Saving for Your Retirement
Taking Advantage of Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans Sep 8, 2008
Employer-sponsored qualified retirement plans such as 401(k)s are some of the most powerful retirement savings tools available. If your employer offers such a plan and you're not participating in it, you should be. Once you're participating in a plan, try to take full advantage of it.
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What to Do after You've Been Automatically Enrolled in Your Company's Retirement Plan Sep 8, 2008
At one time, the only way you could join your company's 401(k) plan, 403(b) plan, or 457(b) plan was to put pen to paper and sign yourself up by filling out the appropriate forms. Now, though, in an effort to help participants increase their retirement savings, some employers have begun enrolling their employees automatically. With automatic enrollment, you don't fill out a form to opt into your company's retirement plan; you only fill out a form to opt out of it.
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Cash Value Life Insurance Sep 5, 2008
Cash value, or permanent, life insurance is life insurance that is designed to be kept until your death--whenever that may be. Part of your premium pays for the "pure" insurance coverage and expenses, and the balance is held by the insurance company in a cash value account.
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Common Investment Goals Sep 5, 2008
Go out into your yard and dig a big hole. Every month, throw $50 into it, but don't take any money out until you're ready to buy a house, send your child to college, or retire. It sounds a little crazy, doesn't it? But that's what investing without setting clear-cut goals is like. If you're lucky, you may end up with enough money to meet your needs, but you have no way to know for sure.
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How Does Cash Value in a Life Insurance Policy Really Work? Sep 5, 2008
When you own cash value life insurance, your premium payments are allocated three ways. First, a portion of each premium pays for the actual insurance costs. Like term insurance, a specific cost is associated with the policy's death benefit, based on your age, health, and other underwriting criteria. Second, a portion pays for the insurance company's operating costs and profits. The remainder goes toward the policy's cash value.
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Saving for Retirement and a Child's Education at the Same Time Sep 5, 2008
You want to retire comfortably when the time comes. You also want to help your child go to college. So how do you juggle the two? The truth is, saving for your retirement and your child's education at the same time can be a challenge. But take heart--you may be able to reach both goals if you make some smart choices now.
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