Smart401k Blog

In the headlines

A look at some of the market movers over the past week:

• General Motors is expected to announce bankruptcy next week
• Banks are pushing to be allowed to both buy and sell through the proposed Public-Private Investment Partnership
• Consumer confidence posted an unexpected jump
• U.S. home prices continued to fall, though at a slower pace (more…)

You hear the term thrown around in the media a lot, but I haven’t seen many take the time to explore what the word fiduciary means and who can be a fiduciary.  

If you are a business owner or individual that makes decisions for your company’s retirement plan, you are a fiduciary.   (more…)

In the headlines

A look at some of the market movers over the past week:

• Bank of America revealed that it has raised $13.5 billion from stock sales over the past two weeks
• Election results sent India’s financial markets soaring
• Small and medium sized banks could still have substantial pain ahead
• Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting revealed a lowered U.S. outlook

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I spent almost $2,500 on cable and movies in 2008!  Finally, something motivated me to evaluate how I spend money.  It’s been something I’d wanted to do since purchasing my first home a couple years ago.  Unfortunately, I let things like taking down wallpaper, repainting rooms, tearing out a couple walls, landscaping get in the way. 

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In the headlines

A look at some of the market movers over the past week:

• Chipmaker Intel was hit with a huge antitrust fine from the EU
• To help raise capital, Bank of America sold its stake in China Construction Bank
• A group of banks is preparing to pay back TARP loans
• It will likely be a long, tough road ahead for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

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Listening to the talking heads each day has started to make my head hurt.  It’s so easy to get caught up in the daily chatter of the markets and begin to think that you should be making drastic changes to your 401(k).  Is it a new bull market or a bear market rally?  It seems like on a daily basis, we can hear “convincing” arguments for both sides.  While the topic is important and relevant, I think it is a debate that most retirement investors should ignore.

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In the headlines

A look at some of the market movers over the past week:

• Unemployment climbed to 8.9% even as new job losses slowed
• The Federal Reserve released results of the much anticipated banking stress tests
• General Motor’s future remains murky whether or not it ends up in bankruptcy
• Warren Buffett addressed shareholders at the annual Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting

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You’re stashing away money in your 401k account every month. You may even be contributing to a separate IRA account. Yet the question still nags at you: Am I saving enough for retirement?  If you’re asking that, don’t worry, you’re not alone. In fact, that is the most common question that we get here at Smart401k. 

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In the headlines

A look at some of the market movers over the past week:

• Worries about the potential for a full blown influenza pandemic cast a pall over the market
• US automaker Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection
• As expected, the Federal Reserve left rates where they were
• Bank of America shareholders voted to strip CEO Ken Lewis of his chairmanship

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