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The predictions are in for 2010 and while there's a lot to debate, some trends seem so obvious you'd be nuts not to invest in them. Among the ones that everyone can see, for example, is that emerging markets, particularly China, have the momentum going into this year. Maybe you missed the truly ...
The estate tax mess Congress has created for 2010 could end up costing moderately well-off families a ton. A less-publicized quirk in the 2010 rules eliminates the "step up" cost basis on inherited property valued above $1.3 million.
Employers face a labor shortage in the coming decades as many boomers retire and younger generations lack the sheer numbers needed to fill the job openings. That could lead more employers to offer older workers flexible work schedules to keep them on the job longer. But to land a phased-retirement deal requires plenty of planning years ahead of when you'd like to ease up a bit.
Retirement Planning in three easy numbers: Master the 30-10-4 formula and you are well on your way to retirement success.
Asked if they would be willing to spend less in retirement, Americans responded with a resounding "hell no." In a recent Schwab survey, 95 percent of respondents said they are unwilling to scale back their spending in retirement. If that's what you're thinking, now is the time to make sure you take the steps so you can in fact afford to keep up your spending when retirement arrives.
Should you be in stocks or bonds in 2010? That may not be the right question.
Republicans have claimed that the Democrat's health care reform bills are a bad deal for retirees. But that doesn't seem to be true, unless you're in a truly top tier corporate plan.
A recent brouhaha over the fact that many 2010 Target retirement funds hold junk bonds is misguided. If you're retiring in 2010 you should be thinking about the fact your 401(k) or IRA needs to support you for a minimum of 25 years. Therefore, to say that junk is just too risky for a near-retiree misses the bigger risk: the need to keep earning inflation beating returns.
Opponents of financial regulatory reform warn that it will stifle financial innovation. Yet I can think of only eight innovations that have actually done consumers any good.
The New York Times 2009 Year in Ideas includes the Myth of the Deficient Older Employee. Great news for the post-50s crowd? Not exactly. The busted myth is merely that older workers don't suck as much as some might think. And there's still the thorny problem that older workers tend to cost more.
Another strike against the 401(k): The auto enrollment feature that was supposed to be nothing but good news-getting more Americans to save for retirement-could instead encourage less retirement savings.
As the manic-depressive decade of the 2000s came to a close, stocks staged a spectacular, global bust and powerful rebound. Housing also did the bust thing; we may be waiting a long time for the powerful real estate rebound, however. So, where to invest in 2010? A mattress? Real estate? Apple? Many...
Your taxes will probably be going up soon, since Washington needs the cash. But there are quite a few things you can, and should, do in 2010 to keep the government's mitts off your money.
If human capital is indeed the ticket to a secure retirement, making sure you do everything possible to preserve your valuable commodity is vitally important. Continuing education? Well, of course. But when it comes to skills sharpening, keeping your brain's synapses firing at a high level is another smart step. And thanks to a burgeoning industry, you can make a game of it.
Bad news for public debtors could signal more trouble to come.
