Retirement Planning Calculators
Effective 401k planning depends on careful analysis of outcomes under differing scenarios and using different assumptions about things life expectancy, rate of return on investments, retirement age and numerous other factors. We provide a full suite of high quality retirement planning calculators to assist you. These calculators make it possible for anyone willing to spend a little time to develop a personalized and high-quality 401k retirement plan. Here are examples of the questions you can answer with our retirement planning calculators: Am I on track to save enough for retirement? Which is better for me - regular 401k or Roth ...
Report on the Status of 401k Plans
The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College recently issued a chilling report tracing the evolution of 401k plans, the substantial progress achieved with changes included in the Pension Protection Act of 2006 and, finally, the devasting impact of the 2008 market collpapse. Conclusion: The time has come to return 401k's to their original place as a supplemental (rather than primary) retirement funding vehicle. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="CRR Report on Status of 401k's"][/caption] Anyone pondering the status of their 401k in the current market or how we got to this point should consider reading this research brief. 401k's were never ...
Common 401k Planning Mistakes and Tips to Avoid Them
401k planning is a DIY (do-it-yourself) project. The IRS does their part to make it a challenging project by inserting plenty of complex rules, deadlines, and tax consequences that can trip up even the most experienced 401k planners. Here's a quick guide to the most common 401k planning mistakes and some 401k tips and tools to help navigate your way around them. Mistake 1 - Choosing to not participate There's plenty of evidence that shows that when workers are left to initiate their own 401k plan participation, many just don't bother. Automatic 401k enrollment has become more common ...
How to Enhance Savings With Savvy Credit Card Use
For 401k savers who have self-control and financial discipline, credit cards can be fantastic tools to supplement their savings program. The key to effective credit card use is to pay the entire balance due each and every month to avoid any finance charges. If you can succesfully manage your credit card use, you will find your credit card to be a powerful ally for your savings campaign. Here are nine ways that savvy credit card users can bolster savings: Cash Rewards - There are several no-fee credit card that pays at least 2% cash on all purchases. ...
Thoughts on 401k Plans vs Traditional Pensions
The recent 60 Minutes report on 401k plans (The 401k Fallout) has rekindled the debate over defined benefit vs defined contribution plan design and stirred a lot negative commentary on the adequacy of the 401k as the principal retirement funding vehicle for Americans. The broad market declines of 2008-09 left bare the shortcomings of a retirement system that solely depends on the decisions of amateur individual workers/investors. This article at the Huffington Post is representative of the negative commentary asking: "Why didn't we just keep company pensions, which worked fine for most people for years?" Supporters of traditional pensions (defined benefit ...
Reality Retirement Calculator
Projecting income needed for retirement planning is a difficult task. It requires looking into the future for decades and matching projected needs with the resources you expect to have available. Most retirement planning calculators assume that your need will increase each year in retirement due to inflation. Even using low inflation assumptions, the result is often a discouraging retirement plan. In reality, data show that most households spend less in retirement as they age. This Simple Retirement Calculator allows you to take this fact into account. The calculator projects, based on information you provide, a realistic appraisal of your retirement needs and ...
