When you turn 50, retirement starts to seem less abstract. In terms of retirement planning, a 50th birthday can act as a wake-up call. It may offer a powerful reminder to trailing-edge baby boomers and Gen Xers, many of whom are wrapping up their second act with inadequate retirement savings for their third. You may…

Q3 GDP IMPRESSES, PERSONAL SPENDING DECLINES Good news: America’s economy expanded 3.5% in the third quarter. The Commerce Department’s initial estimate topped the 3.1% consensus forecast of economists polled by MarketWatch, and offset September retreats in overall hard goods orders (1.3%) and personal spending (0.2%). Personal incomes rose 0.2% last month, the least since December;…

GAINS IN NEW & EXISTING HOME SALES According to the National Association of Realtors, the pace of resales improved 2.4% in September. NAR reported fewer sales of distressed properties and more home sales to families versus investors. The Census Bureau measured only a 0.2% rise in new home buying last month, but a 17.0% annualized…

Good news savers! The IRS announced today new 2015 retirement contribution limits for retirement accounts. Here’s what you need to know: 401(k) The elective deferral (contribution) limit for employees who participate in a 401(k) plan is increased from $17,500 to $18,000. The catch-up contribution limit for employees aged 50 and over who participate in 401(k) plans is…

CONSUMER SENTIMENT: A PLEASANT SURPRISE Ebola fears and a choppy stock market haven’t quite rattled household optimism. At a reading of 86.4 (its highest in more than seven years), the University of Michigan’s initial October consumer sentiment index confounded analysts who expected a decrease from September’s final 84.6 mark. Consensus forecasts from MarketWatch and Briefing.com…

As every calendar year ends, the window slowly closes on a set of financial opportunities. Here are several you might want to explore before 2015 arrives. Don’t forget that IRA RMD. If you own one or more traditional IRAs, you have to take your annual required minimum distribution (RMD) from one or more of those…

WHEN WILL THE MARKET CALM DOWN? Earnings didn’t preoccupy investors last week; Europe did. The International Monetary Fund warned that the euro area could enter another recession; European Central Bank president Mario Draghi urged EU member nations to go in for quantitative easing, but German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble disagreed. IMF and Federal Reserve officials…

Do you contribute to a qualified retirement plan at work, such as a 401(k), 403(b) or 457 plan? Does your account have a large balance? If so, you’ll be glad to hear about a new IRS ruling that may give you a nice tax break in the future. At some point in your life, you…

Should you rely on “will power” to bequeath assets? The more complex your estate, the more ill-advised that choice becomes. Having only a will in place when you die may not be enough. As MarketWatch noted recently, research from the Williams Group (a major estate planning firm) indicates that estate fights reduce inherited wealth for…

JOBLESS RATE DECLINES TO 5.9% Unemployment lessened another 0.2% in September as firms added 248,000 new workers to their payrolls. The nation hasn’t seen joblessness of less than 6% since July 2008. In presenting its latest report, the Labor Department also revised summer hiring totals: the August job gain went from 142,000 to 180,000, and…