The new year (new decade!) will be here in three days. There are a few key things you must do wrap up your finances for 2009. We’re serious. Here are your last-chance reminders:
1. Max Out Your IRA and 401(k)
Do it RIGHT NOW. The maximum you can contribute to your Roth IRA or Traditional IRA is $5,000 per year, and the maximum for your 401(k) is $16,500. Max out your contribution today, before it’s too late. For more information on how to do this check out LearnVest’s “I Want To Open An IRA” Checklist.

2. Use Up Your Flexible Spending Account
If you have any money left in your [...]

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On January 1, 2010, a HUGE opportunity will be coming your way. The IRS has come out with a great new tax law affecting retirement plans, and that law may result in your having tens of thousands of extra dollars upon retirement. Under the new provision, everyone will have the chance to convert his or her traditional IRAs into Roth IRAs. (Previously, one had to earn an adjusted gross income (AGI) of less than $100,000 per year to be able to convert, but starting in 2010, everyone will be allowed to do it.)
Huh?
Deep breaths. We’ll demystify.
We feel strongly that every [...]

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Our users have been telling us that they need to know what a 401(k) retirement plan is but the topic either daunts them, or worse, bores them.
We hear you and we get it. However, that’s no excuse. And, the longer you put dealing with it aside the more money you lose. And, we think retiring with no money is more daunting and boring!
So, we promise this will be painless. Let’s get started:
What Is It?
A 401(k) is a free employer-sponsored retirement account that’s funded by contributions taken directly from an employee’s paycheck. And, in many cases, the employer also contributes a [...]

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The Financial Problem: We get it. The idea of saving for retirement couldn’t seem less exciting, than, well, saving saving for retirement. Not so fast. Lounging at the beach, pursuing a life of volunteering, skiing, you name it—it’s your retirement. But, to be able to enjoy these activities (yes, we consider lounging an activity) you have to start planning it for it. Now.
The Action: Considering that the average shopper will spend $375 this Black Friday, why not put that money—you know you would have found it somehow—into a Roth IRA, instead? A twenty-five-year-old doing this could earn about $13,000 [...]

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I have a confession to make: I’ve become slightly obsessed with saving for my retirement. My Roth IRA is just four months old, but already I’ve come to think of it as my trusty piggy bank. I picture the change I throw its way piling up for my “golden years”—days I might spend taking cruises around the globe, knitting scarves, and playing tennis in the park…
What about this Roth IRA love is so worthy of sharing with you all, you might ask? My retirement saving is perhaps a little more unusual than it sounds…given that I’m only twenty. Having barely [...]

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