Are you on track to meet your goals? As you save for retirement, it helps to have an occasional “reality check”—a moment where you stand back and look at your progress. Here are two guidelines to keep in mind when you do. Look at your savings as a percentage of your household income at certain
If you’re facing unemployment or concerned about the possibility of upcoming layoffs, there are some small, proactive steps you can take now to help make this difficult time more manageable. Build Your Network. It’s estimated that over 80% of open positions are filled through networking.1 The easiest time to build your network is while you
There are many types of risk associated with investing. Understanding each type and the effect it may have on your portfolio returns is crucial to your long-term investing success When it comes to investing, many people associate risk with losing money. But investing entails different types of risk. Understanding each type — and the potential
In addition to saving for retirement, there may be several other major financial goals you’ll need to juggle in a lifetime. Let’s say that at the age of 25, you earned $35,000. If your salary increased at the average historical rate, you’d have earned nearly $2 million in total by the time you were 65.1,2
People in the Sandwich Generation are faced with taking care of themselves, their children, and their parents, especially when parents haven’t sufficiently planned for their own financial future. Here’s how to protect your household while ensuring your parents receive needed care. It might seem like a hopeless dilemma. How do you see to the care
Whether you’re 23 or 35, it’s important to know whether you are saving enough for your retirement. There is no time like the present to ensure you are allocating enough funds to your retirement account. With folks routinely living into their 80s and 90s, it’s more important than ever to ensure your money lasts your
It can be difficult, but not impossible, to save for retirement while paying down your credit card bills and student loans. Even small steps now can make a big difference later. You might think it’s best to pay off debt first. But this will cut you off from the power of compound interest. If at
The rise of mobile pay and what it might mean for your personal finances. The growth of mobile payments has far outpaced that of credit cards, making a cashless society much more likely in the near future. Here’s what to expect as this phenomenon starts to snowball. Faster Checkouts. It doesn’t matter where you shop,
College can seem costly, but with an early start and prudent planning, it can be reasonably affordable. Here are some options to start saving for your child’s college costs right now. The amount you’ll need to save depends on the college your child attends and the financial aid offered to you. The trick is to
