Requesting help from the FWF gurus for a retirement post for our blog

Fatwallet has a blog?

First, pay off all high-interest debt. Live below your means. If and only if you can do these first two things, invest in low cost, non-managed index funds. Choose an asset allocation that is suitable for your ability and need to take risk. Max out your IRA, and put as much money as possible in your 401(k) (there is a thread about how maxing your 401(k) leads to a middle-class retirement). Read literature and research so you can come to your own conclusions rather than merely following the advice of others (I'd recommend the Bogleheads' Guide to Investing as a good starting point).

Hmm well first piece of advice is to give the thread a more descriptive title

MarsdenFubar said:   Hi all,

We are looking to do a in-depth article for our blog on what steps the average joe needs to know/do to reach financial freedom in retirement. You all know a heck of a lot more about this subject, than we do, so we figured we would ask you first. If anyone is interested, and has a knack for writing feel free to shoot me a PM for more details. *puts on protective suit*

earn more, spend less. If your company has a 401k (especially one with a matching %), put what you can up to matching, then put the rest into a ROTH IRA, then put more into the 401k. If you still have $ left over, look into other options such as dividend investing, rental properties, etc.

In addition to the what to do a how to do what is right investment wise for your situation.
Stuff I would add (falling back to some stuff from boogleheads)

1. Forming an investment policy statement that you review annually or at an interval where you spell out short mid and long term financial goals and expand on how you can attain them. Keep your investments clear and not riddled with expense, management tax, or

2. Create a personalized formula to determine your risk tolerance. After you have your accounts formed one option is a simple strategy of age in quality intermediate bonds as a percent of portfolio (less for more volatility more for less volatility, generally not to exceed 70% bonds) then split the remainder 50/50ish into domestic and international blended equity funds.

3. Invest efficiently

Setup passive core funds from low cost mutual or ETFs that follow the benchmarks. Places like Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab(in house ETF's)

You want to keep bonds and tax harsh investments in shielded retirement account and stocks/equities outside for less tax exposure. http://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Principles_of_Tax-Efficient_Fund_...

4. Understand the value of compounded interest or return, a percent delta may not sound like much but compounded over time it can be tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Just a few I would add, I abstained from a PM to keep this discussion flowing.

I'll do it if I'm asked nicely.

MarsdenFubar said:   Hi all,

We are looking to do a in-depth article for our blog on what steps the average joe needs to know/do to reach financial freedom in retirement. You all know a heck of a lot more about this subject, than we do, so we figured we would ask you first. If anyone is interested, and has a knack for writing feel free to shoot me a PM for more details. *puts on protective suit*This is FWF

What are you paying?

MarsdenFubar said:   Hi all,

We are looking to do a in-depth article for our blog on what steps the average joe needs to know/do to reach financial freedom in retirement.

Like ltcm says, FW has a blog?

Point being, if we could see what this blog looks like, learn more about its context/objectives, we'd be in a better position to comment on this interesting idea.

RedCelicaGT said:   I'd offer to write it, but it would be inferior to something that Dave Hanson or someone like him would write.

Thank you for the kind words. I would consider writing up something, as I'm sure others would. But I'd like to know more about your objectives; have a draft vetted by many of the good people here; and have editorial control over what was said.

You could always make it a wiki and let the collective wisdom of the crowd write it. Not sure how the result would look like though with the tough crowd here .

I found it everyone. Took me hours, but I found it.

http://www.fatwallet.com/blog/

Go figure it'd have such a cryptic URL and all that.

GermanExpat said:   You could always make it a wiki and let the collective wisdom of the crowd write it. Not sure how the result would look like though with the tough crowd here .I think they just want a fluffy piece. The average FW reader doesn't want to watch finance nerds and lawyers swordfighting over isoteric points.

Crazytree said:   GermanExpat said:   You could always make it a wiki and let the collective wisdom of the crowd write it. Not sure how the result would look like though with the tough crowd here .I think they just want a fluffy piece. The average FW reader doesn't want to watch finance nerds and lawyers swordfighting over isoteric points.

It is something that can be posted on Facebook for the average person to take a look at for 10 seconds. KISS - Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Crazytree said:   I think they just want a fluffy piece.

I'm not sure I'd want to be fluffing anyone's piece.

Didn't realize it was that kind of blog.

I thought this forum was a blog. /shrugs/

ZenNUTS said:   Crazytree said:   Mine would be more entertaining. I would like to see CT rewrite his famous guide to gents club.

Just so long as he does not parse the entire text of The Aristocrats into the quick tags.

That would be wrong.

maxfleischer said:   If someone does write it, they should surely be paid. Why should a loyal member who brings eyeballs to FW - eyeballs attached to people who often end up using FatCash to give FW a nice CashBack fee - write something for free?

Something, BTW, that part of what was pitched to Tim et al in 2005-2007, IIRC. And went nowhere. Causing the content generators to go elsewhere.

Pics or GTFO.

Here's a tip: Make sure you're paid fairly for services performed - you know, like writing a blog for a company that wants to use the content YOU provide for FREE to make money for themselves. (Kind of a new spin on "pay your bills, deadbeat.")