Is It Worth Getting Retirement Planning Advice?

Is It Worth Getting Retirement Planning Advice?

There are too many people in our opinion not getting the right retirement planning advice? The questions along the lines of "is it worth getting retirement planning advice" we see come across our desk shows that folks are very suspicious of the financial world right now especially in light of what has taken place during the past four years. But the truth is, those people getting professional advice about retirement planning are the ones who know how much money to retire on and how much money to withdraw each year in retirement. This was established following a Franklin Templeton survey which also revealed that people actually feel better about retirement and they have more control over … [Read more...]

Is Gold A Good Retirement Plan Investment?

How To Invest In Gold And Silver

So, is gold a good retirement plan investment?Is it smart to invest in gold for retirement? These are just some of the questions people are asking right now as gold continues to amaze investors at it's ability to hold firm as a worthwhile investment in a tough economy. Gold is usually considered a volatile investment and the truth is, it's probably going to diminish in value at some time in the future as the economy is on the improve. But some may argue now that the economy may never improve and with the US Dollar on the slide, gold is fast becoming the common language among financial investments. But what about gold as a retirement planning investment. Should you invest in gold for … [Read more...]

How To Retire In A Tough Economy?

How To Retire In A Tough Economy?

Knowing how to retire in a tough economy starts with being calm and not hitting the panic button. If this sounds strange advice bear in mind that panic will usually be the culprit and lead people to making crucial mistakes. Mistakes such as tampering with their retirement savings, getting out of stocks without really understanding what they are doing, withdrawing their money too soon and paying too much attention to the "bad news" being generated by the media. The situation right now is pretty much the same right around the world. How to retire in tough times is a question not just being asked in the US, but also countries like Australia. The following post at smh.com.au isone we … [Read more...]

How To Better Plan For Retirement?

How To Better Plan For Retirement?

The key to how to better plan for retirement lays in getting the facts about what's required. In other words, knowing what people are most frightened of about retirement can better arm you to prepare for it. Does that make sense? One of the tips for a better retirement we usually give people is to follow the numerous surveys on the topic that are released almost on a daily basis. For example, the recent survey results released at millionairecorner.com from ING Retirement Research Institute make for excellent research. Why? Because it details the fears people have about retirement planning. Among the list of fears are: - nearly half of the people surveyed don't feel prepared … [Read more...]

Are Target Date Retirement Funds Worth It?

Are Target Date Retirement Funds Worth It?

Something we haven't really spoken about a lot are target date investments for retirement? So, are target date retirement funds worth it? We say they are especially for people who are tempted to "chop and change" their investments because of the state of the economy. While they are relatively new, many people ignore them simply because they don't understand what they are. The truth is, they are exactly as the name implies; you set a target date and your funds mature on that date. But the big advantage from our point of view is that they are promoted as safe and low risk and the closer they get to the target date, the less risky they become. Target date funds for retirement might have … [Read more...]

Late Retirement Planning Tips

Late Retirement Planning Tips

The following late retirement planning tips might be just the ticket for those of you getting near your retirement day but still not really knowing where you are at or are going to be at financially. Like the author of the article at news.yahoo.com, we are also amazed at the number of baby boomers currently taking it a little too easy heading into retirement without knowing their full value compared to what their expenses are going to be. Call this late retirement plan a tune up; an opportunity to tally up your assets against your expenses and then see what it will take to get your through a more than likely long retirement phase. Unless you haven't heard, people are living a lot … [Read more...]

How Much Money Do You Need To Have Saved For Retirement?

How Much Money Do You Need To Have Saved For Retirement?

So, how much money do you need to have saved for retirement? Have you saved enough for retirement? The truth is, 3 out of every 5 workers have less than $25K saved for retirement. In fact, a third or workers have less than $1000 in savings. So where does this leave them with retirement day looming? The disturbing results were part of a recent survey from non-profit organization Employee Benefit Research Institute and is reflective of the current state of the economy and the struggle many folks are feeling right now. If you are in this situation right now then these figures might be of some comfort in a strange way to confirm you are not alone. But it doesn't solve your problem of lack … [Read more...]

How Do You Avoid Retiring Poor?

Start Late Finish Rich

It's no surprise that the retirement problems facing baby boomers today are not just confined to the US but the world as a whole. It's a world financial crisis we live in right now and when we spotted the following article at vancouversun.com it occurred to us that the same issues are affecting even our northern neighbors despite the news that they are in pretty good shape. So, how do you avoid retiring poor? Well, this is a better question and one we would rather hear from people than will you retire poor because it shows that you are thinking about a solution to the question. Retiring poor is a likelihood for many baby boomers and when we use the word poor, it simply means not being … [Read more...]

Tips For Paying Off Your Debt Faster

Pay It Down

Okay, some may ask what has a post on tips for paying off your debt faster got to do with retirement. In short, everything. One of the golden rules of saving for retirement planning is to be debt free or as close to it when retirement day arrives. Put it this way, you have a long retirement period ahead of you; people are living a lot longer these days and the last thing you want to be worrying about are things such as credit card bills, car payments and mortgage payments. Okay, knowing how to pay off debt faster is easier said than dine but we find many people will procrastinate over this for too long before taking action. You need to start today. There are some excellent tips to … [Read more...]

How Much Do You Need In Retirement To Be Comfortable?

Managing Income In Retirement

So, just how much do you need in retirement to be comfortable? How much money do you need when you retire? One of the things we aim with TheSmartRetiree.com is to produce a sense of urgency in people regarding their retirement. We want to get the message across either through news or tips on retirement planning, that preparing for your golden years should be a priority. There has been so much talk in the past couple of years of the strife baby boomers are in heading into retirement. Many just haven't the type of nest egg required to get them through so continuing on in the workforce is a necessity. Many have had the value wiped off their homes through the real estate crash while the … [Read more...]