What might you think of doing when? If you had a timeline of the financial steps you should probably take in life, what would it look like? Answers to that question will vary, but certain times of life do call for certain financial moves. Some should be made out of caution, others out of opportunity. What might you want to do in your twenties? First and foremost, you should start saving for retirement – preferably using tax-advantaged retirement accounts that let you direct money into equities. Through equity investing, your money may grow and compound profoundly with time – and you have time on your side. As a hypothetical example, suppose you are 25 and direct $5,000 annually for 10 years

Some are planning wisely, but others are beset by mistakes. Generation X has become the new “sandwich” generation. Many Americans born during the years 1965-80 are finding themselves caring for aging parents and growing kids at once, with little time to devote to their personal finances or their retirement planning. Broadly speaking, that time shortage has hindered their retirement saving and planning efforts. Some members of Gen X are on track to reach their retirement money goals; others are making mistakes that may greatly undermine their progress. What kind of mistakes, specifically? Procrastination. In a recent survey of 36- to 49-year-olds commissioned by the Transamerica Center for Re

The year in brief. While the S&P 500 surprised to the upside in 2014 versus the projections of many analysts, it has performed below expectations so far in 2015. As this year began, not many Wall Street pros thought the index would tread water. The consensus forecast among 13 top analysts (their opinions compiled by Business Insider) called for the benchmark to finish this year at 2,213. At Thanksgiving, the S&P was hovering near 2,100. Three major headwinds buffeted Wall Street this year: a global manufacturing slowdown, and reduced demand for oil and other key commodities, and the presumption that the Federal Reserve would soon begin to raise interest rates. Dollar strength was also a fact

A summary of what you need to know. Key Medicare enrollment periods are approaching. This fall and winter, there are three periods in which Medicare beneficiaries can either enroll or disenroll in forms of coverage. >> Oct. 15-Dec. 7: Open enrollment period. This is when you can exit Original Medicare (Part A & B) for a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) and change your prescription drug coverage (Part D). You can also get out of a Part C plan and go back to Part A & B during this period, although you will certainly want a Medicare Supplement (Medigap policy) in place before you make such a move. (In most cases, that means having to pass underwriting.)1 >> Dec. 8: Annual enrollment period begi

Steps toward saving more & revitalizing your retirement strategy. When it comes to retirement saving, many women lag behind many men. Historically, that has been the case. The 2015 edition of Financial Finesse’s annual survey, The Gender Gap in Financial Literacy, offers more evidence of the problem – along with a few encouraging signs that women may be catching up. (Financial Finesse is a financial education provider for more than 600 large U.S. companies sponsoring retirement plans.)1 Deep in the report, some disturbing statistics emerge. They concern the pace of retirement saving in mid-career. Using data from Vanguard and the Employee Benefit Research Institute, Financial Finesse found t