concerns about a possible credit crunch-led recession have abated slightly,...

September 4, 2007

How to Make the Most of a 401(k)

From Standard & Poor's Financial Communications As more Americans shoulder the responsibility of funding their own retirement, many rely increasingly on their 401(k) ...

August 20, 2007

Flying Solo in the Golden Years

Whether it's intentional or not, 19% of men and 40% of women over 65 live alone. This includes people who may be divorced, widowed, or just temporarily without a ...

July 3, 2007

Make Sure You Can Afford Medicare

With health-care costs skyrocketing and retiree health insurance disappearing, the best coverage that most aging retirees can hope for, once they turn 65, is Medicare....

June 13, 2007

Burton Malkiel's Index of Insights

Exchange-traded funds have proliferated over the past six years as investors have become more conscious of the need for diversified portfolios to protect themselves ...

May 21, 2007

The Best Bets in Bionic Investing

At the end of 2006, equity analysts were celebrating a miraculous year on Wall Street. M&A activity and impressive earnings boosted the Dow Jones industrial average ...

February 16, 2007

IRAs for Kids: It's Never Too Soon

What's the best age to start saving for retirement? A common answer is when you start your first "real" job and can sign up for a 401(k) or other plan offered by your ...

January 31, 2007

Asset Management: Not Tapped Out Yet

What do some investors do when companies in an industry that has outpaced the market over the past few years report blow-out earnings? Take profits, of course! Stocks ...

January 29, 2007

An Automatic Boost for Your Nest Egg

The next revolution in retirement savings may be taking place without your even knowing about it. With the "automatic" features increasingly cropping up in workplace ...

January 26, 2007

Before You Buy Your Dream Home

It's a Saturday morning in McLean, Va., a wealthy suburb of Washington. A line of 50- and 60-ish retirees and pre-retirees is filing into the Hilton Hotel to check out...