Girls Just Wanna Have Funds Women's Personal Finance Blog

Many employers offer benefit packages in order to appear more attractive to workers. Good benefits draw in and retain high-quality employees. Qualified retirement plans are one important part of these programs, and most people who have a day job are familiar with them. Private companies typically have a 401(k), government employers or non-profits may offer the equivalent 403(b). In this post, we will explore matching, vesting, and concentrations in qualified plans. Matching Some employers will match retirement plan contributions. Matching is a way for employers to improve the value of their benefits packages. Matching encourages workers to participation in qualified ... Read More »

Worried about your retirement plans? Get on track with social media, and meet your financial objectives quickly and efficiently.  Gathering information and educating yourself about retirement planning was an arduous chore before the internet and social media made it easier. After all, who wants to read thick books filled with financial geek-speak about optimized asset allocation models, Monte Carlo distribution algorithms, and historically derived safe withdrawal rates? Yuck! You need simple answers to hard questions, and fortunately those resources are now just a mouse-click away. With the proliferation of social media, you have access to a world of retirement planning ... Read More »

Today’s Guest Post is written by Hal Wightman of Pensions Clarity It is a misconception that the role of trustee has to be filled by a finance professional.  While many companies offer a roster of professional trustees, boasting a wealth of expertise and experience in the industry, many trust schemes appoint lay-trustees to oversee their management and guide them through the financial landscape. Anyone can become a trustee, but it is vital that individuals appointed to the position understand what will be required of them – and the demands the role will place on their professional and personal lives. The ... Read More »

People who are new in the employment world may think that retirement is way too far away to consider. The truth is that the best time to start saving for retirement is during your 20’s or 30’s. By saving for your retirement early, your savings have more time to grow and will become more valuable after 40 or 50 years. Most often, young people are on a tight budget. Nevertheless, there are still many ways they can save for retirement. Do away with unnecessary expenses. Young people are more likely to be tempted to buy things that give them pleasure ... Read More »

For some people, retirement years conjures up visions of enjoying the things you have always wanted: driving around the country in an RV, going to see the world and places you’ve always wanted to visit but have never had the time to visit. So, planning your retirement is crucial if you want to enjoy it. So, the question actually is “which retirement plan should you choose?” IRA, 401K or both? These two retirement plans while different are both advantageous. So, please take a careful look at both options before making your choice. IRA Retirement Plan IRAs can be either traditional ... Read More »

Life happens. No matter how much we plan and try to control events, things sometimes spiral out of control. And to control the damages or the effects, you often need to turn to sources you never would have considered before. Most people would prefer to leave their retirement funds until they retire. But when there is an emergency and the only option left is to cash out your 401k, what do you do? Should you cash it or not? Quite a few young working adults make this really terrible mistake for things that aren’t such a big emergency. Before you ... Read More »

I’ve find it remarkable that we have to plan our retirement decades ahead of time. With so much information about women, money, and investing, where should you even start? I decided I would think through the experiences I’ve had with women and investing. And three different women stood out to me because their concerns and questions were innocent, and, yet, they were eager to learn. A woman in her mid-thirties who felt investing was like gambling. A young lady in her twenties who felt she didn’t need to think about retirement, yet. A woman who asks “what’s a brokerage account?” ... Read More »

Once you’ve tackled debt and saved enough towards at least 3-6 months of living expenses in an emergency fund, then you can start thinking about investing in long term goals. This can include retirement, college education, owning a home or anything that warrants a longer term investment of time and money.  One thing to note which goes against Dave Ramsey’s advice in this area, put your retirement ahead of your child’s college fund.  Why?  You don’t have a second chance to save for retirement whereas your child will have several options to pay for college should they choose that route. ... Read More »