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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Bud Hebeler’s 2017 Economic Outlook: 6 Reasons to Plan Conservatively for Retirement

The following on 2017 economic outlook comes to us from Mr. Henry K. “Bud” Hebeler.  Bud has been working with retirees for many years, developed special material for their use, and given numerous seminars on retirement. His current focus is dissemination of sound financial planning information that applies to a wide range of personal investment,…

May 24, 2017
transition to retirement

8 Esteemed Experts Offer Smart Strategies for the Transition to Retirement

The transition to retirement is exciting and scary.  Like all big events – graduations, relocations, marriage, childbirth, and more – life will never be the same again. To make your planning for this transformation easier, here is advice from retirement and personal finance experts. Go for Risk and Reward You have a lot of choices…

January 18, 2017
debt and inflation

Trick or Treat? The Frightening Truth About Debt, Inflation, and More

Some people are horrified by personal finance. It can be mystifying and intimidating. However, there are also many ways to profit from basic economic concepts. Halloween is both a horrifying holiday and a cute community event. Debt, inflation, high interest rates, and soaring stock prices are also both tricky and a treat, depending on circumstances.…

October 27, 2016
best retirement investments

What is the Best Retirement Investment? Target Date Funds or a Managed Portfolio?

What is the best retirement investment? A target date fund or something else? This content was originally published on RealDealRetirement by Walter Updegrave, RealDealRetirement @RealDealRetire Ask Real Deal Retirement… I’ve been putting my retirement savings into a target-date fund but want to know whether that’s a good idea or if I should consider other investments.…

September 29, 2016
Should you own stocks in retirement?

Should You Own Stocks in Retirement?

This content was originally published on RealDealRetirement by Walter Updegrave, RealDealRetirement @RealDealRetire Should you own stocks in retirement? Is it worth the risk? Are we crazy to avoid stocks? My husband and I are retired and living comfortably on income from Social Security, a pension and other sources. We own government bonds and have FDIC-insured…

September 15, 2016
Retirement planning

Retirement Experts: Lorena Brockman’s 6 Tips to Jump-Start Savings

Lorena Brockman is a blogger for JennsBlahBlahBlog.com and has notable know-how in blogging, finances, retirement, and has been deemed “Greatest Auntie Ever” by many. To learn more about Lorena, visit her company’s blog at JennsBlahBlahBlog.com. Planning for retirement isn’t something people in their 20s, or even their 30s, usually consider. Retirement can often creep up…

May 16, 2016
how much to save

Expert Interview Series: CFP Kimberly Howard on How to Save for Retirement

Certified Financial Planner Kimberly J. Howard is well-known blogger who has written on subjects ranging from 401k’s and mutual funds to debt management and saving for college. She’s also the founder KJH Financial Services in Newton, Mass. and Denver, Col. and enjoys helping clients explore and achieve their life goals through effective comprehensive financial planning.…

May 14, 2016
retirement investing

Retirement Investing: How to Balance Safety with Adequate Returns

Retirement investing can be risky, but it does not need to be a gamble. This content was originally published on RealDealRetirement by Walter Updegrave, RealDealRetirement @RealDealRetire Ask Real Deal Retirement: I have roughly $1 million saved and hope to retire in about 10 years. I’m nervous about the market, but also worried that moving out of…

April 27, 2016
how much do you need to retire

How Much Do You Need to Retire? Don’t Guess! Find Out!

How much do you need to retire?  Have you made a guess?  Are you estimating that you’ll need more than you have?  Maybe you have kind of thought it through and come up with a number in your head?  Or perhaps you are just hoping that whatever it is you have will be enough? But…

April 27, 2016
IRA account

What is an IRA Account and Why You NEED One?

Planning for retirement is probably one of the most confusing jobs that you’ve ever taken on. There are so many choices to make, and so many so many questions that you’ve probably got. For example, what is an IRA account, and why do you need one? There’s so much more to retirement planning than tucking…

March 20, 2016
Obama Retirement Plans

Obama Retirement Plan: White House to Help 30 Million Access Plans

President Obama has a plan that his administration says may help 30 million more Americans gain access to retirement savings plans. The president is expected to outline the Obama retirement plan in his fiscal 2017 budget. Currently, one-third of all working Americans do not have access to a retirement plan through their jobs, according to…

