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401(k)
Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage or Invest?
Owning a home outright is a dream that many Americans share. Having a mortgage can be a huge burden, and paying it off may be the first item on your financial to-do list. But competing with the desire to own your home free and clear is your need to invest for retirement, your child’s college…
Read MoreMutual Fund Fees: Look at the Total Picture
Why should you care about mutual fund fees? Because fees are deducted from your account balance, they reduce your total return and, ultimately, the size of your nest egg when you retire. Consider how just a one percentage point difference in fees – for instance .5% vs. 1.5% – could affect your account over time.…
Read MoreConsiderations for Owning Company Stock
Owning company stock within your employer-sponsored retirement plan is not necessarily a bad thing. The issue, however, is that for some investors, company stock may represent too large a percentage of their retirement plan assets. Here are some tips to help you determine if your portfolio is too heavily weighted with your employer’s stock. Know…
Read MorePlanning for Retirement? Don't Overlook an IRA
Nearly 50 million American households own an individual retirement account (IRA).1 While the IRA has evolved into a popular retirement savings vehicle — with more than $4 trillion in total assets — it is often an overlooked component of most investors’ financial planning strategies. In fact, over the past two years, only 15% of households…
Read More401(k) Decisions — You Can Take It with You
If you are preparing to change jobs, do you know what your choices are for managing the money in your current employer’s retirement plan? Although many people choose to take a cash distribution, there are other options that may benefit you more. Uncle Sam Loves Cash Distributions Taking a lump-sum cash distribution may trigger an…
Read MoreTips for Transitions: Make the Most of Your Retirement Account Options
It’s a fact: The average American holds nine different jobs before the age of 34.* It’s also a fact that the decisions you make about how to manage retirement assets when changing jobs can have a direct impact on your future financial health. Case in point: “Cashing out” retirement plan assets before age 59½ (55…
Read MoreFive Steps to a Simpler Financial Life
For many Americans, financial life seems to be getting more and more complicated. Perhaps that’s because more workers bear responsibility for their own retirement savings thanks to the proliferation of 401(k) and other plans. Or maybe it’s because there’s so much information and so many investment choices to sort through. Whatever the case, here…
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