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Work ‘til you drop?
Chris Farrell Dec 8, 2011
The catchphrase of the hour seems to be "Work 'til you drop." You know the refrain: Work is a social place. It provides a paycheck. An older worker with a job can delay drawing down savings and filing for Social Security. Yet working longer isn't for everyone -- far from it.
Age in place
Chris Farrell Dec 6, 2011
Working during the traditional retirement years means it makes sense to stay put and not pick up stakes when older.
Focusing on debt, but which one
Chris Farrell Dec 6, 2011
My husband and I have extra money each month, a healthy emergency savings account, and we save for retirement through our work plans. (I should point out we are in our 20s.) We recently bought a home and now have a mortgage of $130,000 at 4 percent interest. We also have approximately $80,000 in student loan debt for our graduate degrees at 6.8 percent interest. With our extra spending money each month, should we tackle the student loan debt first? Pay down the mortgage? Both? Or some other option? Carolyn, Duluth, MN
Getting Personal: Money and your parents
Tess Vigeland Nov 25, 2011
Tess Vigeland and Marketplace's economics editor Chris Farrell answer listeners' personal finance questions.
Waiting on Social Security
Chris Farrell Nov 23, 2011
My husband switched 7 years ago to a job for which he does not contribute to Social Security. ... Does the age at which he retires affect the amount of Social Security he will receive? He no longer contributes to it and cannot build it up any longer. Thank you! DeDe, Cincinnati, OH
Working toward financial flexibility
Chris Farrell Nov 22, 2011
I max out contributions to my workplace 401K and a traditional IRA (I no longer qualify for a Roth). Should I be doing more to save for retirement? Are there other retirement vehicles available to me or should I continue investing in non-retirement accounts (e.g., direct purchase of mutual funds and/or stocks through my brokerage account)? Sandra, Silver Spring, MD
Stick with low risk
Chris Farrell Nov 21, 2011
Our primary aim is to have a deposit for a house in 3 years. We have saved a reasonable sum of money but did not want it to linger in a current or savings account for 0.75%. We are deciding either investing at low risk or paying off mortgage. We have to sell our current house to buy a new house. My mortgage rate is 4.99%, so after tax rebate it is about 3.99%. Most investing opportunities are giving us about 2% at low risk and 3-5% at medium risk. After tax one would have to take another 1.25% off the return. We would like some advice. Thanks, Tom and Anne, Boston, MA
Getting Personal: Social Security checks, choosing how to save
David Lazarus Nov 18, 2011
Marketplace Money host Tess Vigeland and David Lazarus, consumer columnist for The Los Angeles Times answer listener questions.
So much for the golden years
Paddy Hirsch Nov 17, 2011
Most Americans believe their retirement won’t come early or be particularly comfortable.
