Roth IRA

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6 example ways to invest your 15%

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Save 15% for retirement. You’ve heard it all before. And now you know how you determine how to determine which investment vehicles comprise that 15%. But with so many different options and scenarios, it’s easy to get lost. So here … Read More … Read More

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Getting to 15%: How to determine the best investment vehicles

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I believe that the optimal target when saving for retirement is to put away 15% of your income. Potentially more, but certainly not less. Here’s why. Getting to the point where you’re ready to put down 15% is hard. You … Read More … Read More

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What if you can’t contribute to a Roth IRA?

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Roth IRAs are awesome. There’s just no other way that I can see that regular folks can invest in a way that lets money grow tax-free, without any Required Minimum Distributions or anything like that. Plus, a retirement account where … Read More … Read More

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How to know when it’s time to rollover your old retirement plan

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A little over a decade ago, I had a job with a university. I participated in their retirement plan, a 403(b) plan with TIAA-CREF (now TIAA). I still have this account. As I moved to a different job, I started … Read More … Read More

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Cherry Blossom

The worrying connection between long-term care insurance and the Roth IRA

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I talked last time about long-term care insurance (LTCI), and how it can be a great tool to hedge against the incredible medical costs of things like nursing home care. This is, of course, assuming that the insurers stay in business, … Read More … Read More

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How to open a Roth IRA with Vanguard

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I’ve made no secret about a number of things: Retirement planning is something we need to do, and right now. The best way for everyone to plan for retirement is through investing. A Roth IRA is an investment vehicle that … Read More … Read More

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Superman

Enter the retirement mutant hybrid: the Roth 401(k)

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When people think of employer-based retirement accounts like 401(k) plans, people often think that that implies pre-tax contributions. It’s only your own self-directed retirement accounts (IRAs) that have the post-tax (Roth) option. I used to be one of those people. But … Read More … Read More

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How to transfer an IRA to Vanguard

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Many years ago, when I was first learning about investing, I decided to start my own IRA. At my coworker’s suggestion, I set up the account at Scottrade. Over the course of two years, I put a little bit of money … Read More … Read More

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When to max out your Roth IRA contributions

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  My intuition isn’t always correct, and I enjoy being confronted with facts that don’t back up my assertions. And this post is one of those situations. Sort of. So let’s talk about funding your Roth IRA, and assume you … Read More … Read More

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Can you use your retirement account as your emergency fund?

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  My high school algebra teacher always had some sagacious advice for our class. “Open the door before you walk through it.” That sort of thing. This always elicited a laugh from us, which I suppose was the point. Though … Read More … Read More

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