The 401(k) is one of the most powerful tools in your retirement planning toolbox, but in order to make the most of it, you'll need to have a good understanding of how it works. The most important thing you can do right now is to simply start saving. Roughly half of Americans are not contributing anything to their 401(k), according to a survey from Edward Jones, which can lead to [...]

Preparing for retirement can be intimidating. You’re facing great uncertainties about how your financial future will unfold, with a lot at stake. Fortunately, a comfortable and sustainable retirement should be within your reach if you prepare for it properly. You’ll find that a little planning can go a long way to getting you where you need to go, although that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily easy. You will need to gradually [...]

On Dec. 20, President Donald Trump signed into law the imaginatively acronym-ed Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act). The new law is mainly intended to expand opportunities for individuals to increase their retirement savings. It also includes some other important tax changes that have nothing to do with retirement. In an earlier column, I covered the three most important changes that can affect individuals. See here. But [...]

The new year is upon us, and so are new retirement rules and plenty of new (or soon-to-be) retirees. This year already began with major changes, now that the Secure Act is in effect as of Jan. 1. The bill passed shortly before Christmas, and will change the way workers save for retirement and retirees contribute, spend or give away their assets. Other trends have been in motion over the last [...]

The five years before officially quitting full-time employment is the time to finalize your plan for the next stage in life. Pre-retirees should start taking a closer look at their financial situation and what actions they can take to bolster readiness—and confidence—as they near their last day on the job.  But knowing what to do, as well as when to do it to maximize any benefit or correct any problem, [...]

I don’t share the opinion of some people who think making resolutions for the New Year is a waste of time. Maybe you don’t lose that extra 20 or 30 pounds or get to the gym as often as you promise yourself. But the effort could result in just enough changes to make a difference. The same can be said for small moves in your retirement planning. Tiny steps may [...]