Test Driving Another Online Retirement Income Calculator

The “Can I retire?” assessment (sometimes characterized as the “Will I be able to retire?” quiz) typically distills down to three basic parts. The first part is a principle: We want the freedom to spend “x amount”  every year while I am retired.  (We also want our spending to keep pace with inflation, of course.)  The second part requires a careful look at (and accurate quantification) of your current retirement nest egg. Third, we have the payoff question: Can I safely generate at least an “x amount” of income from my retirement nest egg until I die?

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Third Quarter Performance Review

Time again for a brief update of our retirement portfolio performance and net worth progress. Monitoring and quantifying these changes is my way of systematically evaluating whether we are improving the financial aspects of our retirement readiness.

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Net Worth and Investment Performance – Second Quarter 2012

Regular readers know that I am a big believer in net worth tracking. My reasoning is simple. When we retire, our income will come from Social Security and from our retirement nest egg. The more liquid assets we have, the more income we can theoretically generate. Net worth is one of the most direct ways of learning if you are making progress toward a reasonable retirement, at least financially.

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Predicting Retirement Expenses Using the Experiences of Others

To me, the starting point of any retirement plan is forming an accurate picture and understanding of what it will actually cost you and a spouse to live when you retire.  Several years ago I created a spreadsheet that itemizes our retirement living budget. Because we are not yet retired, our retirement budget is only a prediction. I update it regularly with more current and accurate data.

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Is Your Retirement Calculator Telling You Lies?

There are dozens of retirement calculators available online for the casual user. Some of them are published or sponsored by companies that want to sell you stocks or stock mutual funds. Because of this, retirement calculators may give you feedback that is overly optimistic. This false optimism arises because the calculator plugs in expected market return data that probably is no longer valid.

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Small Tricks to Boost Your Retirement Savings

Last week I wrote a post for the U.S. News On Retirement blog about different mind tricks you can use to help your retirement planning.  Three of the tips involved thought strategies that can help us save more by avoiding discretionary purchases and/or by motivating us in very specific ways. For example, setting aside extra cash is a lot easier when that cash is for a “go on a yearly cruise when I retire” fund.

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Confidence Boost from Retirement Planning Tools

I am a 100% self-directed investor, including using a self-managed brokerage account inside my 401(k) plan. Nevertheless, I periodically look for affirmation from objective third-party sources that our retirement investment plan is on the right path to success. I received some positive affirmation this past week, boosting my confidence in our plan. Read more

Annual Financial Performance and Retirement Planning Review

January is a good month to assess overall financial performance and track yearly progress toward retirement. Today I did just that. Read more

Free Money Restoration Kit

Crown Financial Ministries focuses on personal finance from a Christian spiritual perspective. It is now offering a free “Money Restoration Kit.” Read more

Compare Your Retirement and Financial Planning with Other Boomers

I’ve found another online tool that enables comparisons between your personal finances and retirement savings to others in your peer group. I think it’s worth your time to visit. It won’t cost you anything except a few minutes of Q&A. In fact, you may win something from me just for reading on.
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