Posts by Robert Pagliarini

If life has not allowed you to build substantial retirement savings, what can you do to improve your retirement prospects? Here are some suggestions. Play catch-up. If at all possible, take advantage of the catch-up contributions the IRS allows you to make to IRAs and other retirement accounts starting in the year in which you…

Between the ages of 40 and 60, many people increase their commitment to investing and retirement saving. At the same time, many fall prey to some common money blunders and harbor financial assumptions that may be inaccurate. These errors and suppositions are worth examining, as you do not want to succumb to them. See if…

Thinking about borrowing money from your 401(k), 403(b), or 457 account? Think twice about that, because these loans are not only risky but injurious to your retirement planning.    A loan of this kind damages your retirement savings prospects. A 401(k), 403(b), or 457 should never be viewed like a savings or checking account. When…

CONSUMER SPENDING INCREASES 0.9% This May gain represents quite a change from the mere 0.1% improvement recorded by the Commerce Department for April. It appears households have started to spend some of the money they saved on fuel and energy costs this winter. Consumer incomes rose 0.5% in May, replicating their April advance. HOUSEHOLDS FEEL…

SPRING SEES MORE SHOPPING Last week, the Commerce Department announced a 1.2% jump in retail sales for May, topping the 1.1% rise forecast by analysts polled by Briefing.com. Driving the improvement: a 3.7% leap in gas station sales. Purchases increased 2.1% at home improvement outlets, 2.0% at auto dealers and auto parts stores, 1.5% at…

NO LETUP IN HIRING IN MAY Last Thursday, the International Monetary Fund took the unusual step of offering the Federal Reserve some advice – it urged the central bank not to raise interest rates until 2016. Given the large hiring gains this spring, the Fed may choose to ignore that recommendation. U.S. employers added 280,000…

You learn lessons as you invest in pursuit of long-run goals. Some of these lessons are conveyed and reinforced when you begin saving for retirement, and others you glean along the way.     First & foremost, you learn to shut out much of the “noise.” News outlets take the temperature of global markets five days…

Maybe you have seen those will-in-a-box kits. Maybe you have even considered picking one up. Think twice about that. While you can draft a will on your own, there are plenty of reasons why you may not want to go that route. Most people do it to save money, but they may overlook or forget…

THREE KEY REAL ESTATE INDICATORS IMPRESS All of a sudden, the housing market looks much healthier. The Census Bureau reported a 6.8% jump in new home buying in April, and the National Association of Realtors said its pending home sales index improved 3.4% in that month to 108.7 (its best reading since May 2006). The…

A big payout leads to a big question. If you are taking a lump sum pension payout from your former employer, what is the next step for that money? It will be integral to your retirement; how can you make it work harder for you? Rolling it over might be the right thing to do.…