Posts by Arturo Conde, CEPF®
Retirement
Morningstar Says This Brokerage Account Can Help You Save More for Retirement Than a 401(k)
Many Americans save for retirement through 401(k)s. These accounts offer tax-deferred benefits, which means that your money can grow tax-free until you make a withdrawal. But for those who don’t have access to an employer-provided retirement account, or simply want… read more…
Retirement
Vanguard, Fidelity Will Join a 401(k) Auto-Portability Network to Rescue $1.5 Trillion in Retirement Savings
Two top 401(k) companies — Fidelity Investments and Vanguard — have teamed up with two information technology and services companies — Alight Solutions and Retirement Clearinghouse — to create an auto-portability network. If auto-portability gets adopted nationwide, these companies say that it… read more…
Investing
This Popular Portfolio Strategy Can Actually Make You Lose Money
Many long-term investors have championed the 60/40 portfolio, which holds 60% in stocks and 40% in bonds, as a classic investment strategy that can deliver risk-adjusted returns. But Morningstar says that persistent inflation and interest rate increases in 2022 have… read more…
Investing
Active Funds Struggle to Beat Passive Funds: Which Should You Buy During Volatility?
Active fund managers make their reputation on helping investors navigate skillfully through volatile markets. But only 40% out of almost 3,000 active funds survived and outperformed average passive funds between June 2021 and June 2022. Here’s what Morningstar’s semiannual report… read more…
Retirement
Americans Aren’t Satisfied With Their Retirement Plans Online — J.D. Power Ranks the Best
Facing both inflation and a possible recession, retirement investors are under a lot of financial stress in 2022. And they are looking at their retirement plan providers for both information and guidance. But the Michigan-based consumer research firm J.D. Power… read more…
Investing
Morningstar Tells Investors This Metric Is More Important Than Stock Value or Growth
If you want to invest your money in a smart way, financial experts have recommended avoiding big, high-growth stocks in favor of value names that aren’t as popular. The basic strategy: identify opportunities while minimizing some risk. But the Chicago-based… read more…
Retirement
Almost a Third of Americans Believe Social Security Won’t Last: Here Are Three Ways to Get Retirement Income
A 2022 retirement survey shows that almost one in three Americans believe that Social Security could run out of money and stop making payments. And another 31% expect that they will need to get retirement money earlier. Let’s break down… read more…
Retirement
6 Tips Americans Follow to Maximize Retirement Savings: Are You Keeping Pace?
While inflation and market volatility loom over the U.S. economy, a new survey by Principal Financial Group shows that 59% of respondents plan to save more than $20,000 for retirement this year alone. Let’s break down what the survey says… read more…
Data Studies
Where Hispanics and Latinos Fare Best Economically – 2022 Edition
Hispanics and Latinos have played a major role in the country’s population growth over the last decade. In fact, Hispanics and Latinos made up almost one-fifth of the country’s population in 2020 at roughly 62 million, according to the Census… read more…
Financial Advisor
Biden Signs $740 Billion Inflation Reduction Act. Here’s What You Could Get
President Joe Biden has signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. This legislation aims to pay down the national debt, lower energy costs and extend affordable healthcare coverage for millions of Americans. Let’s break down what’s in the act, what you… read more…
Retirement
Here’s How Much Schwab Says You Need for Retirement
A thousand workers told Schwab that they need an average of $1.7 million in savings to pay for retirement. But inflation, monthly expenses, stock market volatility and other retirement obstacles are keeping them from reaching their goals. Here’s what the… read more…
Retirement
TIAA Recommends Getting In-Plan Annuity to Cover Higher Life Expectancy
When it comes to saving for retirement, workers often choose between investing in a popular defined contribution (DC) plan like a 401(k) or an annuity. But the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA) says that you should consider investing in… read more…
Taxes
Taxpayers Beware: Your 2023 Tax Refund Could Be Smaller. Here Are 4 Reasons Why
The IRS says that the average tax refund for returns filed in 2022 is $3,039. This is an increase of 7.5% when compared with 2021, which averaged $2,827. But for taxpayers expecting to get the same sizable refund next year, Jackson Hewitt urges them to do a midyear tax checkup to prepare for upcoming changes.… read more…
