Planning for Retirement

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Pensions Are Losing Popularity

The traditional corporate pension, which gives workers a guaranteed paycheck in retirement, has rarely looked more attractive--or been more endangered, pension experts say.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Save and You Will Be Free

Terrie Monaghan would retire tomorrow if she could.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

You Can Save All You Want, but Get a Life Too

You can find them in almost any neighborhood, senior center, retirement village and nursing home; other retirees talk about them in hushed and pitying tones. They are the lonely elderly, seemingly without family, friends or interests. Rich or poor, they sit alone on couches or in front of television sets, isolated from the swirl of activity around them.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Money Isn't Everything

Interviews with hundreds of retirees led Nolo Press Publisher Ralph Warner to conclude that people need more than money to retire well. In fact, Warner found that a balance of good health, solid family relationships, numerous friendships, active learning and outside interests typically mattered far more to retirees than a fat bank balance. Warner says future retirees should consider the following factors:

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

About the Monte Carlo Simulator

The holy grail of Internet personal finance sites has been to create a retirement-planning calculator that's almost as good as a face-to-face consultation with a financial planner.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Retirement Savings Slim? You Can Make Up for Lost Time

Ellen Hoffman has a simple message: It's never too late. No matter how old you are or how little you've saved, you can become retirement-prepared, says the author of "The Retirement Catch-Up Guide" (Newmarket Press, 2000).

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Help for Those on Either Side of Retirement

Financial planners often say that the most important 10 years in an investor's life are the five years before retirement and the five years immediately after.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Studying Pension Plan Can Be Real Benefit

Their numbers are declining, so nobody talks about them much anymore. But defined benefit plans--the type of pension that offers a set monthly stipend for life--still boast nearly 38 million "active participants," or current workers whose employers offer these plans.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Women Narrow the Pension Gap but Still Lag Behind Men

Diligent saving by middle-aged women is beginning to narrow the pension gender gap, but women are still drastically behind men in saving for retirement, according to a just-released analysis of consumer finance data.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

The Pension Payout Decision

Bob Solomon turns 65 soon, which will force him to make pivotal financial choices about his pension plan. His employer, National Distributing Co., offers a defined-benefit pension--the kind that provides a monthly income for life.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Key Pension Issues

Key Pension Questions

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Think You Can Retire on the House? Think Again

It's a time-honored California retirement tradition: Sell the house, which has soared in value over the years, move somewhere cheaper and live off the home sale proceeds.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Tax-Advantaged Retirement Plans

Small-business owners can choose from a variety of tax-advantaged retirement plans. The easiest to administer tend to have lower limits on how much the owner can contribute and usually require that other employees be included, which can increase costs.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Case Study: Franchise Owner Looks for to Retire Early

Like many people in their 30s, Compton resident Vincent Shepherd is trying to juggle his financial goals, including paying off debt, buying a home and investing for retirement.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Having a Backup Plan as Retirement Approaches

Jeff Viner, 41, wants to retire early, so the Long Beach resident's investment portfolio is heavily tilted toward stocks.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Questions and Answers on Retirement

Q: I am changing jobs to a company with no 401(k) plan and a $1,500 yearly contribution to a SEP-IRA. My previous employer had a 401(k) with a 3% matching contribution. Are there any choices out there with pretax benefits to save for my retirement?

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

How to Improve Your 401(k) Plan

If your 401(k) plan has failed to keep up with other plans in terms of investment choices, or if you are otherwise unhappy with it, you can press for change.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

New Ways to Get Investment Advice

Until recently, it wasn't easy for workers to get specific advice about managing their 401(k) investments. Most employers shy away from the liability issues involved in giving specific mutual fund recommendations and instead stick to general, one-size-fits-all information about retirement planning.