In addition to having an adequate amount of insurance coverage (home, health, auto, life, etc.) and a hearty emergency fund, being financially prepared for retirement may be one of the most important things you can do to protect your savings. Some people, especially those who may be averse to stock market volatility, prefer to prepare...
Are you paying down debt? Smart. Want to spend more quality time with your family? That’s also a great idea. And saving for retirement? Another one! How about building retirement savings through a self-directed IRA? Learn why that may be an ideal option to add to your list of retirement strategies. Self-Directed IRAs Offer Flexibility A...
Physical gold can play an important role in a well-diversified retirement portfolio; however, certain rules must be considered if you want to take advantage of the full benefits a gold or other precious metals individual retirement account (IRA) can offer. IRA-eligible gold can’t be added to just any retirement account. It often needs...
When you diversify your portfolio, you help lower its overall risk exposure by allocating funds among various asset classes. Diversification avoids relying too much on the performance of a single asset class, helping you weather economic uncertainty and grow your portfolio. But is there too much of a good thing when it comes to...
Understanding the different asset classes is essential to achieving portfolio diversification—a must-have for long-term portfolio performance and something I’ve witnessed the need for firsthand. As the son of immigrants, I grew up watching my parents pursue the American Dream. They started a Chinese-American restaurant, and I worked...
A realization struck me on my birthday last year: I was one year away from the traditional retirement age of 65. I didn’t feel like I was almost old enough to retire, and with two young daughters I don’t think I’ll be retiring anytime soon—but it got me thinking about being prepared to retire. Here are nine things I wish someone would...
A tax refund is a reimbursement of taxes that you’ve overpaid to the federal or another government. The U.S. Treasury Department estimates that nearly 75% of federal taxpayers wind up with tax refunds because they overpay their taxes. As of April 15, 2022, the average federal tax refund for the 2022 tax-filing season was $3,103, up from...
In their working life, the typical baby boomer has held 12 jobs from age 18 to 54, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study. Those 12 jobs translate to potentially a dozen 401(k) retirement accounts. I can speak from personal experience—I still maintain multiple 401(k) accounts as part of my portfolio. You may be wondering:...
One of the most important reasons we work to grow our wealth is to leave something behind for our loved ones. For my parents, this was not an option. They were entrepreneurs and immigrants who were not aware of all their savings and retirement options. Thankfully, I have been fortunate enough to be able to build a life on their...
There is no one-size-fits-all method for growing a retirement portfolio. Everyone, myself included, experiences their own unique financial situation and path to retirement. Others may choose to never retire. It’s for these reasons that retirement portfolios often incorporate a variety of diversification and tax strategies rather than a...
For many of us, retirement will mean living on a fixed income. It stands to reason, then, that we may want to look for ways to keep as much of that income as possible. The good news is that years ahead of retirement, a prospective retiree may be able to take certain actions to help lower their potential tax burden and safeguard more...
I’ve written previously about my first experience with retirement planning. Since then, I’ve enjoyed taking steps to help grow and diversify my retirement portfolio while watching those funds increase over time. One tool in particular that has helped me a great deal is the tax-deferred retirement account; I’ve established several such...