Investing
Want Tax-Exempt Income? BlackRock Says This Fund Could Offer You a High Yield
The global investment management company BlackRock says that a sharp sell-off at the beginning of 2022 pushed down the value of municipal bonds and municipal closed-end funds. But now, lower valuations and higher yields could create an opportunity for investors… read more…
Retirement
Falling Short on Your Retirement Goals? Vanguard Says This Will Help You Catch Up
America is saving at an all-time high for retirement. But the global investment firm Vanguard says that just over half are falling short on reaching recommended retirement savings goals or failing to maximize contribution limits. Here’s what the 2022 study… read more…
Mortgage
Here’s Where Buying a Home Is Actually Getting Easier
Persistent inflation and rising mortgage rates are slowing down home sales. But a new study from the real estate website Zillow says that the housing market in cities could be better than in suburbs for the first time since the… read more…
Investing
Biden Wants You to Invest in Cuba
Biden’s administration has authorized an American license to finance and invest in a private company in Cuba. This could be the first of its kind since the beginning of the U.S. embargo on the island-nation over six decades ago. While the investment is worth a maximum of $25,000, the owner of the license says that… read more…
Retirement
This New Rule Will Bring a Big Change to Your Retirement Plan Rollover
Billions of dollars are moved annually from 401(k) plans to IRAs. And starting in July, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will mandate that all financial advisors and brokers comply with a higher fiduciary standard for retirement plan rollovers. Under… read more…
Retirement
T. Rowe Price Has Identified Two Types of Retirees. Which Type Are You?
T. Rowe Price has identified two types of retirees and launched a retirement tool to serve their financial needs. The global investment management firm divides retirees into two categories: savers and spenders. Let’s break down how they are defined, which… read more…
Financial Advisor
J.P. Morgan Recommends This Guaranteed Funding Strategy to Cover Expenses
J.P. Morgan Asset Management wants you to rethink how you will pay for retirement. The multinational investment bank says retirement investors should secure enough guaranteed income from pensions, annuities and Social Security to pay for basic living expenses. These include housing, food, healthcare, property taxes, cellphone and internet service, as well as any other stable… read more…
Investing
How Stable Value Funds Can Protect Retirement Savings From Volatility
Stable value funds post high yields with relatively low risk, and your retirement plan could already be invested in this asset class. MetLife says that more than eight in 10 defined contribution plan sponsors offer stable value funds as an option to preserve capital, and retirement savers would do well to consider adding this asset… read more…
Financial Advisor
This $1.4 Billion Robo-Advisor Deal Will Affect 130 Million Millennial and Gen Z Investors
Robo-advisors are poised to grow over $41 billion by 2027. And Zurich-based bank UBS is targeting tech-savvy investors with the acquisition of one of the top robo-advisors, Wealthfront. Financial experts say this is part of a larger industry trend that uses… read more…
Retirement
Seniors Are Sitting on This Secret to Retirement Success
Retirees are sitting on a record level of home equity, with data showing that their housing wealth has grown $396.1 billion to $10.19 trillion in the third quarter of 2021. For some seniors, this could be an opportunity to supplement… read more…
Financial Advisor
Here’s How Much Your State Could Get From Biden’s $1.2 Trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
President Joe Biden signed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law on Nov. 15. Over the next few years, states will get multi-billion dollar windfall investments in physical infrastructure to build roads and bridges, public transit, clean drinking water and waste water systems, electric vehicle charging networks and high-speed internet. Though investors… read more…
Financial Advisor
Here’s How Much Money You Could Get From Biden’s $1.85 Build Back Better Act
House Democrats passed the $1.85 trillion Build Back Better Act on November 19. Now it will move to the Senate for another vote. This infrastructure and social spending legislation includes thousands of dollars in tax credits and federal assistance for millions of Americans. Let’s break down how much you could get and save from President… read more…