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2 Tips That Lead to a Better Retirement 06/19/2017 08:00pm • For many Americans, a broad gap exists between their expectations of how much money they will need in retirement and the reality. Merrill Lynch's March 2017 Finances in Retirement Survey pegged the average cost of retirement at $738,400. According to a PwC survey, about half of baby boomers have les Learn How to Blend Love and Money Before Getting Married 06/18/2017 08:00pm • Love and money have a lot in common: Both are hard to come by, hard to hold onto and hard to mix with the other. "Money runs much deeper for us than simple mathematics," says Megan Ford, a financial therapist at the University of Georgia and president of the Financial Therapy Association. "When you 7 Steps to Retire in Your 50s 06/18/2017 08:00pm • Early retirement rarely happens by chance. Like any other big goal, early retirement requires intricate planning, serious dedication and a whole lot of work. If your goal is retiring before age 50, the time to start laying the groundwork is now. Here are some steps aspiring early retirees should i How Ordinary Investors Can Use LIRPs 06/18/2017 08:00pm • Investing for retirement means choosing among a range of well-known options -- traditional individual retirement accounts and 401(k)s, the Roth variety of each, plus ordinary taxable investments. But there are some less well-known opportunities, too, like the life insurance retirement plan, or LIRP. A Checklist for Your Retirement Money 06/18/2017 08:00pm • Retirement readinessRetirement money is a tricky subject since there are so many variables. Some people have all the resources they need, but others struggle to pay for retirement. The age when workers leave their job might range from 55 to 75. And some retirees can reasonably expect to live into th Small Business Owners Can Improve Employee Retirement Planning 06/18/2017 08:00pm • The personal savings rate, the index that measures how much Americans are tucking away for a rainy day, was relatively unchanged in the first half of 2017, but now a new study from the Pew Trusts reports that small business owners are also concerned about the number of Americans unprepared for reti 5 Ways Women Can Prepare For Retirement 06/15/2017 08:00pm • When preparing for retirement women face a unique set of financial hurdles as compared to men, including increased longevity, lifetime income disparities, inadequate retirement savings and lower average Social Security benefits. These hurdles, coupled with rising divorce rates for women older than 7 Top Foreign Dividend-Paying Stocks 06/15/2017 08:00pm • U.S. equities have risen to all-time highs, forcing bargain hunters to look abroad where solid companies have lower valuations than their U.S. counterparts. A pickup in business loans and an ongoing European Central Bank asset purchase program are fueling optimism in Europe, even though economic re Should You Use Your Retirement Savings to Start a Business? 06/15/2017 08:00pm • If you're thinking of starting a business, you need money. And if you are lacking investors and lenders knocking on your door, it may dawn on you: You have startup capital sitting in a 401(k), IRA or some other retirement account. Should you use it? In 2002, Jim Beachler, then 44, found himself ask A millennial's guide to saving $1 million 06/15/2017 09:30am • A seven-figure retirement savings account seems like pie in the sky to most 20-somethings, but financial experts say it's possible. There are two parts to becoming a millionaire, they say: time and diligent investing. "The secret to the whole thing is the earlier you start, the better. Then co 6 Things to Know About Free Credit Scores 06/14/2017 08:00pm • It wasn't all that long ago that credit scores were a great mystery for many people. Consumers used to have to pay in order to see the three-digit number that so many creditors rely on to make lending decisions. However, all that has changed. In 2014, the government's Consumer Financial Protection Want a Home Equity Loan? You May Have Trouble Qualifying 06/14/2017 08:00pm • While Americans are enjoying rising equity in their homes, fewer are actually borrowing against that equity. The number of home equity lines of credit opened in the first quarter of 2017 was down 14 percent from the previous quarter and 22 percent from the first quarter of 2016, according to data f How to Choose a 529 Plan on Your Own 06/13/2017 08:00pm • Families may think 529 college savings plans are only for investment-savvy, affluent parents. But these state-sponsored, tax-advantaged education plans are designed to benefit any income level. And these days, more middle - class families are investing their money in them, according to Strategic In 4 People Not to Invest in Real Estate With 06/13/2017 08:00pm • There's no denying that real estate is hot right now. With most markets topping pre-recession property values and low inventory throughout much of the country, the potential to make money in real estate is growing as fast as prices in major U.S. cities. This year, RealtyShares, a real estate invest BDC Investing: What Is a Business Development Company? 06/13/2017 08:00pm • If you think the only way to wrangle massive returns from small businesses involves writing a big personal check out to fund an unsure thing -- well, fortunately, you're wrong. Business development companies offer diversified, almost hedge-fund-esque exposure to up-and-coming ventures, not to mentio