interest rates are simply incredible on mortgages right now. It’s not uncommon to see 30 year rates down in low fours and 15 year rates in the threes. Week after week, the rates keep dropping. Yet, surprisingly, no one is coming to the table.
a big part of the reason there’s not a lot of refinance activity has been appraisal shock. People who actually want to do a refi can’t because foreclosures and shortsales have lowered their home values. so they’ll go to refi and their lender tells them …

Times are tough, and many people turn to their retirement savings in a time of need. if something comes up and you have an urgent need for money, your first option should be from your emergency savings. if you don’t have an emergency fund, or the funds available aren’t adequate, you’re probably inclined to tap into that retirement account. Before you do, here are some things to consider when looking to borrow from your 401(k). taking a loan against your retirement plan is better than making a taxable distribution, but …

That state of affairs that we call “retirement” in this country is now entering what I call Phase III. in Phase I, retirement for most people meant simply that they no longer were able to work due to age or illness. The fortunate ones who accumulated enough money to support themselves comfortably when they grew too old to work were in the minority. back then, in our largely agrarian economy, the best that many Americans could look forward to was living out old age in the homes of their children. …

NEW YORK, Jun 29, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) –BlackRock, inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!blk/quotes/nls/blk (BLK 145.60, -6.54, -4.30%) today announced that more than half of 401(k) retirement savings plan participants report that their plan has become more important to them since the financial crisis of 2008, up nearly 10 percentage points from last year. this is according to the results of a nationwide survey released by BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager.
BlackRock’s second annual Survey of 401(k) Participant Attitudes and Behaviors also indicates that employers have a significant opportunity now to improve the …

Photo credit: Alan Cleaver
When you leave a job – whether due to layoff or for any reason – you are often faced with a decision about your 401 (k) or other retirement plans.
The decision is whether to keep your 401 (k) funds with your former employer, roll them over to an IRA, or pay the taxes and cash out. over time, many employees have accumulated substantial balances in these employer plans which are designed for tax-advantaged retirement savings.
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For this reason, it is wise to understand the …

I am currently employed with a big private company that offers me a 401 k. I don’t have any bills because my parents pay for them, say what you want but that’s not why I’m here. I am graduating from college this semester in Business Management with am emphasis in Human Resources. I am being offered at this company a chance to manage some of the HR functions, and eventually replace our existing HR Manager. I am very driven, and determined to never worry about money. I am from a …

401K Bootstrap designs and evaluates retirement plans for entrepreneurial companies using the same techniques large companies use to design their plans. its mission is to give the small business owner the information he needs to make an informed business decision in selecting the best retirement plan for his company. see http://401kbootstrap.com/ for the key concerns addressed in the design and evaluation processes.
401K Bootstraptm is an independent company; the company does not accept revenue from any outside source: not from funding companies, not from advisors and not from administrators. any …

The week leading up to your retirement is busy with farewells. But you look forward to finally being able to settle back, catch your breath and enjoy a life of leisure.
Only one complication may slow you down:
You’re 90 years old.
That might be an exaggeration, but a growing number of Americans do expect to work well beyond traditional retirement age. One-third of working Americans say they’ll have to work beyond age 65, according to a recent poll by the Gallup organization.
Individual retirement accounts can play a major role in determining …

Are you one of the 15 million Americans who has a 401(k) left behind with an ex-employer? Alternatively: Does your current company allow you to make “in-service” rollovers from its 401(k) to an individual retirement account? (Most employers do allow such rollovers for workers 59.5 or older, and a minority allow them for younger workers.)
Either way, you may have a tax-saving option you haven’t heard about: converting an old 401(k) or part of a current one into a Roth IRA. Despite much recent hoopla about the new rule allowing anyone …

Now that there are no income restrictions on who can convert to a Roth IRA, think about converting your after-tax 401(k) money if you are retiring soon or if your plan allows in-service withdrawals.
Traditional IRAs are tax-deferred retirement accounts, whereas Roth IRAs are tax-free, assuming your withdrawals are made after you reach 59 1/2 and that you’ve waited at least five years after setting up the Roth, deemed “qualified distributions.” To count the five years, start with Jan. 1 of the year of your first contribution to the Roth.
Logic would …