I'm not a big football fan. Oh sure, I occasionally enjoy watching football on television. But, unlike hockey and baseball, I rarely bother buying tickets to attend football games in person.
That being said, my buddy had an extra ticket to a ...
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Mailbag: What Happens to My Mortgage If the Dollar Hyperinflates?
Love your blog, Len. Let's just say it has opened my eyes, and for that I thank you. I've not been able to get a reasonable answer as to what happens when the dollar fails and mortgage holders are saddled with a house they can't pay for. Also, if the ...
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Why Millennials Are Struggling Financially And What They Can Do About It
It is no secret that millennials are struggling financially. A recent study by the Federal Reserve revealed that 44% of millennials have nothing saved for retirement. This is a major problem, and it is something that millennials need to address if ...
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100 Words On: Why Tracking Your Net Worth Is So Overrated
Many people dream about reaching the million-dollar net worth milestone, as if that lofty benchmark somehow guarantees a strife-free financial life. Preposterous! Net worth -- the value of your total assets minus your total liabilities -- is ...
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7 Reasons Why You Should Use a Roth IRA for Retirement Savings
Are you thinking about fortifying your retirement savings with a Roth IRA?
Sure, Roth IRAs have their disadvantages -- but there are some really good reasons why you may want to consider one too. Here are the seven best:
Qualified distributions ...
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How to Retire Five Years Earlier Than You May Think You Can
Who wants to work 'til they're 75? Not me. That's why I'm constantly thinking of ways to make a little more or spend a little less in order to save more for the future.
If you have the same priority, then there is one change that you can make in ...
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7 Big Reasons Why a Roth IRA Isn’t the Best Way to Save for Retirement
Are you trying to decide whether or not you should be building your retirement savings with a Roth IRA?
It's true; using a Roth IRA has its advantages -- but there are also more than a few reasons that may make you think twice before getting one. ...
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How A Gold Backed IRA Can Help Protect Your Retirement Nest Egg
The stock market made great gains over the last several years. But that trend is clearly changing. As a result, if you have a traditional IRA or 401k, your retirement funds could be at risk. In fact, there is now plenty of evidence to at least ...
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Early vs. Delayed Retirement: Which Path Is Harder?
Not too long ago, I was driving my family along the foothills of Southern California, at the base of the magnificent San Gabriel mountains.
Believe it or not, the San Gabriels top out at over 10,000 feet; and while the panorama from the top of ...
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Budgeting Over 65: How Seniors Can Afford to Age in Place
Although aging is an undeniable part of life, most of us don't want to think about how our bodies and minds will change in the future. But even if we're in excellent health now, that could all change a few years down the line.
Statistics show that ...
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Roth IRA and Traditional 401(k) Differences: Which Is Better?
For many of us, retirement can often seem like something too far off in the future. However, as we approach retirement age, and as we are exposed with news of economic instability, we often wonder what is in store for us during retirement. Because of ...
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Lottery Fraud: Don’t Get Caught Paying ‘The Stupid Tax’
There's an old joke that goes something like this:
In order to raise additional revenue, the government is introducing a National Lottery with a daily grand prize of $50 million. Winners will get $1 annually for 50 million years.
Heh. I smile ...
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How to Safely Invest for Retirement
How important is it to have a sufficient financial nest egg by the time you are ready to retire? Well ... it should be very important because your life post-retirement depends on it.
Believe it or not, a major mistake some people make when ...
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Reverse Mortgages as Payment for Elderly Care
Typically, elderly care can be expensive. If you have an elderly family member, it's one of the concerns you have to think about as they age and experience physical and cognitive decline. No matter how independent they are when they're young, it'll ...
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These 4 Financial New Year’s Resolutions Are Actually Sustainable
One of the things that sets the human race apart from other species is our ability to learn by looking back at the past. But by this logic, New Year's resolutions should have long ceased to exist. After all, most people make enthusiastic New Year's ...
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Study: Americans More Likely to Save for Vacation than for Retirement
Although Americans are criticized for putting work above all else, so much so that half of those in the workforce aren't using all their vacation days, a new NerdWallet study suggests that we are prioritizing getaways -- but it may be at the expense ...
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The Benefits of Taking a Reverse Mortgage Now vs. Later
There isn't a right or wrong time to get a reverse mortgage but, depending on your personal retirement goals, the earlier you choose to get a reverse mortgage, the greater the potential gain may be down the road.
Reverse mortgages allow homeowners ...
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5 Personal Finance Tenets That Aren’t as Smart as They Used to Be
When I was a kid I used to love the fun houses found at summer carnivals and local fairs.
I loved the sense of twisted reality provided by image-distorting mirrors and the wacky side-rooms where water appeared to flow uphill and it was nearly ...
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Mailbag: When It Makes Sense to Take the 401k Withdrawal Penalty
I'm a middle aged male, but have very little in my retirement because I never really see myself retiring in today's America. I have around $7500 in my 401k. Should I pay the penalty, which would give me about $4500 afterwards and put this money ...
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5 Strategies for Protecting Your 401(k) Savings from Economic Collapse
After more than a decade of the Fed's reckless monetary policies -- in particular, persistent near-zero interest rates and their relentless de facto currency-printing campaign better known as "quantitative easing" -- the financial system has been so ...
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