At Arm's Length - Financial Commentary about Money, Investing, and How It Affects the Average Investor

At Arm's Length: 02.22.05

A New Strategy

There is no secret that the world of retirement investing has changed. Tax reform has spearheaded a new look at the way we put money away for those golden years - even if it is used to sustain a career that requires less work for a longer period.

Baby Boomers need to face facts. Their group, earmarked as the largest group of retirees ever with the potential to live the longest of any of their predecessors, will need a strategy for investing in an environment that does not necessarily embrace savings.

Conventional wisdom usually calls for some basic principles to be followed. Start early, stay consistent, watch those fees, reinvest dividends, diversify, and of course, invest with some sort of dollar cost averaging. These are tried and true principles that have guided investors for years. I have even espoused these virtues as significant in a well rounded plan.

But suppose you are starting late, have not stayed consistent, have no idea what fees do to the investment you have made (or not), understand the idea of reinvesting dividends or whether that is even a good idea, understand diversity but feel as though that is too conservative for such a late start, and need to jump start your investing with lump sum participation using tax refunds, seasonal bonuses or other significant windfalls. No problem.

Few people develop the ideal investing strategy. Many more find themselves faced with the daunting task of sorting through the old information while culling something of value for a plan that is either nonexistent or sadly lacking direction. Fear no more.

A Well Developed Plan

The Culture of Savings

Growing Savings

The previous week's articles.

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