Retirement Savings and Investments

There are a lot of questions about retirement savings and investments.

With regards to savings, you need to know: How much to save (did you know that some people save too much)? How much savings you will you need for retirement? Where should you save? Should you save pre-tax (traditional, SEP & Simple IRAs, 401ks, 403bs, 457s, 529s, HSAs, etc…) or after-tax (Roth IRAs and 401ks)? How do you find more money to save?

And, there are probably even more questions about investments: What should you invest in (stocks, bonds, real estate, funds)? How should your investments change over time? How do your financial values impact your investment strategy? What is the ideal asset allocation for you? What should you do when the market swings wildly?

See below for articles covering the answers to these questions and more.

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Podcast: Brian Bollinger — Simply Safe Dividends

Episode 29 of the Boldin podcast is an interview with Brian Bollinger, an entrepreneur and founder of Simply Safe Dividends — a company dedicated to dividend investing and generating passive income. Brian is a former equity research analyst and registered CPA who quit his investment job to start his own company at 26. Listen Now:…

August 6, 2019
charitable giving

Charitable Giving in Retirement: 4 Questions to Ask

For many, the desire to engage in charitable giving — giving to our family, communities or world — only grows as we age. It turns out that giving is good — very good. Numerous studies have found that there is a huge psychological benefit to giving. In fact, giving may make you both happier and…

July 22, 2019

You Might Have Less in Your Retirement Account than You Think You Have!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you might have less in your retirement account than you think you have! At least the worth to you might be less than you imagine. Really! Your 401k or IRA account balance is not telling the whole story of your wealth — especially if your income…

July 10, 2019
how much is enough

How Much is Enough? How to Know if You Are Earning or Saving for Optimal Happiness

Everyone wants to know how much is enough. Here are 10 ways to find out how much savings or income is needed for happiness.

July 9, 2019
passive investing

Passive Investing: 6 Advantages to the Hands-Off Approach

Learn about passive investing and explore why the approach is more cost efficient and produces better outcomes than active management.

July 1, 2019
best retirement investments

The Best Retirement Investments: 10 Important Ways to Invest that Are NOT Financial

Monetary retirement investments are critical. Investing in your future health and happiness will pay the important dividends.

July 1, 2019
Robert Brokamp Podcast

Podcast 79: Wealth & Wisdom with Robert Brokamp

Get valuable insights on retirement, purpose, and investing from Robert Brokamp, CFP, author, and a senior advisor at Motley Fool.

July 1, 2019
SECURE Act

The SECURE Act: Will Retirement Get Easier?

The House of Representatives’ Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act and a similar bill in the Senate, the Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act (RESA) are bills backed by both Republicans and Democrats (gasp!) that aspire to improve retirement and retirement planning for Americans. The Secure Act was approved by the House of…

June 20, 2019
retirement investing

Retirement Investments for Dummies: Get the Answers You Need to Rest Easy

Sorry. You probably are not a dummy about everything. But, research suggests that almost 80 percent of all Americans have a very low financial IQ (What’s yours? Take the quiz now.) So, the chances are high that you are a personal finance and investment dummy! And, good for you for doing something about it. (Maybe…

June 19, 2019
dave ramsey how much do you need to retire

Dave Ramsey: How Much Do You Need to Retire Comfortably

Ask Dave Ramsey how much money do you need to retire comfortably, and you’ll probably get the same answer he has given many times before: It depends. That might not seem helpful at all, but of course there’s more to it. Keep reading to find out how to get a more specific and personalized answer.…

May 1, 2019
economic indicator

Economic Indicators: Be Aware, But Why You Don’t Necessarily Need to Care

An economic indicator is information that can suggest what is going on in the economy — is the economy healthy, growing or headed for trouble? Sounds useful, right? Well… maybe… Let’s explore the pros and cons of following economic indicators. Be Aware: The Upsides of Knowing About and Following Economic Indicators Being aware of what is happening…

March 27, 2019

Thank You John C. Bogle for the Bogglingly Significant Legacy to Retirement Planning

John Bogle died on Wednesday. He was the founder of the Vanguard Mutual Fund group. However, his real legacy is not in how he built a $4.9 trillion investment company but rather how he led a new way of thinking about retirement investing. Want to be a successful investor?Just buy the haystack (and thank John…

