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• Couch Potato Investing
• Income Investing
• Wealth Scoreboard & Life of Riley Index

• Your Broker is a Hammer, Don't be a Nail

  By Scott Burns Q: I like my broker, but she and I differ on what type of fund to be in. I prefer a low-expense fund. She says: Forget expenses if the 10-year returns bear more fruit. I have $400,000 to invest. I want to do the following: 35 percent in... Posted Jul 09 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• The Many Levels of Investment Expense

  Q. I am almost 70, and expect to retire the middle of this year with savings (IRA, 401k and company retirement lump-sum) that total about $1.5 million. I plan to roll everything to an IRA but will keep about $100,000 in liquid assets in the IRA for house... Posted Apr 18 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Portfolios Are About More than the Year You Retire

  Q. Vanguard recently started a new fund class, Target Retirement funds. Each fund is pegged at a person's expected year of retirement. The funds automatically balance their holdings among U.S. stocks, foreign stocks and bonds in a mix appropriate to the... Posted Feb 21 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• How should you use a life annuity?

  Q. How should single payment, immediate annuities be considered in a retiree's portfolio? Due to their cash-like risk, should they replace a large share of cash and short term bonds in the design of the investment portfolio? ---D.K., by e-mail A. Lifetime... Posted Mar 02 2006, 01:28 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• The Test of Security: Real Wealth, Easily Accessible

  Q. After reading about the future economic possibilities for the boomers--- the big deficits for Social Security, Medicare, etc. and the probability that future taxes will be higher--- I'm wondering if it makes sense for me, age 50, to look at buying... Posted Nov 11 2004, 11:25 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Good Health Insurance Requires Research

  Q. My husband will have his 65th birthday this June and he would like to retire within the next year, which means we will no longer have company health care insurance. Although he will be eligible for Medicare, I am only 58. So we will have to find another... Posted Apr 22 2004, 12:04 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Lump Sum or Lifetime Income?

  Q. I've been told the vast majority of retirees in my company elect the lump sum payment as opposed to a monthly pension--- to achieve greater flexibility and for a better chance of staying ahead of inflation. What is your take on the subject, i.e. lump... Posted Jul 10 2003, 10:02 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• How To Change Your Advisor/Broker

  Q. I have been reading your articles regarding management fees and withdrawal rates. I am 62 years old, retired, and have my money with a brokerage house. They charge about 2 percent to manage a $1.2 million IRA portfolio of about 50 percent stock funds... Posted Jun 12 2003, 11:33 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Yes, You Can Avoid Being A Bag Lady

  Q. I'm a 'no risk' person. When I look at a list of my assets I want to know they are mine. I don't want to think I could have a lot more or a lot less next year, as is the case with stocks. I'll gladly pay the price of knowing---so I have my IRA in CDs... Posted May 01 2003, 09:52 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Check Your Investment Expenses AND Your Withdrawals

  Q. When I retired in mid-1999 at age 66 ½, I had $441,000 in IRA and 403b accounts. I hired an independent financial advisor who rolled the money into big-name mutual funds at Schwab. They were 60 percent stock, 30 percent bonds, and 10 percent money... Posted Mar 13 2003, 12:14 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Coming Soon: Post Bubble Wealth Distribution

  Q. The old "test yourself for wealth" test (on your website) was way before the bubble burst. How would it look these days? I suspect the really rich would have become even richer (as not having the majority of their assets in IRAs/ordinary investments... Posted Jan 09 2003, 11:17 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement, Wealth Scoreboard & Life of Riley Index

• Consider Simple Tax Efficiency

  Q. I am a 44-year old single female, technical professional with an annual income of $55,000. I have no debt or mortgage. I am able to save $500 a month, most months. I have also saved for retirement for the last 20 years and my IRA (stocks, bonds, funds... Posted Dec 19 2002, 12:11 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• How To Make Retirement Plan Changes Without Big Fees

  Q. I retired in 2001 at age 48 with 30 years service from Verizon. I took my retirement in a lump sum with nothing withheld and then rolled it all into six different diversified accounts with Primerica Financial Services. I am currently drawing monthly... Posted Nov 07 2002, 10:59 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Early Retirement Is a Very Ambitious Project

  Q. My wife and I are in our mid 30's with one child and another on the way. We've been very lucky and have quite a nest egg put away in qualified plans--- about $220,000. Over the past 3 years we've been continuing with adding qualified funds on a consistent... Posted Feb 28 2002, 02:01 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Couch Potato Investing, Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Long Term Care Insurance? Maybe. Maybe Not.

  Q. I intend to retire in 2002 at the age of 62. Our house is paid for and is worth $200,000. We will be free of consumer debt when I retire except for a home equity loan of $18,000. My husband is 70 and has been retired for 5 years. Both of us will be... Posted Oct 18 2001, 10:12 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Q&A (from print), Retirement