February 13, 2016
Retirement calculator

Retirement Calculator Advice for Self Employed with Irregular Income

Self employment offers surprises everyday.  New challenges and often a different income every month.  As anyone who is self employed with an irregular income knows, retirement financial planning isn’t something that comes easy when you’re just not sure from one month to the next. Today might be a boon, and tomorrow might be a bust.…

December 1, 2015
Investing in real estate during retirement

Expert Interview Series: Sonia Booker about Investing in Real Estate During Retirement

“With rents going up, there are so many upsides to consider purchasing real estate to live; and in the long run, this purchase will provide a big boost to your retirement portfolio,” explains Sonia Booker. In addition to owning and running her eponymous website, Sonia is an innovative entrepreneur, author and real estate investor. Below,…

October 23, 2015
Save for Retirement

5 Ways to Jump Start Retirement Savings

Take a look at your savings. How confident do you feel that your savings will enable you to have the retirement you want? “We are living longer,” says Reid Abedeen, an investment advisor and partner at Safeguard Investment Group. “Retirement now is considered 20 to 30 years of unemployment, so all the money you build…

October 13, 2015
Retirement investing

Retirement Investing: What You Don’t Know About 401ks Can Hurt You

How well do you know your 401(k) plan? If you’re like many Americans, you know more about your health insurance than this retirement savings device. Although your health is important, so is your retirement income to enjoy your good health later in life. Retirement investing takes a lot of forms, and an employer-sponsored 401(k) could…

October 6, 2015
save for retirement

Easy Ways to Save Money for Retirement

Are you saving all you can for retirement? We all know we have to do it.   But, the reality is that saving is hard. However, if you don’t save for retirement, you are likely to run out of money as you age. Easy Ways to  Save Money for Retirement It can sometimes feel like you…

October 1, 2015
asset allocation

What is Asset Allocation? Diversification? Rebalancing?

Asset allocation is a term that refers to the strategy you use to put your money into different types of investments. You are dividing your money across different asset classes like stocks, bonds and money market securities. Asset allocation tries to achieve the right balance of risk and reward as defined by your: Risk tolerance…

September 30, 2015
alternative retirement investments

A Personal Account of Investments Beyond Stocks and Bonds…

It is unsure what the financial markets will do in 2022, but there is evidence that people are looking for alternatives to the stocks. Recently on the Boldin Facebook group, Mary asked a question about alternative investment companies: “Anyone have experience with Fundrise, Crowdstreet, Yieldstreet, PeerProsper or any other alternative investment companies? Responses to the…

September 28, 2015
retirement investments

Retirement Investments: Beyond Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds

One of the beauties of living in the United States is that we have no shortage of money making schemes available to us. The problem is that there is a lot of complexity and inefficiency and some scams to avoid while finding great ways to grow our savings. And, while all investments involve risk, non…

September 28, 2015
Retirement Investments

Retirement Investments: Traditional Choices for Your Savings

Saving for retirement is hard.  Knowing how to invest and manage your retirement savings might be even harder — and more important.  The good news is there are increasingly new and better tools to help individual investors make good choices and automate the management of funds at a low cost. Here is a guide to…

September 28, 2015
Charitable gifts in retirement

Best Ways to Fund Gifts to Kids or Charities: a Personal Account

The following account of charitable giving comes from Henry K. “Bud” Hebeler.  Bud is a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Market Watch and Boldin.  He also runs the Analyze Now web site. Over my 26 years of retirement, I must have done some things right because I have been able…

September 22, 2015
retirement withdrawal rules

No Retirement Withdrawal Strategy is Perfect, Particularly the 4% One

Saving for retirement is critical and investing those assets efficiently is important.  However, that is not the end of worries for retirement cash flow and security. When you retire, you have a new problem to be concerned with: how much can you withdraw each year without running out of money. The common rule of thumb…

September 15, 2015

7 Tips for Protecting Your Retirement Savings from Stock Market Turmoil

The saying: “what goes up, must come down,” is not always true of the stock market over the long term.  But when stocks fall in the short term, it is particularly troubling for those of us who need money for retirement. The financial crisis that started around 2008 severely impacted the retirement security of many…

September 2, 2015
Retirement advice

Real Stories: The Best Retirement Advice

Where would you look for retirement planning advice if you could talk with anyone at all? Would it be a trusted friend or family member, or maybe a celebrated financial advisor? USA Today Personal Finance Editor, Rodney Brooks, couldn’t ask his most trusted friend and relative – his father – so he set out to…

September 2, 2015

Boldin Planner

Take financial wellness into your own hands and do it yourself retirement planning: easy, comprehensive, reliable.