Personal finance: College vs. retirement

Sven Eklof, 32, says he and his wife, Irma, 31, have a pretty good handle on their retirement savings, but planning for the skyrocketing costs of education are something he has questions about. Upon the advice of a local financial adviser, he is interested in opening a 529 account to help address his family’s financial [...]

Taking control or personal finances after spouse’s death

Before he died this spring, Iris Bloom’s husband was the family investor. As Bloom, a quality engineer and Newton resident, explained, “He did all the money management, and he did pretty well.’’
Now Bloom, who was always far more fiscally conservative than her husband, is taking over the family finances. She’s already decided to have a [...]

Coming out of retirement at 62

Robert Bertrand thought he had planned his retirement perfectly. Now he is suddenly back hunting in a market that has little interest in older workers, no matter how experienced they are.
When Bob Bertrand retired in early 2006 at age 58 to live out his dream of playing on the Senior Professional Golf Tour, he thought [...]

Retirement traps and how to avoid them

If you’re at the age when retirement is more than a distant light, there are some traps you should avoid to make it easier to get there.
Retirement Tip #1. Deferred annuities. Immediate cash annuities may have a place in your retirement income plan, but the insurance industry is pushing a variety of high cost, hidden [...]

In Search of Retirement Investment Advice?

As successive governments keep reminding us, too few people plan properly, if at all, for their retirement; too few people appreciate that an investment now is an investment in their future throughout retirement. So, if you are reading this, you have the edge over that particular group of people and are poised to do some [...]

Look who’s stalking your retirement

If you’ve recently left a job or retired, you may be getting advice from your financial adviser or broker to roll your 401(k) or other qualified retirement plan into an IRA.
But if you’ve been fielding irate calls or notices from creditors, or worry about the impact of a creditor judgment from medical bills or a [...]