The eRollover Blog

The 3 Stages of Individual Retirement Planning

7/31/2009

The 3 Life Stages of Investors

By Mike Rowan, mike@erollover.com

The following are typically the most prevalent stages of Retirement Planning during an investor’s life :

Accumulation | Laying the Foundation

The accumulation phase is usually young adulthood to early middle age. During this phase, assets are accumulated to satisfy immediate needs (a house, a car, furniture, and so forth). There may also be some long-term goals, such as saving for retirement or children’s education. Typically during this stage, the individual’s net worth is...

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Jobless Economic Recovery in 2009-2010 a Reality?

7/30/2009

Are we Headed towards a Jobless Economic Recovery in 2009-2010?

By Mike Rowan, mike@erollover.com

There is a new term that is popping up in the news. A jobless economic recovery is quickly becoming a new catch phrase that is being used by the talking heads in the media.

Economic Recoveries are usually a good thing. However, this is not necessarily the case with a jobless recovery. A jobless recovery, would literally be where corporations right the ship from an earnings perspective, but...

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Different Kinds of Investment Strategies

7/29/2009

The 3 Types of Investors

Investors and future retirees have numerous different kinds of investing strategies. eRollover has consolidated them into three main categories. The following are the three types of investors most commonly seen:

Savers

Savers are those people who spend the majority of their life slowly growing their “nest egg” in order to ensure a comfortable retirement. Savers explicitly choose not to focus their time on investing or investment strategy; they either entrust others to dictate their investments (money managers or financial planners) or they simply diversify their investments across a number of different...

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Online Trading Brokers Definitely Don't Need a Bailout

7/24/2009

Internet Brokerage Outfits Shine During Slowdown

For a smaller Internet brokerages, the ecomonic slowdown, and collapse of the financial markets has set off a tremendous influx of growth. The S&P 500 fell 38 percent in 2008 as the housing crisis turned into a broader credit crunch, bringing financial markets to a standstill and diminishing wealth across the board.

Since the start of the financial and credit crisis, $32.2 billion has flowed into the two largest online outfits, TD Ameritrade and Charles Schwab, company records show. By contrast, investors have pulled more than $100 billion...

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Dow Jones above 9000? Various Stages of Retirement Denial

7/23/2009

Over 9000 on the Dow Jones! Is your Retirement Looking Better?

It is hard to imagine the kind of volatility and economic turmoil that we have had over the past year. Giants like Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers are gone, AIG and GM are owned by government, and Citigroup was trading under $1 a share at one point. However, after dropping down to 6440, the Dow Jones Industrial average is back over 9000. Twelve months ago, you would have thought that we would be crazy for celebrating a DJIA at today's level. The question...

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Roth 401k Plans compared to the Traditional 401k

7/21/2009



Choosing Between Traditional and Roth 401k's

Roth 401k plans are a relatively new retirement option. However, like most retirement plans, they are a great fit for some retirement savers, but no so much for others. Like a Roth IRA, contributions are after tax and participants may make withdrawals free of taxes and penalties after age 59 1/2.

Traditional and Roth 401ks

Roth 401k plans are attractive to employees willing to forego a pre-tax deduction now in return for getting one at retirement. In a nutshell, the Roth 401k combines features of a traditional 401k with those...

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Financial Ratings Services | What do they Mean?

7/19/2009

Learn about Insurance and Financial Rating Services

One of the most important things you can do when choosing an insurance company is to pick one that's financially secure. As a result of the recent financial environment, financial solvency has probably never been more critical for insurers. There are five major agencies that rate the financial stability of insurance companies.

Insurance ratings are based on financial data that insurers are required to report to the government, as well as information the insurance companies provide directly to the rating agencies. Most financial rating services post ratings...

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Social Media | Using Twitter with your 401k Planning

7/15/2009

Twitter, Social Media, and your 401k Planning Process

Social Media is all of the buzz, with different applications and sites popping up all over the internet. eRollover is incorporating many aspects of Social Media into our platform as we strongly feel that our users can stand to benefit from a planning perspective. As a result, eRollover is putting together a series of blog entries on Social Media, its impact on financial services, and the benefit to the end user.

The Current Social Media Darling is Twitter

Twitter has been all the rage recently. As a microblogging...

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Compound Interest | A Must Know Planning Tool

7/14/2009

The Principles of Simple and Compounding Interest when Investing

If you ever think that the concept of compounding interest is not a big deal, think of the declaration by one of the greatest intellects of our time, Albert Einstein, that compound interest is "the most powerful force in the universe" or "the greatest invention in human history."

If you have not heard of the miracle and power of compounding interest, please continue reading this article!

Investors have used it to their advantage to make their investments increase much quicker than would be the case with simple...

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A 2nd Government Stimulus Plan? Are you Kidding?

7/7/2009

Stimulus Package number 2 is a Possibility

Wow. Stimulus Package number 2? You know when after 6 months in office, and passing a nearly 800 billion dollar stimulus package, we are facing yet another government injection into the economy.

Details are very scattered, however, Obama advisors have gone on record about the plan and its necessity. The Obama administration is quick to point out that the economy was in even more dire straits than previously thought.

Biden mum on second stimulus package

Is the Obama administration really talking about a second round of an economic stimulus package?...

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Advice for Mutual Fund Investors in Volatile Markets

7/6/2009

Retirement Planning is Difficult Right Now. Any Advice?

As a result of the tremendous volatility in the stock market over the past year, emotions have been running at an all-time high for many investors. Staying on track has become harder than ever, yet it probably more important for most market participants.

Although the overall stock market has recovered some of its lost ground this spring, many people are still very gun shy when dealing with stocks or mutual funds. Unfortunately, that trepidation can lead to decisions that investors may later regret, such as selling at...

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Bernie Madoff Prevention | How to Research your Advisor

7/1/2009

Bernie Madoff, Let me Introduce you to 150 Years in Prison

Notorious Ponzi scammer Bernie Madoff has been sentenced to the maximum 150 years in prison for the $65 billion fraud that swindled his many devastated victims.

Judge Denny Chin said the sentence was a symbolic one for a crime that showed "extraordinary evil" and "took a staggering human toll."

Many investors have followed the Madoff story, and wondered how this individual could hold himself out as a financial advisor for so many years with no semblance of alarm. In his wake, Bernie Madoff leaves behind...

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