Millions of people rollover their workplace 401ks and other kinds of accounts into an IRA every year. Right now, brokers and investment advisors can provide guidance on those rollovers without upholding a fiduciary standard. However, new guidance from the Labor Department will mandate that the fiduciary standard be applied to advice on all retirement accounts, including rollovers. Proposed Fiduciary Rule Is Designed to Protect Consumers As of right now, some kinds of financial and investment professionals can administer advice on retirement accounts, particularly rollovers, without utilizing ..read more

Inflation comes in many guises. In some areas of the country, the cost of insurance, particularly property insurance, has risen dramatically faster than the high general inflation rate. One participant in the NewRetirement Facebook group reported: “Our homeowners insurance bill just came in and reflects a 22% increase over last year. That’s after a 15% increase last year over the previous year. Prior to that it was a reasonable 4% increase per year.” Why Are Property Insurance Costs Increasing? There are multiple reasons for increasing property insurance costs. Home Values Remain High Hom ..read more

Some sources estimate that we make an astounding 35,000 decisions per day. That works out to roughly 2,000 choices per waking hour. Fortunately, most of those decisions (what to eat for breakfast or what shoes to wear) are made quickly and instinctively. However, there are many life choices that merit a much more thorough approach. In particular, financial decision making benefits from deep analysis, careful research, and keeping emotions in check. Here are 13 tips to help you improve your financial decision making. 1. Maintain a Holistic Financial Plan You are more likely to get where you w ..read more

In a world where financial habits vary widely, the spending behaviors of the wealthy stand out as particularly intriguing. While everyone must manage their finances, the affluent often exhibit distinct patterns in how they allocate their resources. Understanding these differences can offer valuable insights into wealth accumulation and financial success. In his book, Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals, Tom Corley reports on the habits of millionaires. Below are some of his insights into how the wealthy spend money differently from everyone else. Are you wealthy? How ..read more

How you present yourself financially to the world, how your peers perceive you, and how you feel about your financial situation may be three totally different stories. “The Secret Financial Lives of Americans,” a report from nonfiction.co reveals surprising insights into the double and triple financial lives that many people lead. Below are 14 striking realizations about the health of people’s income, savings, and spending and how it may differ from what they project into the world. 1. Money Makes People Cry While the likelihood that you’ve cried over not having enough money goes up the less ..read more

Living on Social Security alone is not only possible, but many retirees already accomplish that very feat every year. While the lifestyle associated with Social Security income isn’t exactly luxurious, it doesn’t have to equal rice and beans for the rest of your life, either.  How you make living on Social Security alone work for you will depend on a lot of factors, not the least of which is what you want out of life. Living on Social Security alone is possible. Check out ways to make it work below! Whoever came up with the crazy idea that we need $1 million to retire? The advice from ma ..read more

In this New Retirement Podcast episode, host Steve Chen and guest Dr. Jordan Hutchison, Vice President of Technology for RFG Advisory, delve into the evolving landscape of financial planning. They discuss the impact of technology on accessibility, the rise of flat fee planning models, and the importance of understanding client psychology. Jordan also highlights the challenges in educating the next generation of financial planners and shares insights on the role of financial advisors in fostering client relationships. The conversation concludes with a discussion on flow theory and its applicati ..read more

Consumption smoothing is a financial planning concept developed and tested by economists. It refers to the somewhat aspirational idea that people strive to maintain a relatively stable and predictable standard of living over their lifetime through all phases of life. What is Consumption Smoothing? At its core, consumption smoothing refers to the practice of maintaining a consistent level of spending or consumption over time, regardless of fluctuations in income or other financial resources. This strategy aims to cushion the impact of income volatility, unexpected expenses, or economic downturn ..read more

The best retirement investments depend entirely on you and your goals. Don’t dive into anything or let anyone tell you how to invest unless they understand how much money you have and what your goals are for that money, including when and how you want and need to spend it. You have so many options that could be defined as the best investments for retirement. Start by Defining Your Goals and Target Asset Allocation Set Investment Goals Contrary to popular belief, there is not one best retirement investment. Not all retirees are golf playing grey-haired 64 year olds. And, not everyone has the s ..read more

Terror about retirement spending is not uncommon. In fact, most people are worried about spending their nest egg and running out of money. After all, you have been conditioned for decades to earn, not spend. You were probably a teenager when you opened your first paycheck and officially started the cycle of earning and spending your own money. Since then, the following process has never stopped: Work. Earn money. Spend some. Save some (hopefully)… Repeat. And now, just because you are ready to retire, you are forced to adjust to an entirely different system. Suddenly, it’s supposed to seem to ..read more