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There’s a misconception that financial advisors and investment managers are primarily there to help unsophisticated retirement savers who haven’t spent a lot of time learning about their investment options. You might be surprised to learn that financial planners and...

When investors or advisors refer to dividend stocks, they’re usually referring to specific companies and shares that regularly pass a significant percentage of their profits on to stockholders. This profit sharing can be used by some retirees as income to fund their...

Contract agreements and commodity deliveries for a specific date can be bought and sold on special auction markets known as futures markets. These “futures” are bought and sold at a specific price today for delivery in the future. People can make money on futures by...

Many publicly traded companies initiate stock splits or buybacks based on the market and the performance of their company’s stock. Investors who currently hold those stocks generally don’t have to take any action when a stock splits or a company engages in a stock...

What do you want from your retirement? The answer to that question should play a significant role in guiding your retirement savings decisions. Many people are homebodies, live near their children and grandchildren, aren’t huge fans of traveling and enjoy relatively...

Your nest egg doesn’t stop growing the second you stop working and making contributions to your 401(k) or IRA. Your wealth can continue to grow if your retirement savings and assets are wisely invested and properly managed. There are a few different tactics that will...

Wise investments with valuations that trend parallel with increasing consumer costs are the ideal way to protect your wealth from inflation. Unfortunately, your retirement savings efforts can be greatly hindered when markets or your investment portfolio is trending...

It’s a bad idea to buy a fixed immediate annuity when interest rates are low.  This can be a complicated issue for some investors, but as with all things in retirement planning, your choices should primarily be dictated by your needs and goals. In an ideal world,...

There are many different types of annuities, but most fall under the umbrella of one of four primary categories: Immediate Fixed Annuities Deferred Fixed Annuities Immediate Variable Annuities Deferred Variable Annuities Immediate annuities, sometimes referred to as...

Determining how much you should have saved for retirement at different points of your life can be difficult due to income fluctuations and the inherent subjectivity of expectations and lifestyle preferences. Some people look forward to simple retirement living in...

Although annuities may be one part of a comprehensive retirement savings and estate plan, they’re not primarily intended to function as an alternative to life insurance. Annuities are ideal for paying you either a lump sum or a stream of income while you’re still...

Annuities are unique retirement savings tools. The basic goal of an annuity is not all that different from other retirement savings options like a 401(k) or IRA. You invest money today that you’ll be paid (often in increments) when you retire. That’s about where the...