Quitting the Rat Race at Age 39

Posted by Madison on March 24, 2015

My husband’s office at the university is closing this fall. While he was offered another position (with a raise!), he turned it down and he’s taking this opportunity to finally quit the rat race. He will be 39. Congratulations Scott! Later this year, my husband is finally joining me on a new adventure. Just like […]

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5 Steps to Figure Out a Successful Retirement Plan

Posted by Don on March 23, 2015

The topic of retirement comes up all of the time on the news, in the newspapers and magazines and in personal finance blogs. With so many different people talking about retirement, it not only gets confusing, it can also get overwhelming. Luckily, I am here to help. I will give you the guide to making […]

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Take Advantage of Retirement Catch-Up Contributions

Posted by Jill on February 19, 2015

If you’re over 50 and diligent about retirement savings, you may be maxing out both your 401k and traditional or Roth IRA. But to really supercharge your savings and make sure you are extra-prepared for retirement, you should also take advantage of catch up contributions. Catch-up contributions are special provisions that allow you to contribute […]

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Can My Spouse Get My 401k in a Divorce?

Posted by Amanda on March 6, 2014

Over 46 million Americans currently have some type of retirement plan through work. These plans are governed by the rules of your particular employer, but also by federal laws. And rightfully so, as saving for retirement is a very important thing to do (especially considering the current state of social security). In general, Federal law […]

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Will You Use the New MyRA Retirement Plan?

Posted by Madison on January 30, 2014

There’s going to be a new retirement plan in 2014! As part of the President’s State of the Union address he mentioned a new retirement plan called the myRA. While the details are still being flushed out, we are able to get a good idea of what the plan may look like from the The […]

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Can You Contribute to an IRA If You Don’t Have a Job?

Posted by Don on November 18, 2013

There is a lot of confusion surrounding the eligibility of contributing to a retirement account. I covered the topics of contributing to an IRA as a teenager and while you are in college. But what about if you are unemployed? Can you still contribute to a retirement account if you don’t have a job? As […]

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Can You Contribute to a Roth IRA In College?

Posted by Don on October 23, 2013

The Roth IRA is a great tool for saving for retirement. You can open a Roth IRA as a teenager, as long as you have earned income. You can even use a Roth IRA as an emergency fund since the money you contribute to a Roth IRA can be taken out the account at any […]

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How to Rollover Your 401k to an IRA

Posted by Madison on September 4, 2013

These days switching companies, and even industries, a number of times throughout one’s career is the norm. In the process, your retirement funds may turn into a jumble of old 401k’s that you haven’t gotten around to organizing. What to Do With Old 401k Plans After leaving an old job, you can: Leave your 401k […]

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What is a Backdoor Roth IRA?

Posted by Madison on July 2, 2013

A reader Bob, recently asked about contributing to a Roth IRA after he maxed out his 401k. For most people, yes, as long as you qualify for the IRA, you can contribute to and max out both a Roth IRA and your 401k. However, Bob has a high income and the Roth IRA eligibility phases […]

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First off, you are probably wondering what the heck the birth rate has to do with personal finance. Surprisingly, more than you would think. The main importance of the birth rate is related to Social Security and Medicare. If we travel back in time when Social Security was originally implemented, there were 5 workers for […]

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