Retire with MONEY

Thousands of Americans Are Signing Up to Trade Stocks for Free. Here's What to Do Instead by Ian Salisbury When taxi drivers start offering stock-market tips, it’s time for the pros to get out of the market — at least that’s what Wall Street lore says. Maybe Charles Schwab’s assumes Main Street investors aren’t familiar with that old adage. In October, the discount brokerage announced a new policy of commission-free stock, ETF and option-trades.

"Are You Really Retired If You Don't Play Pickleball?" Kathleen Ching is a self-identified “pickleball-aholic.” She’s far from alone. The retired former court reporter hits the pickleball courts in tranquil Hermosa Beach, California, just about every day. Funnily enough, Ching, 62—who now lives off a “tiny” pension, dividends, investment income, and retirement savings—had never really gotten into sports before discovering this unique one.

New Data Can Help Families Figure Out the Payoff of 45,000 College Programs by Kaitlin Mulhere Families finally have access to data that may help them answer the now-common question: Is college “worth it” financially? The federal government last Wednesday released median salaries and median debt load broken down by academic program in a bid to give students more information as they make enrollment decisions. The data is an update to the College Scorecard, the U.S.

Into the Wild: One Retiree's 9,500-Mile Motorcycle Journey from Brooklyn to Alaska (and Back!) by Elizabeth O'Brien To passing motorists, George Perlstein’s license plate may look like a string of random letters. But LSKNBK honors a promise the Brooklyn retiree made to himself when he bought his Triumph Tiger 800 motorcycle in January. It stands for “Alaska and back.” For years, Perlstein, 71, had wanted to travel to the Arctic Circle on his motorcycle.

Online Installment Loans Can Be Convenient. But There Are Cheaper Ways to Borrow by Kevin Max With interest rates low, American consumers are borrowing more than ever. Now lenders have a new pitch: Installment loans. Recently ads for the loans seem to be everywhere — on the radio, on TV, even following you around the Internet.

Gen X Could Learn a Lot About Saving for Retirement From Millennials by Kaitlin Mulhere Millennials are nearly as likely as their older co-workers to be regularly saving for retirement, a new survey has found. A solid 45% of millennial workers said they have a 401(k) or IRA, and 33% of those that have an account are actively contributing to it, a joint survey by Morning Consult and Business Insider found.

This Is What Millennials Can Actually Expect From Retirement, According to Experts by Elizabeth O'Brien and Alix Langone When the hashtag #MillennialRetirementPlans went viral a couple months ago, the visions were predictably dystopian from a generation that has faced serious financial headwinds: retiring to a van down by the river, sleeping in your mom’s hospital room closet, and working until you drop dead in a meeting that could have been an email.

How This Married Couple Built a $100 Million Company Without Killing Each Other by Paul Schrodt Husband-and-wife duo Bryan and Shannon Miles somehow bootstrapped their way to creating a $100 million business together — without filing for divorce. But that doesn’t mean it was easy.

Your 401(k) May Soon Have Fewer Investment Choices — But That's a Good Thing by Ian Salisbury Your company’s retirement plan may soon shrink its investment menu. While few of us like the idea of having fewer choices in life, the move could actually turn out to benefit most investors. For millions of Americans, their employer’s 401(k) is their main retirement savings vehicle.

Here's Proof Employees Can Be More Productive With a Four-Day Workweek by Kaitlin Mulhere Slide this research under your CEO’s office door: Less time on the clock really can boost productivity. Microsoft Japan found after a month-long trial that a four-day workweek increased employee productivity by nearly 40%. The experiment “suggests it might be applicable at scale, and even in one of the world’s most notoriously ‘workaholic’ cultures,” reports Quartz.

Sharing Passwords on Netflix and Other Streaming Services Is About to Get More Difficult by Michael Tedder How many people have your Netflix password? Is your Netflix password really yours, or are you still “sharing” your parent’s account, or maybe your old roommate's? There are, after all, a lot of streaming services in the world.

Your Bond Fund May Be Riskier Than You Think by Ryan Derousseau Bonds are supposed to be safe. But new research suggests some bond mutual funds may be riskier than they seem. Millions of Americans own bond mutual funds in their 401(k)s or other retirement portfolios. By providing a fixed stream of investment income, they are supposed to serve as a counterweight to more volatile stocks.

So Your Adult Child Moved Back Home. Here's How to Set Limits--Fast by Orla McCaffrey When Mariana Martinez’s son Antonio Ortiz-Mena moved home after college graduation in 2018, he barely fit into the twin mattress from his childhood. Martinez and her husband agreed to set him up in the guest room with a new, full-size mattress. But when her son moved out 10 months later, he wanted to take the new mattress along. Martinez, a family dynamics consultant at Wells Fargo Private Bank, declined.

How I Magically Transformed My Financial To-Do List Into Something I Actually Look Forward To by Nina Semczuk A few weeks ago, I noticed my car needed an oil change and tire rotation, and that the state inspection was due by the end of the month. I usually dread the rigmarole of finding an auto service center and scheduling when the work can get done, and this time wasn’t any different.

I Love Christmas Shopping at Costco. Here's How to Find the Best Deals and Holiday Gifts by Gina Zakaria With every holiday comes great intentions. Of course you want to stay within your budget, and also find your loved ones gifts they’ll actually love (and won’t regift the next year). The end of the year is actually an ideal time to score some deals. Companies are fighting for your business by offering sales and discounts.