January 17, 2019

Podcast: White Coat Investor Dr. Jim Dahle – Top Retirement Lessons

Episode 21 of the Boldin podcast is an interview with Dr. Jim Dahle — a hockey playing emergency room doctor based in Salt Lake City Utah who runs White Coat Investor in his spare time. We dive into personal finance and retirement issues like how do you know if you’ve saved enough, what’s a safe…

January 9, 2019
stock market correction

How Much Should You Worry About a Stock Market Correction? Numbers and Tips for Weathering a Financial Storm

The past month has seen some wild dips in the stock markets. Nothing yet too terribly miserable for most, but enough to make us jittery. Should we be worried about a stock market correction? The easy answer is yes. After all, investing in the stock market is inherently risky and today’s world feels more unpredictable…

December 13, 2018
fund college education

How to Fund College Education When You Are Trying to Retire

College costs can feel overwhelming — especially if you are trying to retire sometime soon (or even just save for a future retirement). How to fund college education is a critical question and families need to explore all of their options. You are not alone if you are worried about paying for both big expenses…

October 18, 2018

Drip or Draw: What to Do with Stock Dividends in Retirement?

Stocks that pay dividends can be enormously appealing to retirees.  But what to do with those dividends can be confusing.  Should you participate in a Dividend Reinvestment Program (DRIP)?  Or should you just cash the check? Before answering that question, let’s learn a little more about dividends. What is a Stock Dividend? Different companies offer…

October 4, 2018

Podcast: Michael Batnick on Big Mistakes and Finding Your Calling

Episode 16 of the Boldin podcast is an interview with Michael Batnick — Director of Research at Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC and author of Big Mistakes. We discuss what we can learn from the biggest mistakes of legendary investors, his long and winding path to his calling and what he’s learned along the way building…

October 3, 2018
financial anxiety

Financial Anxiety Skyrockets: Why You Are Worried Even if You Have Saved More than the $14,500 Median

Is the retirement crisis real?  Whether or not you yourself are suffering, financial anxiety is acutely felt by many Americans. Research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (ERBI) finds that the median retirement account balance for households led by someone between the ages of 55 and 64 is a mere $14,500. If you have more…

October 3, 2018

Can You Recover if the Stock Market Crashes?

The stock market is enjoying a crazy long record setting expansion.  By some measures, this is the longest bull market in the history of the United States. If this fact makes you nervous, you are not alone.  No one wants their retirement savings at risk. So, Will the Stock Market Crash? Ha.  Thought you’d get…

September 6, 2018

Podcast: Legendary Investor Jim O’Shaughnessy on Active vs. Passive Investing

Episode 14 of the Boldin podcast is an interview with Jim O’Shaughnessy – founder of O’Shaughnessy Asset Management. We discuss the investing lessons he’s learned from 30 years of investing – partially summarized in this tweet storm and why human behavior is the most predictable (and exploitable) element of the stock market. Listen Now: Don’t…

August 22, 2018

Podcast: Nobel Prize Winner Robert Merton on Fixing Retirement

Episode 11 of the Boldin podcast is an interview with Nobel Prize winner Robert Merton. Professor Robert Merton is a globally recognized economist and expert on life cycle and retirement finance (among other things). We discuss what’s wrong with the current focus on just building assets and why we should focus on retirement income instead.…

July 5, 2018

Podcast: Financial Advice from Allan Roth – You Get What You DON’T Pay For

Episode 7 of the Boldin podcast is an interview with Allan Roth — a highly in demand, by-the-hour financial advisor with over 25 years of experience in the field. He also runs Wealth Logic. Allan and Steve discuss how (and why) most people can do much better financially by keeping investments simple and managing expenses.…

May 3, 2018

Boldin Podcast: Investing Legend Bill Bernstein on the 5 Hurdles Between You and a Secure Retirement

Episode 5 is an interview with personal finance and investing legend Bill Bernstein. Steve and Bill discuss the hurdles between you and a secure retirement and how to overcome them. Hosted by Steve Chen, founder of Boldin, the Boldin Podcast offers interviews about the wise use of both money and time in retirement. We explore…

April 4, 2018
financial fraud

Over 50? 12 Critical Tips to Protect Yourself from Financial Fraud and Identity Theft

Last week it was broadly reported that the credit reporting agency Equifax suffered a major cybersecurity breach that put us all at a greater risk of financial fraud. Experts estimate that hackers stole the data — Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, driver’s license numbers, credit card information and more — of 143 million people.…

September 21, 2017

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