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Financial Planning Software - Retirement Calculations
Plan your Retirement in as easy as 1 - 2 - 3 Using Financial
Planning Software
Rather than spend your hard earned money hiring a financial
planner or consulting with one, there are actually countless
software programs that would help you in...
Going Against the Conventional Investment Wisdom
First of all, I want to give everyone the disclaimer that I am not a registered financial advisor and I don’t play one on TV. Therefore, I cannot legally provide financial advice and I will not do so. This is for informational purposes only and I’m...
New Year's Resolutions For Stock Market Investors
It is at this time each year when we make New Year's
resolutions, to help reduce the gap between where we are today
and where we want to be in the future. Having been able to speak
to thousands of investors over the last five years, I...
Online Investing - The road to a fortune or to ruin?
Online investing is becoming more and more popular with each
passing day, but is this really the way to make your fortune and
should you rush to join this online investing crowd?
Investing in individual company stocks and in...
Stocks for Christmas? Gee Thanks Mom!
Have you read any of the "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" books? They are
excellent books for people who want to increase their financial
savvy. I have been investing in mutual funds and stocks for over
10 years and it has helped increased our family's...
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Funding Your Retirement: The 401K and 403B Way
Saving for your retirement doesn't have to be a nightmare as long as you are
aware of your options. For now, we're focusing on 401K and 403B retirement
plans. These two plans are essentially the same except that for-profit
companies use 401Ks and non-profit companies, such as the government, use
403Bs.
An employee contributes to a 401K plan with pretax salary. This means that
this account appreciates without taxation until you retire or leave the
company. So, 401K contributions are not included in your reported income.
In essence, you receive an immediate tax deduction for your contribution.
Many employees offer an automatic payroll deduction, so there isn't any extra
effort involved for you. Matching contributions or partial matching
contributions are other incentives offered by employers. For instance, my
employer matches every one of my dollars with a quarter. Sounds like small
potatoes, but remember the beauty of compound interest.
Of course, there are rules and regulations. You are typically limited to a
percentage of your income or $10,500 annually, whichever is less. So what
happens if you leave your company? You have 3 options: leave it as it is,
roll it over into another tax-deferred retirement account such as an IRA or
withdraw it all. However, early withdrawal penalties, that is before age
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59-1/2, are stiff. Usually, it's a 10% penalty plus any taxes owed. So, if at
all possible avoid withdrawing any funds before age 59-1/2.
Your 401K portfolio should be chosen carefully, weighing age and risk
factors. The older you are, the less stock you should have in your portfolio.
Many financial advisors suggest that your portfolio percentage of stocks
should be your age subtracted from 100. Therefore, a 25-year-old' s portfolio
should consist of 75% stocks. However, if you're not comfortable with that
level of risk, then simply chose fewer stocks. Do remember this: over the
last century the stock market has returned an average of 11% (this includes
all wars and the Great Depression). Your plan will most likely offer 4 to 7
investment options of mutual funds, stocks, bonds, etc. for your portfolio.
My company provides 10 options of which I have chosen 5.
Chose wisely and consider how much risk you are willing to take. Most of all,
you need to be comfortable with your choices. If you need further assistance
in choosing your investment options, check out www.morningstar.com or the
MorningStar books at your local library.
About the Author
MomsBudget.com - Providing financial resources for women who
happen to be mothers. Sign up for our newsletter by sending an e-mail to
momsbudget-subscribe@topica.com
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