“Small companies aren’t big on 401(k)s. A recent study by SurePayroll, a company that provides payment services, found that more than 70% of small firms didn’t offer a 401(k) plan to their employees.” See Why Small Firms should Consider 401(k)s
Are Stock Bulls Banking on a Bubbly Endgame?
It’s always dangerous to spin stories about exactly why markets are behaving as they are. And a major hazard of the past few years has been the instinct to point out financial bubbles that weren’t there. But, granting all that, sometimes writing about Wall Street means running toward danger — especially when a provocative narrative is also plausible. See Stock Bulls
How Much You Should Save for Retirement, Based on 139 Years of Data
With the stock market constantly rising and falling, it’s hard to predict what kind of luck you’ll have when you retire and how much you should be saving so you don’t run out of money. One financial expert, however, has found the magic retirement savings rates for most people. How much you should save?
Wall Street in 2013 Stokes Misty Memories of 1982
“It’s just about the most audaciously optimistic investment opinion one could utter, yet a relative handful of Wall Street voices is beginning to say it, out loud and assertively: This market has passed through a “1982 moment.” Wall Street in 2013
Dangers of Investing with the Herd
Since March 2009, we’ve watched the market rebound, even breaking new records in recent weeks. Now, whether you’ve sat it out on the sidelines or think you can predict what comes next, I recommend you take a step back and remember a few things. See Dangers of Investing with Herd
Four Steps for Boosting your 401k Balance
Members of 401(k) plans nationwide are feeling richer. The average account balance in plans run by Fidelity Investments hit $77,300 in the fourth quarter. That was an all-time high since Fidelity — the largest operator of 401(k)s — began to track this data in 2007. Workers ages 60 to 64 averaged $134,600. Studies of other plans industrywide show similar trends. See Four Steps for Boosting your 401k Balance
Man vs. Machine: The Great Stock Showdown
It has always been difficult for investors to consistently beat index funds. It has been nearly impossible lately. And there’s a double whammy: The small number of advisers who outperform the market rarely can keep doing so. One big culprit, experts say: the rise of sophisticated computer-trading programs. Man vs. Machine
One Nest Egg is Best
It is not uncommon to wind up with multiple 401(k)s after switching jobs a few times during the course of a career. Companies usually allow employees to leave their money in the plans even after they leave the company, although non-employees are not allowed to make contributions. One Nest Egg is Best
5 Dangers Set to Trip A 100-Year Bear Market
Good or Lousy 401k
Though it gets a lot of bad press, the 401(k) plan can be an outstanding vehicle to accumulate a retirement nest egg. Studies have shown that the single biggest factor in retirement savings success is the amount of salary that savers defer. Good or Lousy?