Retirement

In unpredictable times, the desire to create a better tax strategy becomes more urgent, but that could result in some regrettable changes to perfectly good plans. For example, many advisers counseled their wealthy clients in 2012 that the estate and gift taxes exemptions were going down and that the rates on those taxes were going

A battle over exactly how investors should be treated when they get financial advice has been underway for years. The Obama administration pushed for stricter investor protections, while the Trump administration has been putting looser rules into effect. But here’s the thing: The tougher Obama rules, which were never fully put into effect, have already

For far too many families, financial planning is akin to scheduling dental surgery. The prospect of pain and discomfort prompts many to put it off — or not do it at all. During the pandemic, however, a mortal urgency has forced the issue. Will dependents and heirs be provided for? What about funding a dignified

Many colleges and universities are struggling to reopen safely and offer in-person classes during the pandemic. At risk is not just the health and safety of their students, faculty and staff, but in many cases the financial viability of the institutions themselves if they have to go to remote learning, which could prompt students and

Tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs as the coronavirus ravages the economy, bringing the unemployment rate to a Great Depression-level 14.7 percent — and many are looking for emergency lifelines to meet living expenses. Retirement accounts will be a tempting option. Last year, about 63 million households had defined contribution plan accounts,

WASHINGTON — A government retirement fund on Wednesday halted plans to invest in Chinese stocks this year, after growing criticism that the move would channel the savings of government workers to companies that are working against the national security goals of the United States. In a statement, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, which manages

The extraordinarily low interest rates in place today are a boon when you’re buying a house, refinancing a mortgage, leasing a car or paying off student debt. If you qualify for a loan, low rates can help you spend less and get more. But there is a dark side to falling interest rates. While they

The stock market has been erratic, real estate is hurting, bond yields are painfully low and dividends are shrinking. In the coronavirus recession, most financial assets have been disturbingly volatile. But one widely held financial asset, perhaps the most important one for the vast majority of Americans, has performed splendidly: their stake in Social Security.

Private equity funds are safe for your retirement portfolio. Mutual funds that invest in sustainable energy are not. That’s not my view at all. To the contrary, I consider private equity funds, with their high fees and opaque performance, to be largely inappropriate for the vast majority of people, including me, when it comes to

Everyday investors may soon be able to get a piece of private equity action. The Department of Labor on Wednesday issued a letter that clarifies how, under existing rules, certain retirement plan sponsors, including 401(k)’s, can put money into private equity investments that are usually reserved for the super rich and big institutional investors. Labor

Trustees of CalPERS, the country’s biggest public pension fund, met on Monday to discuss next steps after the sudden resignation this month of the fund’s chief investment officer, Ben Meng. Mr. Meng joined CalPERS, as the $410 billion California Public Employees’ Retirement System is known, in January 2019 and had produced good results in a

LONDON — Laurence D. Fink presents himself as the vanguard of a progressive form of capitalism in which profits are not everything: The enlightened money is supposed to press for environmental and social protection. As the chief executive of BlackRock, the world’s largest investment management company, Mr. Fink oversees more than $7 trillion. He has

You can count on stocks to beat bonds over the long haul. That, at least, is the common wisdom, and much of the time it has even been true. But not over long stretches lately. With the chaos in the stock market in recent months, some advantages for bonds might be expected. But the outperformance

Sian-Pierre Regis, 35, is used to living with roommates. For the past 10 years, he has split the rent on his apartment in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan with two (in some cases, three) friends. But in June, he’s getting a co-tenant of a different sort: his 78-year-old mother, Rebecca Danigelis. “I don’t think either

After years of declines in revenue and print circulation, the McClatchy Company, one of the largest news publishers in the country, announced on Sunday that it expected to become the property of Chatham Asset Management, a New Jersey hedge fund, at the conclusion of a bankruptcy auction. The deal, which will end 163 years of

John C. Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group, had a mantra throughout his long career in the mutual fund industry: “Costs matter.” The amount of fees you pay to a third party to manage your money eats into your retirement savings. That has never been more important, although it is probably not foremost on your

Guys, the stock market is up! Yay? Or should we just scream? I can’t make up my mind. Let’s face it, things are scary. Millions of people have gotten sick, hundreds of thousands have died worldwide and the economy nose-dived. And yet, the stock market is … not so bad. Which is also scary. I’m

The Labor Department has proposed a rule that could discourage retirement funds from making investments based on environmental, social and governance considerations. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, in an opinion article Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal, said the move “reminds plan providers that it is unlawful to sacrifice returns, or accept additional risk, through investments