Retirement

6 Key reforms may help make retirement planning and saving a little easier.

If you are contributing to a 401(k) plan, you probably enjoy seeing those savings increase each year. When you change jobs, you may think of that money as a way to pay moving expenses and other costs connected to starting a new position. Or, you may think of the account as a way to save for a house or another large purchase, or to borrow money for your child's education.

There's a burgeoning movement spearheaded by millennials called FIRE, which stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. In numerous blogs, FIRE proponents share stories about retiring in their 30s and the ways to achieve it. Country living, simplicity, leisure, freedom -- here we come.

A key component in this plan is having the money to live an enjoyable life. But picking the right retirement plan can be confusing. In this post, we aim to simplify things and help you make a more informed choice.

Saving for retirement doesn't have to be a daunting task. In fact, one of experts' most-recommended retirement accounts can make saving virtually effortless.

Companies seeking to reduce or refresh their staff frequently offer employees a package of incentives to encourage them to leave their jobs voluntarily, often before their customary retirement date.

If you’re decades away from retirement, you may not think it’s necessary to start saving yet as your money can be better spent elsewhere.

You're interviewing for a new job, and you ask whether the company offers a retirement account. The employer says yes, and you move on to other topics. When you accept the job, you enroll in the retirement account and begin making contributions, but later on, you're disappointed by your savings.

Matching is a terrific benefit, and approximately 92% of companies that offer 401(k) plans provide a match. To make the most of your employer match, you need to understand when the funds legally become yours, through vesting.

While saving for the future isn't easy, there is a simple trick that can help you save more.

Now that we are working adults, retirement, like waiting for adulthood, may seem far off into the future but looking back we can see it came all too fast. Below are a couple thought-starters on what your best retirement could look like.

Do you have a set age in mind at which you want to retire? Are you just going to wait until you are in line for full Social Security benefits? Or are you going to make a decision based on your asset level and what that means for your retirement status?

Have you found yourself in this situation? You’ve changed jobs a few times, and have money in your former employers’ retirement plans.

We repeatedly are told to prepare for retirement during our working years.

The purpose of a 401(k) is to provide retirement income, so the last thing you ever want to do is access that money while you're still working. But if times get tough and you grow desperate for cash, you might be tempted to tap that account early and access the money that's technically yours.

Why Living Longer Means You Have to Save That Much Harder

Review the new COLA savings limits for 2018

For 2018, the basic structure of Social Security is the same in terms of how workers are taxed and how benefits are calculated and paid.

If ‘save more for retirement’ is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, there’s good news for you in 2018.

Getting to where you want to go will depend on the choices you make today. While we know you are likely doing what you can now to save, you have many priorities competing for your money. Taking the appropriate steps now may help set you up for a better financial situation later.