More companies are rolling out detailed and affordable services to help get your finances in shape. We tell you what’s good about them — and what’s not so good. Can I afford to retire? In the wake of the financial crisis, this question and its obvious follow-up — How can I better...
How to secure your nest egg against layoffsAmericans lost 2.4 million jobs last year. And more workers are worried about getting a pink slip any day now. This economic blizzard has many people in both groups — as well as retirees — wondering how safe their workplace retirement funds are. If you’re laid off — or, even worse,...
7 questions to ask a financial adviserNo 1. Are there any skeletons in the closet? As investors look for guidance in these troubled markets, one question looms above all others: Whom can you trust? During boom times, it was easy to hire a financial adviser and put your money on autopilot. Now the market is in chaos and thousands of investors...
5 new investing rules for retirementMany of the old rules for retirement investing no longer apply. Facing longer life spans, increasing healthcare costs, and a market in crisis, retirees will need more growth in their portfolios during the coming years and decades. At the same time, they need the assurance that a 37 percent market drop–as...
How to build a portfolio wisely and safelyInflation or deflation? Even the experts can’t agree whether rising or falling prices lie in our future. That leaves investors in a quandary: how to construct a portfolio at a time of great uncertainty. A wrong bet could be devastating. If your portfolio is built for deflation, for example, your...