Retirement savings is a central topic in the Obama administration’s proposed initiatives to help struggling middle class families. And one of the concerns to be addressed is improving the ability of workers to determine how much they’re paying for the management of their 401(k) plan.

Making smart spending decisions often means . . . read more

Thinking about your 401(k) this year may mean preparing for a market downturn, perhaps inflation. The best strategy is to have the appropriate mix of stocks, bonds and cash and to periodically rebalance your investments. You might also want to consider the advice of these experts who say adding commodities or real estate can help diversify and hedge against inflation . . . read more

Setting money aside for retirement and for a college fund in a way that doesn’t disrupt your budget can be challenging. Consider the titles on this week’s bookshelf to help get you there . . . read more

Even if the candles don’t all fit on the cake, there’s extra reason to celebrate some key older birthdays in the post-meltdown economy.

Hitting certain milestones can provide financial and health-related security that those with their eye on retirement long took for granted but don’t any more.

Since the bottom fell out of retirement portfolios in 2008 and early 2009, government entitlements and other protections earned with age have become more essential for the over-50 crowd . . . read more

If you have a 401(k) account, a mortgage, job, car, or if you eat food — or if you have a loved one who does — then chances are you’ve experienced additional stress this year. The economic downturn, experts assure us, has affected just about everyone: rich and poor, young and old, white collar and blue collar, blue states and red. We’re all in this together. But when we’re watching our investments shrink, or looking at a bill we can’t afford to pay, it’s easy to feel very alone.

Insomnia, anger, depression, self-medicating with drugs or food, and panic attacks are just some of the symptoms that have been reported because of “credit-crisis stress.” Here are some tips for coping when it feels like the sky is falling.