When times got lean three years ago, a host of companies stopped matching employee 401(k) contributions and you had to wonder if the benefit would ever be restored. Temporary measures that pad the bottom line have a way of sticking around – like the toll on a bridge that has long since been paid for.
Financial Planning
How to Retire in a Bear Market
A lot of folks in and near retirement are finding out the hard way what studies have long shown: Market declines are especially damaging in the years just before or after you quit work for good.
Bond Yield Hits Historic Low: 0%
The Treasury Department set at zero the fixed portion of the yield on Inflation bonds, guaranteeing that new buyers will never earn more than the rate of inflation for the 30-year life of their investment.
5 Ways to Recognize a Financial Scam
With a tough economy making timely retirement less likely for many folks, retirement-related financial scams may be on the upswing. Here are five ways to know if you are being played.
Americans Saved Less Money Last Month
In September, consumers spent more but made less than expected. As a result, the national savings rate dropped to 3.6%, which is the lowest level it has been since the beginning of the recession. And that has some people nervous.
Want to Retire Early? It’s Not About Making More Money
Like happiness, retirement readiness doesn’t have all that much to do with how much you earn. It’s more about what you do with what you have.
How to Calculate the Real Cost of College
Giving Season: Signs of Relief for Struggling Nonprofits
The giving season is just around the corner, and things are finally looking up for nonprofits that have struggled to raise funds during the recession.
The Tragic Bungling of a ‘Class’ Act
Long-term care insurance for the masses came and went without much notice. Last week, the Obama administration quietly abandoned the CLASS Act, a provision slipped into health care reform two years ago that would have ensured …
Raise Prices in a Slow Economy? Nice Try
Falling diaper sales and the mess at Netflix point up the risks that big banks are taking by boosting fees in a recessionary environment.
Forget Prince Charming: Why Economic Education Is A Worldwide Imperative
As the severity of this recession sinks in, the call grows louder for a serious plan to help people help themselves when it comes to their finances. After all, things won’t get much better anytime soon.
The Latest Retirement Strategy: Become A Landlord
With interest rates at historic low levels, an adequate retirement-income stream has become difficult or expensive to secure. Increasingly, baby boomers say they will count on rental income to fill gaps.