Financial and Lifestyle Resources for Vermont

If you have a financial advisor, it’s important to understand how he or she is charging you and how that affects your investments and the advice you receive. Not all advisors charge in the same way, and how they charge has an impact on the type of relationship you have with your advisor.

The gender pay gap has been a topic of conversation and concern for years. Statistically, women make about 80 cents for every dollar earned by a man (20% less). Once they hit 65, they tend to make about 25% less than men and make increasingly less than men as they age. There are a lot of reasons for the gender pay gap, which we won’t get into here, but the sad truth is that the gap continues into retirement, leaving women with a lower retirement income than men.

There’s no denying that the markets have become more turbulent. In fact, the major market indexes in the United States entered a bear market on Christmas Eve of 2018. In a bear market, prices for stocks and other securities fall, which can lead investors to panic and sell off their securities. As more and more people sell, securities prices continue to fall. In general, a bear market will eventually come to an end, hopefully leading to a bull market that brings the markets back up to their former glory, but in the meantime, your portfolios, mutual funds, IRAs, 401ks, and other securities-based accounts may lose value. Determining how to invest in a bear market can help protect your investments from the long-term effects of stormy markets.

It’s a new year—the best time of year to set resolutions and goals. If you don’t have savings or are living on a low budget, the idea of setting an investment goal might feel uncomfortable, but remember that discomfort often comes with growth. This is the time to challenge yourself to not just survive the year financially, but to come out ahead in the end. Even if you don’t have a lot of money, this is possible. Here’s how.

If you have money in a traditional IRA, it is worthwhile to think about converting it to a Roth IRA. Not all people will benefit from Roth IRA conversions, but it’s good to consider the pros and cons to determine the best option for you. Here’s what you need to know.

Thanks to inflation, the federal government has increased the annual contribution limits and phase-out ranges on some of the most popular qualified retirement plans. This is a great shift, allowing you to save more in your workplace retirement account in 2018.

There are many reasons why working after retirement might appeal to you. You may want to keep your mind active or stay socially active. You may just need more money to support your lifestyle. Either way, post-retirement work can affect your Social Security benefits. So, if you’re thinking of retiring soon or are already retired, here’s what you need to know before you settle into another job.