Exhausting the Topic of 401(k) Loans
Because I want you all to understand 401(k) loans, inside and out, I have written several articles on the topic. How to borrow from your 401(k) offers a big picture view, and frequently asked questions...
View ArticleHardship Distributions
If you pull money out of your qualified retirement plan before retirement age of 59 1/2, you will owe taxes and penalties. But there are circumstances under which you can do it penalty-free. These are...
View ArticleLooking for Safety?
Do I have a book for you. The Safe Investor: How to Make Your Money Grow in a Volatile Global Economy, by Timothy F. McCarthy, is not only an interesting and informative investment guide, it's also a...
View ArticleHow Rubio Would Deal With Retirement
This week, Republican Senator Marco Rubio presented his ideas for changing the US retirement system. His proposal includes opening the federal retirement savings program, the Thrift Savings Plan, to...
View ArticleBarbara Walters Retires... Sort of
Last week, the big retirement news centered around Barbara Walters, who taped her last episode of the TV show, "The View." It's more of a semi retirement, since Walters says she will continue to be...
View ArticleFeeling Anxious?
We all have our share of money worries. It's how you deal with financial anxiety that makes a difference to your overall well-being. I've invited Rebecca Levin, assistant editor at Anxiety.org, to...
View ArticleTips for Revolving Door Retirees
I have a new favorite term: the revolving door retirement. It's such a great way to describe the trend of retirees returning to work to meet expenses (or just to have something interesting to do).If...
View ArticleIn Search of the Elusive Pension Plan
If there's one thing everyone seems to know about retirement planning, it's that the pension plan our parents or grandparents had doesn't exist anymore. That's not exactly true. The pensions wherein...
View ArticleThe Vest and the Rest
What does it mean to be vested? It means that you have worked at a company long enough to accrue the full benefits offered by your employer. Matching contributions to your 401(k) can follow a vesting...
View ArticleBattle of the Retirement Plans
Defined contribution plans, defined benefit plans... what's the difference? Both are retirement savings vehicles that you get through your employer. But one offers a guaranteed income stream and the...
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