Two years ago, Microsoft began rolling out a budget-tracking service called Money in Excel as a carrot for its Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscription. But the company has decided to drop Money in Excel, as well as the Wolfram Alpha data type support for Excel, starting next year. According to an email Microsoft sent […]
Americans like to spend. Unfortunately, 70% of Americans admit to bad spending habits, leading them to overspend by nearly $7,500 per year. Unless we change our spending habits and learn how to save, we will soon be facing a full blown retirement crisis. The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College estimates that about half of working-age households […]
It seems like everyone is either getting a new job or thinking about it. Many people have made job changes recently and, with low unemployment across the country, even more Americans say they want to take advantage of new career opportunities, according to the 2022 Retirement Risk Readiness Study* from Allianz Life. More importantly, workers […]
Former heavyweight champion George Foreman famously said, “The question isn’t at what age I want to retire, it’s at what income.” The FIRE community, with its focus on a single retirement number, often misses this subtlety. The longer you take before you start withdrawing from your nest egg, the larger it gets and the shorter […]
With the cost of groceries soaring at a rate unseen since 1981, the pressure is on to save money at checkout. Alas, that is easier said than done. As of 2020, the average cost of grocery spending per month was $412, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and that was before the […]
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — With inflation at a record high, coupons and weekly sales are a shopper’s best friend. A $2 discount on mac-and-cheese? Yes, please. But how about an even larger discount? A selection of beauty products, baby gear or gently used clothing and furniture for free? According to lifehacker.com, there are a wealth […]
Picture retirement in your head. It’s a laughing, grey-haired couple sipping piña coladas on a white sand beach; perhaps they’re getting some liquid courage for their sky dive later. Not a care in the world, their only responsibility is getting their grandchildren good gifts for their birthdays. It’s a beautiful fantasy – and for many […]
Most retirement investing strategies have deadlines attached. Plan now, and you can get ahead of the ones that are rushing your way. One of the toughest parts of retirement planning is the fact that there are so many deadlines and limits involved. Miss a deadline, and you’re somewhat out of luck. After all, the limits involved make […]
If you’re getting older, you can’t afford to make these errors. As you get older, it becomes more important than ever to avoid making mistakes when you’re investing your money. After all, when you need to rely on your savings, you can’t afford to experience big losses as you may not have time to rebuild […]
THE 4% rule may need to be updated. At least according to its creator, now retired financial advisor Bill Bengen. Mr Bengen first hatched the portfolio withdrawal rule in 1994 and became a standard people quickly depended on. It suggests that retirees may safely withdraw the amount equal to 4% of their savings during the year they […]
REGION – When should you start collecting Social Security? Anytime you want once you reach age 62. That’s a fact. Another fact: Taking it early, before age 70, means your benefits will be less than if you waited. And now we come to what we don’t know: Just what age should you choose to start? That […]
Time has flown. The possibility of retirement, which seemed as far as the setting sun on a drive home from work maybe 30 years ago, now looks much closer to your windshield. But you may not be quite so sure when you’ll be ready to call it a career. Some people make the mistake of […]
