Topic: 401(k)s
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Income tax refund: five tips for maximizing it
People are always looking for ways to get every dollar back they deserve at tax time. Fortunately, there are some smart moves you can make before April 17 to help maximize your income tax refund. Spending a few minutes now will save you time preparing your taxes and can help you get big savings. Here are five tips to get you started:
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Stock market jitters: Eight reasons investors are on edge
Stock markets have been swinging wildly of late. Even though corporate earnings have shown strength over the past year and not all economic indicators have been gloomy, investors are on edge. Uncertainty looms on several fronts – from concerns about the basic health of the economy to doubts about fiscal policies in the United States and Europe. Here's a look at the forces weighing on investors' outlook:
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Saving Money
10 money mistakes everybody makes
How many of these common money mistakes have you made?
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The Simple Dollar
Student loans: Pay them off, or invest elsewhere?
Student loans at currently low interest rates should be paid off as quickly as possible, because there aren't many better investments out there. Student loans are question one in this week's mailbag.
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The Simple Dollar
401(k) savings: Huge plus, even when retiring at 45
401(k) savings defer taxes and can fund second retirement phase for high earner who wants to retire at 45. See question No. 2 in the reader mailbag for 401(k) discussion.
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The Simple Dollar
401(k) plans: A way to save for house down payment?
401(k) plans sometimes allow you to borrow from them. So are 401(k) plans a good way to save for buying a home? Question No. 6 in this reader mailbag.
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Retirement strategy for small-business owners: Grab the tax break
Retirement might seem like the last priority for small-business owners. But funding your retirement plan can save 30 to 40 cents on the dollar because of tax breaks.
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401(k) plans? Nice, but don't forget the IRA.
401(k) plans are a great way to save for retirement. But adding IRAs to 401(k) plans gives savers additional flexibility.
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The Simple Dollar
Student loans are $300,000. Prepay them or save?
Student loans are so high, couple wonders whether to pay them off early or save $5,000 a year for retirement. Question on student loans is No. 6 in this reader mailbag.
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The Simple Dollar
401(k) plans available at work? Sign up. Now!
401(k) plans offer tax advantages in addition to convenience. If your employer's 401(k) plan offers to match your contributions, then you're losing money out on free money.
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Income tax refund: five tips for maximizing it
People are always looking for ways to get every dollar back they deserve at tax time. Fortunately, there are some smart moves you can make before April 17 to help maximize your income tax refund. Spending a few minutes now will save you time preparing your taxes and can help you get big savings. Here are five tips to get you started:
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Retirement planning: Stocks rebound, not confidence
Retirement planning looks as daunting as ever, according to a new survey. Although the stock market has rebounded, only 14 percent of Americans, a historic low, are very confident their savings and retirement planning will be adequate.
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Social Security: eight key things to know
Social Security recipients should look into the possibilities of spousal benefits, as well as their own, to maximize their Social Security income.
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The Simple Dollar
Student loans or house downpayment? Where to spend $25,000.
Student loans worth $25,000 will start accruing interest in November, but a young couple wants to buy a house in 2013. Should they pay off the student loans or buy a home? See question No. 4 in this reader mailbag.
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Tax VOX
Obama's budget means retirement savings for all
With its Automatic IRA and extra incentives for employers to offer a 401(k) plan, the president's budget will enable almost all Americans to save for retirement.
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401(k) plans: Did yours grow? Most didn't in 2011.
401(k) plans averaged $69,100 per participant at the end of 2011, down $300 from a year earlier. Fidelity said fees and poor investment performance were behind the lack of growth in 401(k) plans.
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Retirement savings plan: more transparency, more choice?
Retirement savings plan – the 401(k) – would give clearer guidance on fees and offer retirees more options, according to new proposed rules. One proposal would allow part of a retirement savings plan to convert to an annuity.
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The Simple Dollar
Retirement dilemma: Old account. Moving overseas. Should we close it?
Retirement plan can be kept open, even though it's getting no new contributions, until your retirement. Question No. 2 in the reader's mailbag.
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Tax VOX
Tax-deferred 401(k) plans good news for workers
While lower-wage workers get less of a tax benefit than their higher-paid colleagues, their wages fall by much less for every dollar their employer contributes to their retirement plan.
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The Simple Dollar
Student loans: Pay them down or start an emergency fund?
Student loans are above $50,000, but there are ways to balance saving with paying down debt. See questions No. 2, 3, and 5 for advice on student loans.
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On the lookout for simple solutions, like cloth diapers
I make a note of simple solutions when I spot them in books or articles. Especially ones that are right in front of our faces. Here are simple solutions to five problems: diapers, energy waste, insufficient retirement savings, archiving of old books, and that perennial, partisanship.
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The Simple Dollar
Christmas games for the whole family
Risk Legacy, Settlers of Catan, and Carcassonne are a few great board games to play with the whole family, along with classics like Monopoly. Question 4 in this week's mailbag.
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Saving Money
Retirement planning: Would a photo help you save?
Retirement planning was easier for college students who could 'look' at themselves a few decades later, according to a study. Although retirement planning is hard for young people, retirement saving is easy because time is on their side.
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The Simple Dollar
Credit card use: Which rewards card is best for you?
Credit card use works best when you have a card that grants rewards at the vendors you use most. Credit card use is question six in today's mailbag
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The Simple Dollar
Retirement: Fund the 401(k) to the max – or not?
Retirement strategy says get your employer's 401(k) match, then a Roth. Retirement question is No. 1 in the reader mailbag.
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401(k) balances fell 12 percent in 3Q, says Fidelity
The average 401(k) account lost all of the gains that it had made this year, according to Fidelity Investments. Standard 401(k) accounts dropped from $72,700 to $64,300 in three months.
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The Simple Dollar
Retirement planning: A target fund for your 403(b)?
Retirement planning could benefit with a tax-deferred and Roth IRA invested in a target fund. Retirement planning question is No. 8 in the reader mailbag.
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