Retirement Planning
Bob Carlson shares miscellaneous advice on retirement and related topics
Found 103 Articles.
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Americans Still Spending More, Deferring Savings
It’s no secret that during the boom years the personal savings rate of Americans gradually declined until at the peak it actually was negative by some computations. The crisis of 2008 was supposed to change that. Americans, rattled by the decline in the values of their homes and portfolios, became more frugal. They were cutting […]
Retirement Planning – It’s Not All About Money
One point I make regularly in Retirement Watch is that retirement planning is about much more than money. Surveys of retirees indicate that money is important only up to a point. The money is to ensure you have the freedom and security to engage in the types of activities you want. Unfortunately, too many people […]
Making Financial Management Easier
I’ve long been an advocate of concentrating your investments and financial matters at one or two mutual fund companies or at a discount broker. Consolidation makes it easier to know what’s in your portfolio and be sure your allocation is what you intend. Consolidation reduces procrastination, because you won’t be deterred by the time needed […]
Nearly Half “Early Boomers” Not Ready to Retire
All year I see studies and surveys estimating the percentage of people who don’t have enough money to retire, or at least retire the way they want. Lately, the focus has been to estimate the number who were pushed from the safe category to the at risk category by the financial crisis and decline in […]
How Safe Are Your Assets?
Is your money safe? It is amazing how quickly investors went from not worrying about risk to having that be the first question on their minds. As the financial crisis spreads, people are worried about the safety of their money and how to make their assets more secure. Here’s an overview of the rules for […]
How Improved Websites Boost Your Benefits
Government benefits are complicated. It often is difficult to understand the rules well enough to maximize benefits from Social Security and Medicare. The government agencies know this and in response recently added features to their web sites to make it less painful to learn your benefit options. I have reviewed these features and believe they […]
Pay Off Debt or Continue Owing in Retirement?
Paying off the mortgage used to be part of the American dream and a prerequisite to retirement. Times have changed. These days many people enter retirement with mortgages and other debt, and some do not hesitate to increase debt during retirement. What is the best approach? Should you try to pay off the mortgage as […]
Should You Take that Early Retirement Offer?
With the economy slowing more people have to face one of work life’s more difficult issues: Should the early retirement offer be accepted? Evaluating the value and merits of a buyout offer can be difficult, because the offer contains many parts. Here is a summary of key points to consider when a buyout offer is […]
