Happy 40th birthday to the IRA! IRAs first became available to most of us in 1981, back when many retirees still had access to traditional pension plans. In those ensuing years, however, traditional pensions have become ever less common while so-called “defined contribution plans” (e.g., IRAs and 401(k)s) have taken their place as the predominant retirement savings vehicles.
We may all be guilty of putting our finances on the backburner from time to time, especially when life gets hurried and there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to, well… breathe! Between career responsibilities, family duties, and trying to remember to drink enough water (does coffee count as water?), your finances may deserve a little more love.