Savings & Investments Center
- SEP, SIMPLE Plans Help Entrepreneurs Reach Retirement Goals
When you're starting a business, retirement may be the last thing on your to-do list. more - Financial Fitness Challenge April--Make Saving a Habit
We open the April Challenge by drawing a picture of possibilities: more - Roth IRA Early Withdrawals May Prompt Penalties
Like chocolate woos a dieter even when it's stored in a drawer, money in a Roth IRA (individual retirement account) can tempt accountholders who need funds in a hurry. more - Make Up for College Savings Shortfalls
If your savings failed to keep pace with the cost of your child's college dreams--or you forgot to save at all--it's not a reason to tear up those college applications. more - Eight Essential Estate-Planning Steps
Estate planning is just a technical term for arranging what happens to your property after your death, as well as planning for your financial affairs if you become incapacitated. That's why everyone needs a basic estate plan--no matter how old you are or what your net worth is. more - VIDEO: Investing in an IRA
Learn the importance of investing in an IRA. We'll show an example of starting to invest earlier vs. later and explain the differences between a traditional IRA and a Roth. We'll also discuss who is eligible to contribute. more - Did You Leave a Retirement Plan at a Former Job?
Did you leave behind a 401(k), 403(b), or 457 governmental deferred compensation plan at a former job--or are you about to? If so, depending on your situation and assuming you're not ready to retire, you generally have four options for your savings. more - VIDEO: Investing: Dollar-Cost Averaging
You don't have to have a lot of money to be an investor. This video shows how an efficient investment method--dollar-cost averaging--can help your savings grow. more - Heads or Tails: Is Flipping Houses Too Good to Be True?
If you've ever been awake in a zombie-like state in front of the tube at 3:30 a.m., you've probably seen infomercials claiming you can get rich quick with real estate. These programs are filled with promises of talking sellers out of their homes for next to nothing, buying property with no money down, and getting someone else to pay your closing costs. While it's possible that the investment methods these programs push may be the real deal, most are scams that should raise instant red flags for investors. more - Retiros Anticipados de Roth IRA Podrán Causar Sanciones
Al igual que el chocolate atrae a una persona en dieta aun si está guardado en una gaveta, el dinero en un Roth IRA (cuenta de jubilación individual) puede tentar a los cuenta habientes que necesitan fondos en caso de apuro. more - All 'Stuffed' Up, the Infirmity of Affluenza
People can get caught up seeking the lifestyles of the rich and famous. For some, it's a disease. more - Introducing the Roth 401(k)--A New Workplace Savings Opportunity
While the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) is old news, it introduces an exciting new opportunity for some retirement savers starting in 2006. The new Roth 401(k) is almost a hybrid of the 401(k) and the Roth IRA (individual retirement account). This means there's another way to save for retirement at work--and get tax-free income when you retire. more - RADIO: Provisions of the Pension Protection Act
Join Sage Eastman, communications director for Congressman Dave Camp (R., Mich.), as he talks about provisions of the Pension Protection Act. The major factor--the importance of knowing what's available to you as you save for retirement and the importance of starting to save early. more - Credit/Debit Cards, Checking Accounts, Teach Teenagers to Handle Money
When eighth grader Jemma Sepich, age 13, wants to buy a pair of earrings at the mall, she pulls out her checkbook or her debit card. She's had a checking account and debit card for about six months now and, according to her mom, Joanne, She's been very responsible with it. more - Make Financial Room for Baby
When Jennifer and Pat Wennerstrom, Lake in the Hills, Ill., decided to have a child, thoughts of first smiles, first giggles, and first steps warmed their hearts as they waited for baby Brooke to arrive. Now that she's here, the couple couldn't be happier with their new little addition. The only thing that could make life any better would be if they could eliminate the second, much larger, bundle the stork delivered--the expense. more - Pension Participants: Expand Retirement Savings for Future Security
The traditional defined-benefit pension plan--where an employer or union puts away money on behalf of its workers to provide a guaranteed retirement income--is going the way of the Pony Express. More and more U.S. companies are switching to a defined-contribution plan, such as a 401(k), shifting all the investment risk to the employee. more - RADIO: How Men and Women Tackle Investments
Join Dr. Tahira Hira, professor, Iowa State University, as she discusses why men and women feel differently about investing. more - Ant and Grasshopper Graduate From College
Each spring thousands of college graduates leave the safe haven of university life for the real world. From paying off student loans to the shock of auto insurance rates, there's a host of new financial experiences awaiting these grads, and some situations for which they're totally unprepared. more - Protect Your Assets With a Trust Agreement
Are you confident that your money and other assets would be distributed according to your wishes if you no longer could manage it yourself? Or that your minor or special-needs children would have enough money to live on after your death? Or, if you have a family business, how would its assets pass to a successor? more - Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda: What Retirees Wish They'd Done Differently
A survey of 1,000 Americans in October 2003 by Million Dollar Round Table, an international association of financial professionals, found that more than two-thirds of retirees wish they'd done something differently in their retirement planning. Obviously, it's not possible for the study participants to turn back the clock, but those of us who still are working have a golden opportunity to learn from their mistakes--if we choose to. As Aldous Huxley, the 20th century writer and philosopher, said, experience teaches only the teachable. more - Invest Now for Security Later
You've done it--you've landed your first real job. And, you have money--to spend! Before blowing it on everything you can get your hands on, consider stashing some of it away. By getting into the habit of investing now, you can be set for life. more - How Not to Renovate Your Bedroom
We dreamed of a master suite, but the aftermath of our home renovation project has interrupted more than one good night's sleep. more - CALCULATOR: How Long Will Retirement Savings Last?
We work our tails off saving for retirement, putting away as much as we can for years. It seems like we'll never get to use any of the money--and then one day we actually retire. more - CALCULATOR: Calculator: The Cost of Borrowing From Your 401(k)
A 401(k) loan appears to have some advantages over a traditional loan. You can borrow up to 50% of your vested amount or $50,000, whichever is less. If you repay on time, the loan is shielded from taxes and penalties. A typical rate is prime or prime plus one percentage point. To further sweeten the deal, you pay the loan and interest back to yourself. To see what this means in terms of real numbers, test some scenarios below. more - CALCULATOR: Calculator: Should I Pay Off Debt or Save
What to do with money always involves choices, some easier to make than others. The trade-off between paying off credit and adding to savings is easier to see when you use this calculator. more - CALCULATOR: Calculator: How Does Inflation Affect Prices?
The consumer price index (CPI) measures the average price for a group of goods and services you and other consumers buy routinely. Energy prices make up about a tenth of the CPI; food prices make up about one-fifth of the index. more - CALCULATOR: Calculator: What Will It Take to Save for a College Education?
Plan today for your child's bright tomorrow. Use this calculator to anticipate education expenses and see how your savings plan will meet them. (As a guide, inflation in 2005 is expected to be about 3%.) more
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