We can’t control the future. But we can have some control over the present. By talking with your family about the current state of your finances, your future plans, and your wishes for your estate after you’re gone, you’ll help everyone put their best foot forward and prepare for whatever is to come.
Accumulation is a key facet of reaching your retirement goals. However, we tend to see far less about portfolio drawdown, or decumulation—the logistics of managing a portfolio from which you're simultaneously extracting living expenses during retirement. This can be even more complicated than accumulating assets.
The idea of contributing too much to a company retirement plan may sound strange, but it can happen, especially if an employee contributes high amounts in a short time frame, thereby hitting the annual contribution limit too early and missing out on part of the employer's 401(k) match, rather than spreading contributions out during the year.
One of the key rules to bear in mind when rolling over money from a former employer's 401(k) into an IRA is the 60-day rule—that is, you have 60 days to complete the rollover.
It's one of the most important—maybe even the most important question—in the fund world. It is possible for investors to reach their financial goals using either approach, or by blending the two.