Category: Financial Landing 2015

2/25/2015 - 6 Key Reasons Why Investing in a Taxable Account Is Underrated (Morningstar)

With all the attention paid to plowing money into tax-sheltered accounts, many investors see saving in a taxable account as a last resort–something to be considered only after they’ve fully funded their tax-sheltered wrappers. But investing via a taxable account can be a sensible maneuver, and not just if you’re running out of tax-sheltered receptacles… Read more 2/25/2015 - 6 Key Reasons Why Investing in a Taxable Account Is Underrated (Morningstar)

2/24/2015 - Supreme Court poised to protect employees from high fees in 401(k) plans (LA Times)

Supreme Court justices were urged Tuesday to put employers on notice that they have a duty to constantly monitor the mutual funds they offer and to drop those that charge excessive fees. If not, firms could be sued and forced to pay damages to employees and retirees. Read the full article at the Los Angeles… Read more 2/24/2015 - Supreme Court poised to protect employees from high fees in 401(k) plans (LA Times)

2/23/2015 - 1 in 3 Americans on verge of financial ruin (MarketWatch)

According to a survey released Monday by Bankrate.com of more than 1,000 adults, 37% of Americans have credit card debt that equals or exceeds their emergency savings. “These numbers mean that three out of every eight Americans are teetering on the edge of financial disaster” — thanks to the fact that many of these folks might be… Read more 2/23/2015 - 1 in 3 Americans on verge of financial ruin (MarketWatch)

2/23/2015 - White House Moves to Protect Investors from Bad Retirement Advice (NPR)

The White House says President Obama on Monday will direct the Department of Labor to craft new rules to require financial advisers to put their clients’ interests ahead of their own. Read the full article at NPR.

2/20/2015 - Financial Advice by Demographics (The New York Times)

When a woman calls Fidelity about her investments there, her questions are likely to be handled a bit differently from those asked by a man. Customer service representatives are more likely to chitchat to establish rapport. And they may frame the conversation around her longer-term goals or the important people in her life — perhaps… Read more 2/20/2015 - Financial Advice by Demographics (The New York Times)

2/19/2015 - Boomer entrepreneur trend could be slowing with age (Reuters)

Among the population aged 55-64, some 0.31 percent started a business last year, according to the latest Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity. That is higher than the 0.28 percent startup rate for the total population, and just a little less than the rate among people aged 45-55, which was 0.36 percent. The rates for baby… Read more 2/19/2015 - Boomer entrepreneur trend could be slowing with age (Reuters)

2/18/2015 - Has the trend toward later retirements played out? (MarketWatch)

Since working longer is the key to a secure retirement for the vast majority of older Americans, it is useful to take a look at recent labor force trends. From the beginning of the 20th century, labor force participation of older men had declined steadily until the mid-1980s, when it gradually began to increase. As… Read more 2/18/2015 - Has the trend toward later retirements played out? (MarketWatch)

2/18/2015 - The racial wealth gap we hardly talk about: What happens in retirement (Washington Post)

Much has been said about the racial wealth gap and how the financial crisis widened that disparity, especially as minorities have had a harder time keeping their homes and rebuilding their portfolios. But there’s another side to those challenges that doesn’t get as much attention — the retirement savings gap. Read the full article at… Read more 2/18/2015 - The racial wealth gap we hardly talk about: What happens in retirement (Washington Post)

2/17/2015 - The Retirement Investing Mistake you don't know you are making (Money)

It happens every year around this time: the rush by investors to make 11th-hour contributions to their IRAs before the April 15 tax deadline. If you’ve recently managed to send in your contribution, congrats. But next time around, plan ahead—turns out, this beat-the-clock strategy comes at a cost, or a “procrastination penalty,” according to Vanguard.… Read more 2/17/2015 - The Retirement Investing Mistake you don't know you are making (Money)

2/16/2015 - Changes coming to Target Date Funds (USA Today)

The more things change in the world of employer-sponsored retirement plans, the less they remain the same. And that’s especially so when it comes to one of the most popular investment options in many 401(k) plans – the target-date mutual fund. Why are plan sponsors dumping their record keeper’s proprietary target-date funds and replacing them… Read more 2/16/2015 - Changes coming to Target Date Funds (USA Today)