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All Blog Posts Tagged 'savings' (31)

The Grand (Money) Illusion - Why Grow?

The Grand (Money) Illusion – Why Grow?

Recently, I wrote an article here titled,…

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Added by Dean Voelker on October 8, 2010 at 9:41am — No Comments

Can Facebook Help You Save Money?

As I have been out talking about my new book, Help! My 401(k) Has Fallen - And Must Get Up!, one of the most common questions I am asked is this -

What is the one thing I can do to fix my 401(k)?

Of course, the person asking wants a simple answer, not a lot of broker speak. So here it is. Regardless of age, gender, or…

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Added by Dean Voelker on September 28, 2010 at 9:55am — No Comments

Seven Things You Should Know About SIMPLE IRAs

Most people have never heard of a SIMPLE IRA before, and are curious to know how it differs from a 401(k). A SIMPLE IRA stands for Savings Investment Match PLan for Employees.

One of the key differences of why your employer may have a SIMPLE IRA versus a 401(k), is that SIMPLE IRAs are geared for employers with less than a 100 employees. In addition…

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Added by Dean Voelker on September 21, 2010 at 3:28pm — No Comments

It's Not Much But It's All I Have

Probably the most common response I get when people talk about their long term savings or retirement money is this. "It's not much, but it's all I have. I can't afford to lose it."

Well, I certainly understand how you feel. I am investing and saving for my retirement as well. Author Robert Gignac writes that people are "afraid of money" in his book, Rich Is A State… Continue

Added by Dean Voelker on September 3, 2010 at 12:31pm — No Comments

Five Situations For Variable Annuities

Added by Dean Voelker on June 29, 2010 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Ageism

Ever heard of ageism? Ageism is a term coined by Dr. Robert Butler which refers to discrimination against the elderly. How does this affect you?

As a nation, we are getting older. People are living longer than they did in previous generations. According to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/ a male who lives to…

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Added by Dean Voelker on June 24, 2010 at 11:47am — No Comments

3 Big 401(k) Mistakes

I had a chance to read a great article this week by Joe Mont. Big 401(k) Mistakes That Hurt Savings – June 1, 2010. This article was interesting to me for a few reasons. The facts he outlines tell me that there is definitely a need for…

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Added by Dean Voelker on June 17, 2010 at 4:34pm — No Comments

Happy Birthday 401(k)

Happy 30th Birthday!

Did you know that the 401(k) plan is 30 this year? In 1980, Ted Benna, a Human Resources representative for Johnson & Johnson was asked to put together a new retirement savings plan for the employees there. The plan he devised was based on a new section of the Federal Tax Code, section 401(k).

Section… Continue

Added by Dean Voelker on June 11, 2010 at 10:49am — No Comments

Diary of a Wimpy 401(k) - Editing Part 2

Well, I am finally done with typesetting and editing on the book, “Help! My 401(k) Has Fallen – And Must Get Up!” . The process of editing reminded me of watching a potter making a clay jar. We’ve all seen the image of a lump of wet clay on a turntable, spinning while the potter’s hands mold the clay into a beautiful jar.

I actually finished writing in…

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Added by Dean Voelker on May 27, 2010 at 2:07pm — No Comments

Diary of a Wimpy 401(k) - Editing Part 2

Added by Dean Voelker on May 27, 2010 at 1:30pm — No Comments

What Do Mary Kay and Your 401(k) Have In Common?

I finally got some feedback from my compliance supervisor,…

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Added by Dean Voelker on May 19, 2010 at 4:15pm — No Comments

Get The Word Out

May 14, 2010…

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Added by Dean Voelker on May 14, 2010 at 3:52pm — No Comments

You Do Judge A Book By Its Cover

You DO Judge A Book By Its Cover

Well, its all coming together now. Here is the final cover design by Aimee Sims for my upcoming book

“Help! My 401(k) Has Fallen –…

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Added by Dean Voelker on April 16, 2010 at 4:24pm — No Comments

Diary of a Wimpy 401(k) - Typesetting

One of the things I wasn’t looking forward to with my book was typesetting. I am actually not the greatest typist in the world, and Microsoft Word isn’t equipped for a clean copy. Typesetting means ‘formatting’ the words so that all paragraphs and spacing is even, and all graphs look clean and sharp.

When you self-publish, typesetting is one of those things that will make the book look more professional as opposed to just having it printed yourself.…

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Added by Dean Voelker on April 8, 2010 at 2:14pm — No Comments

Is Your Employer Wimpy? Part 2

Last week, I shared the first part of my 'adventure' with G.K. (G.K. is for Gate Keeper, a junior officer I encountered during a recent 401(k) review for a local business.) There is certainly a lot of danger in sponsoring a 401(k) plan for your employees when you don't give a s*** about it.

Danger to…

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Added by Dean Voelker on April 1, 2010 at 11:00am — No Comments

Is Your Employer Wimpy?

When was the last time you had something happen that really pissed you off - but you were also extremely thankful for it?

First, if you are offended by the word "pissed", I apologize. I use that word to get your attention and it does a much better job of describing my feelings in this case than "angry" or "mad". I was "pissed" because I witnessed some real wimpiness from an employer.

I did a 401(k) plan…

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Added by Dean Voelker on March 26, 2010 at 11:34am — No Comments

Diary of a Wimpy 401(k) - Editing

Today I spent some time on editing. I had sent out my book to several people and have gotten some good feedback on it.

If you ever write a book, I would absolutely recommend having others take a look and do editing for you. It's almost impossible to do it yourself. I know I probably still missed and have a typo somewhere. Some of the editing also involved changing wording to make it clearer.

One thing that did make me feel a bit better - I was reading "The Christmas… Continue

Added by Dean Voelker on March 25, 2010 at 11:58am — No Comments

Diary of a Wimpy 401(k) - Movie

Well, my daughter wanted to see the “Wimpy Kid” movie yesterday. I know she likes the book series and they are pretty funny so we went.

The movie was pretty funny, a bit different from the book with several new adventures for the Wimpy Kid, Greg Heffley, as he deals with surviving middle school. You really don’t want to know about the “cheese touch”. It helps to have read one or more of the books in the series.…

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Added by Dean Voelker on March 23, 2010 at 5:52pm — No Comments

Diary of a Wimpy 401(k) - Wimpy Cost Explanation

When I go to buy something – a new pair of shoes, furniture, or dinner at a restaurant – I want to know exactly what I am paying for. You probably do also, unless your name is Bill Gates. Fee clarity is more important than ever.

Since I have been an advisor in South Bend, I’ve gotten to know a lot of people. I’ve been asked on several occasions to join marketing or networking groups. Recently I was invited to join a group which focused on marketing… Continue

Added by Dean Voelker on March 19, 2010 at 3:23pm — No Comments

Diary of a Wimpy 401(k) - Wimpy Friends

The interesting thing about writing a book - I am learning who my friends are.

One of the things I had wanted was to get testimonials from people from all walks of life. The book was written in simple language with plenty of stories to make it easy for anyone to understand.

We all have a 401(k) or 403(b) - almost all of us anyway. Unless you are self-employed or one of the rare few who still have a pension.

So about a month ago, I sent requests for… Continue

Added by Dean Voelker on March 17, 2010 at 9:30am — No Comments