You have three choices for the funds in your old 401(k) plan. The two you mentioned (leaving it where it is or rolling it over to your new employer) and rolling it over to an IRA. The best option for you would depend on several . . . .
Read MoreFinding the right adviser is difficult but not impossible. You will want to research advisers and then set up appointments with at least three or four of them. An adviser should be a fiduciary, should not be a commissioned. . . .
Read MoreI encourage the two of you not to consider this as an either/or situation, but instead use the money to provide for multiple goals. Focus on multiple goals to help you achieve both financial stability and a happier life . . . .
Read MoreThe first place to look is at the new 401(k) plan's investment options and fees. It is quite common for 401(k) plans to have very limited investment options and very high fees. It is still worthwhile to invest in them to get the . . . .
Read MoreUltimately this is a math question: is your savings large enough to provide you with sufficient income if you retired today. With $192,000 saved, a skilled adviser could provide you with a monthly income of between $500 to $750. (Some advisers may . . . .
Read MoreI am sad you are having to deal with this. The annuity representative should have explained this to you and made sure you understood what you were buying. The contract/prospectus for annuities are very long and very . . . .
Read MoreI think either of the two options would work well, since you would still be contributing at least 10% to your retirement account (you can count your contribution and your employer's contribution for this benchmark). At your . . . .
Read MoreWhen I see advice like this my 'Spidey sense' starts to tingle and I worry the other advisor might be motivated to sell a product rather than give you good advice. If you have a need for life insurance during retirement, this . . . .
Read MoreThe accurate answer to this would require an adviser to look at the pension documents and the choices you made when you began receiving the pension income. The most likely answer is your new wife will not receive a benefit if you were to die, because you have already started . . . .
Read MoreThe answer to this question will also depend on how much money you have in your 401(k), what your Social Security benefit is expected to be, and how much your annual expenses will be in retirement. If you have a sizable 401(k) (think more than 15x to 20x your annual . . . .
Read MoreI would be hesitant to pay for the home improvement either through withdrawing from a retirement account or getting a HELOC. Both options will increase your risk and harm your ability to enjoy a comfortable retirement over the long-term. There are other recommendations you should . . . .
Read MoreYes, you will want to contribute the maximum you can to the Roth IRA, which is $6,500 in 2018 (you get access to the $1,000 catch-up contribution for being over age 50). You may also need to save additional money into a taxable account to supplement your tax-advantaged retirement funds. . . .
Read MoreAlthough I cannot identify a specific asset allocation without doing a lot more analysis and knowing what your current asset allocation is, my general comment are below. You seem to be positioned well for the future. In fact . . . .
Read MoreThe end of last week saw a stock market drop which has many spooked and supposed experts have been using words like ‘market crash’, ‘historic drop’, and ‘recession’. Here are the 5 things you should do to keep the market downturn from ruining your financial plan.
Read MoreI am going to attempt to answer your questions as well as I can, but (and I can't stress this enough) this is not a decision you want to make based on advice off the of a website forum. You are considering a major irrevocable decision which could have significant . . . .
Read MoreDespite what you might hear, there are some very good ‘pros’ in favor of annuities. But, there are also a lot of very big ‘cons’ with buying an annuity. Annuities provide a fixed income until you die, which is very attractive for retirees. With a fixed annuity, the fact the insurance company is taking. . . .
Read MoreThere are no sure proof ways to safeguard a nest egg, but there are things you can do which will improve your protections and increase the safeguards. Below are some general recommendations which can help you see what tools are available to you to protect your wealth based on the. . . .
Read MoreYour wife is entitled to benefits based on your Social Security benefits, but it will not impact or reduce how much you receive. She is entitled to 50% of your benefits or 100% of her own benefit. . . .
Read MoreWhile there are some key differences between the plans, it is the underlying investment options and fees which should really drive this decision. Each of the plans will have predominantly the same …
Read MoreWhile it's currently trendy for gurus and media pundits to advise people to pay their student loans off immediately, the math doesn't work out in favor of this strategy. This article explains the math of …
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