Retirement Planning

Yes, you should make a 2006 contribution to an individual retirement account by the April 17 tax-filing deadline, even if you don't qualify for the tax deduction. But if your goal is to convert the account to a Roth IRA in 2010, when high-income earners become eligible, you could be in for a nasty surprise. There's a little-known problem with the strategy -- but also two little-publicized solutions. .

2007 Retirement Confidence Survey: Many Workers See—But Ignore ...

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A large percentage of American workers see that the U.S. retirement system is going through major changes, but many are not taking steps that are likely to leave them well-positioned for a comfortable retirement, according to the 17th annual Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS). The survey, released today, is sponsored by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Mathew Greenwald & Associates, with underwriting support from Ameriprise Financial.

The RCS, begun in 1991, is the country's most established and comprehensive study of the attitudes and behavior of American workers and retirees toward all aspects of saving, retirement planning and long-term financial security. The full report is available online at, http://www.ebri.org.

Nationwide Financial study shows nearly two-thirds of Hispanic ...

Columbus, OH--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)--March 28, 2007--According to a new study released by Nationwide Financial (NYSE: NFS), nearly two-thirds of retired Hispanic women say they were driven into retirement by factors beyond their control.

Sixty-three percent of the Hispanic female retirees polled said they retired when they did due to illness, disability, company closure or other reasons not of their choosing. This figure is almost twice as high as for the population in general (35 percent) and more than double the rates of African-American and Asian-American women who reported in the affirmative, at 28 percent and 31 percent respectively. Only African-American males reported a higher rate, at 73 percent, according to the same study.

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Earnings deal revealed weeks after staff cuts

WHEN Sandy Crombie took delivery of a new Carrera 2 Porsche, worth at least £65,000, earlier this month at his mansion near Edinburgh, it appeared to rub salt in the wounds of Standard Life employees who a few weeks earlier had been hit with 1000 job cuts.