Why 401(K) Plans Don't Work In This Market [View article]
I say 60% anecdotally, just from people I've asked informally, most say they arent contributing anything. Its just a guesstimate. The match is 50% of the first 6% of gross pay, which for most people where I work comes in at around 1200 a year in free money, since we all make between 40-50k a year depending on how much overtime we work or dont work. 6% of 40k is 2400, earning a 1200 dollar match. Some of my coworkers are older and got burned in 08, so hard to get them to get back in, which is understandable.
Why 401(K) Plans Don't Work In This Market [View article]
I think 401ks can work. Are pensions better? Of course, but nothing is foolproof, just ask the workers at Delphi about that. The important thing is it takes some education to make use of better, and most people arent well versed financially, and the companies they work for, even the good companies, dont seem to make investment education a priority. Your point about hidden fees is a valid one, and one reason I always tell my friends to look for the cheapest funds in their options and go from there. There are a lot of pitfalls in each plan, thats true. But dont forget the employer match, and the tax savings, which can also push you down into a lower bracket.
5 Years Until Retirement? What Is Your Plan? [View article]
Please dont joke about that, just had a friend at work who took that route, sadly enough, since he left a young son behind...he didnt do it over job issues, but family issues instead.
4 Reasons Starbucks Is Worth Buying On Dips To $43 Per Share [View article]
Starbucks has a lot of very loyal customers--looks at girlfriend--but it operates in a competitive environment that can change quickly. Im staying away for now.
5 Years Until Retirement? What Is Your Plan? [View article]
Pay off your house, make sure you have a dependable, like new vehicle, and work until you are eligible for Medicaire, 65 years of age. The biggest expense for most people are mortgage and car loans, so if you enter retirement with neither, even if your savings are negligible, you arent in terrible shape. Retirement is tough right now for most people, who can barely make it now, much less plan twenty years down the road. I believe most retirement planners need to reevaluate the advice they give the average American. We are whistling past the graveyard because most people dont, and wont, have enough for retirement by any measure. Its great if you have enough to travel to Paris, but I can assure you you are the exception, not the rule.
A Retirement Reality: Save More, Spend Less And Invest In Dividend Stocks [View article]
I know these are government supplied numbers, but the 1.5 inflation rate seems artificially suppressed...look at gas prices...and take a look at milk in Wally World...also, thanks for beating the savings drum, all the great advice in the world on SA and other sites wont do a nickels worth of good if people dont start saving...and, hate to beat you up, but the old rule of thumb saving 10% should be thrown out the window, especially if you're dealing with people who are trying to make up for lost time savings wise...bump that up to 25% to be closer to the reality most Americans need to shoot for.
Appreciating The Small Steps Of Dividend Growth Investing [View article]
Good article, I usually use the cellphone-utility analogy as well...50 a month equals my cellphone bill, and 100 a month, which I am still working toward, will equal my current utility bill, give or take a few bucks...I have no doubt that for the first time dividend investor, getting through that first year is the most difficult.
Inserting my two cents here...one scenario for a dividend bubble could be because CEO's of the companies presently seeing their share price zoom up thnx to the 'great' dividend they pay out, may seek to increase the dividend payout so their stock goes even higher. If everyone is truly chasing yield, you know there are going to be one or two people who decide to give them what they want. I have no info to back up this claim--like Harry Reid:}--but Im just going off what little I know about human nature.
Forgive me if this has already been asked and addressed, but is yieldy even a word? Good article though. I think reading articles that challenge our assumptions is extremely important. Someone has to play the devil's advocate.
If they simply freeze the dividend in place I wont sell. I dont demand a dividend increase every year. I just expect them at the least not to cut, and certainly not to end the dividend. But, I have only made one sale all year, and that was on Jan 3rd, the first day of the year market wise. So take this advice--and anything else I might say--with a grain of salt.
Why 401(K) Plans Don't Work In This Market [View article]
Why 401(K) Plans Don't Work In This Market [View article]
Why 401(K) Plans Don't Work In This Market [View article]
Why 401(K) Plans Don't Work In This Market [View article]
5 Years Until Retirement? What Is Your Plan? [View article]
5 Years Until Retirement? What Is Your Plan? [View article]
Whitestone REIT: Small Cap, Big Dividend, Pays Monthly [View article]
4 Reasons Starbucks Is Worth Buying On Dips To $43 Per Share [View article]
5 Years Until Retirement? What Is Your Plan? [View article]
5 Years Until Retirement? What Is Your Plan? [View article]
A Retirement Reality: Save More, Spend Less And Invest In Dividend Stocks [View article]
Appreciating The Small Steps Of Dividend Growth Investing [View article]
New Highs, New Lows, Yield Greed [View article]
If everyone is truly chasing yield, you know there are going to be one or two people who decide to give them what they want. I have no info to back up this claim--like Harry Reid:}--but Im just going off what little I know about human nature.
New Highs, New Lows, Yield Greed [View article]
New Highs, New Lows, Yield Greed [View article]