|
 Retirement
strategies
By
Bankrate.com
Plan for
your retirement
For many of us, this decade is the last mile before the retirement
finish line. A realistic estimate of how much income you'll
need during retirement is key to a successful retirement plan
-- and comfortable retirement years.
Links:
Retirement
basics, Calculating
your retirement, What's
your savings personality?, 15
years from retirement -- No joke: It's time to pay off debts
and save, Five
steps to early retirement, Tips
for latecomers to retirement savings accounts, Finding
missing pension benefits, 401(k)
blackout notices
Retirement savings strategies
Thanks to the wonders of medicine we are
living longer. That means, your retirement accounts need to
be healthy, too. Shift your savings allotment into high gear
and take a more conservative approach in your investment strategies.
Links:
Saving: Savings
strategies that grow on you, 15
must-know savings terms, Savings
options from short- to long-term, Take
charge of your retirement accounts, How
to ladder a CD portfolio, CD
strategies in a downtrodden environment, Check
your brokerage when looking for CDs, 8
steps to a healthy 401(k), Maximize
a new retirement savings tax credit
Investing: Checking
out your investment plan, How
healthy is your company's pension plan, What
is asset allocation?, Annuities:
Bad reputation, great sales, 7
things to do when the Dow's in the dumps, Alternative
investments in a volatile stock market, Calculator:
What will it take to reach your investment goal?, Match
or no match, keep your 401(k), ABCs
of mutual-fund share classes
Boost your IRA contributions
When you reach the half-century mark, you can reward yourself
by making larger contributions to your individual retirement
account. Your contribution limit is $3,500 or your taxable
compensation -- that is, money earned -- whichever is the
smaller. If you are married and your spouse is also over 50,
you may contribute $3,500 each. If only one spouse is 50 years
or older, the limit is $6,500. These limits are good through
2004.
Links:
The
ABCs of IRAs, Is
a Roth IRA the right account for you?, Roth
IRA tax rules, Traditional
IRAs make tax sense for some filers, Putting
real estate in an IRA, Savings
bonds in an IRA
|
