Financial planning basics
We're putting our finances online
Paying bills and making deposits and withdrawals electronically is convenient, saves postage and makes record-keeping simple. Some Internet-only banks even offer customers higher interest payments as an incentive to change old habits.
New federal law helps protect your retirement plan
In August of 2006, President Bush signed into law a 900-page bill that makes saving for retirement easier and provides more choices in taking distributions from investments. Many of those changes went into effect on January 1st of 2007.
Minimum required distributions and you
With income from Social Security, rental property, and cash-on-hand, Matthew King has his living expenses covered. Yet this year he'll be required to pull $8,000 out of his IRA. Learn more in this article.
Beyond Social Security Strategies to support your retirement
Many people think that their Social Security benefits will cover their retirement expenses. Unfortunately, that rosy scenario is seldom the case.
Take your emotions out of investing
Whether you're a new investor or just starting to pay closer attention to your accounts, you need a well-thought-out strategy, says author Georges J. Yared.
The Social Security decision
You can begin collecting Social Security retirement benefits as soon as you turn 62, but before you do you should know what you'll be giving up in terms of benefits.
Finding a financial advisor
Choose the right financial adviser
The needs and interests of someone in their 50s and beyond are usually quite different than during the years you were accumulating your retirement assets, and the adviser you choose needs to be on board with those needs.
Personal finance seminars
You hear advertisements for personal finance seminars on radio and television, and you probably get pitches in the mail. Many of these courses offer valuable educational information that can help you learn new ways to invest and plan for your financial future. However, those that make outlandish promises of financial freedom are typically run by scammers. And the smarter individual investors become, the craftier and more creative these people get.
Fidelity Investments articles
Near retirement? Remember these savings tips
For investors, a strong-willed drive to bolster savings in the retirement homestretch can reap rewards, too.
Five tips for monitoring your portfolio
It's been said that legendary investor Warren Buffett can recite five years' worth of entries in his personal checkbook. You can bet he takes a similarly attentive approach to managing his personal investment portfolio. While it would be tough for anyone to match Buffett's savvy, it's easy to follow his lead by actively monitoring and maintaining your own finances and investments.
Near retirement? Consider these 8 steps
Whether it's relaxing on a tropical beach, hiking through a pristine mountain range, traveling around the world, or simply lounging around the house, we all have retirement dreams. You may not be thinking about your golden years, but preparing for the transition to retirement now can make life easier down the road.
Financial scams
How to spot common financial scams
As you manage your money today, you need to watch out for new scams. Today's fraudsters are extremely creative. Here is a list of the top 10 scams, ranked by the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASD).
