Articles

As part of our occasional examination of words and expressions used in investing and finance, Joel Dresang considers the term nest egg. It is used a lot to refer broadly to a designated pot of money, but you really should consider it along the lines of those first couple of dollars a bartender puts in the tip jar to attract more money. It’s a stimulus fund. […]

As our financial lives evolve, we often wonder at what point or how frequently to take certain actions toward our long-term goals.

“Of all the factors associated with poverty in old age, the most critical is to be a woman without a husband.” […]

As part of an occasional series examining the origins of common financial expressions, we get a taste of the savory saying “salting away” as it refers to saving money for the long haul. […]

Whenever you anticipate a life-changing event in your family – marriage, having a child, retirement, major illness. Ask about your beneficiaries during your annual or semi-annual investment reviews. Be aware of who’s designated as beneficiaries in each of your investment accounts – IRAs, 401(k)s, pensions, insurance and annuity contracts, bank and brokerage accounts. Be sure that…

The best time to make an IRA contribution is the first business day of each year. If you make your IRA contribution at the beginning of the year, instead of April of the following year, it gives each installment an extra 15 months of additional compounding for each contribution every year. Since markets go up on average,…