Some investments are appropriate during your working years, while others are more suitable for retirement. But a Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) can provide you with benefits at virtually every stage of your life. Let’s take a quick “journey” through some of these stages to see just how valuable a Roth IRA can be.

Some investments are appropriate during your working years, while others are more suitable for retirement. But a Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) can provide you with benefits at virtually every stage of your life. Let’s take a quick “journey” through some of these stages to see just how valuable a Roth IRA can be.

Most of us will not start the new year happy about our investments. But if you are looking for a bright spot, you might consider converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.

You are most likely familiar with IRAs, or Individual Retirement Accounts, savings plans where contributions and earnings accumulate tax-deferred until you start withdrawing to help fund your retirement.

You’ve got until April 17 to contribute to your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) for the 2011 tax year. That’s not a lot of time, but if you have some money available, and you haven’t completely funded your IRA for 2011, consider doing so before the deadline. And once you’ve “maxed out” on your IRA for last year, why not get a jump on 2012?

You’ve got until April 17 to contribute to your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) for the 2011 tax year. That’s not a lot of time, but if you have some money available, and you haven’t completely funded your IRA for 2011, consider doing so before the deadline. And once you’ve “maxed out” on your IRA for last year, why not get a jump on 2012?

If you are contributing the maximum amount to your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan each year, that’s good. And if you’re also “maxing out” on your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) annually, that’s even better. But what then? If you’re already fully funding your 401(k) and IRA, can you put away even more for retirement? Should you?

Will I have enough money in retirement?

Will I have enough money in retirement?

Mother’s Day will soon be here. If you’re a mother, you will (hopefully) receive thoughtful cards and gifts. But there’s one present you may eventually want to give yourself, and it’s a gift that truly does keep on giving: a strategy for your retirement. Of course, it’s important for everyone to build adequate financial resources for retirement — but the challenge is even greater for women.

Mother’s Day will soon be here. If you’re a mother, you will (hopefully) receive thoughtful cards and gifts. But there’s one present you may eventually want to give yourself, and it’s a gift that truly does keep on giving: a strategy for your retirement. Of course, it’s important for everyone to build adequate financial resources for retirement — but the challenge is even greater for women.

Mother's Day will soon be here. If you're a mother, you will (hopefully) receive thoughtful cards and gifts. But there's one present you may eventually want to give yourself, and it's a gift that truly does keep on giving: A strategy for your retirement.

Mother's Day will soon be here. If you're a mother, you will (hopefully) receive thoughtful cards and gifts. But there's one present you may eventually want to give yourself, and it's a gift that truly does keep on giving: A strategy for your retirement.

As the calendar ticks toward Dec. 31, here are some last-minute, year-end tips recommended by financial professionals:

WASHINGTON - House Republican leaders are ready to move forward on tax breaks worth $70 billion over five years to investors and some middle-income families now that they've sorted out a disagreement among themselves.

Dear Debt Adviser: I’m 37, married with three kids and have about $15,000 in college debt from my MBA expenses. Should I withdraw retirement savings from my 401(k) or Roth individual retirement account to pay off the debt? I’m sick of having this debt and want to be done with it now. Can I avoid penalties if the retirement money is used to pay off student loans? — Randy

If you’re a woman, you have to be actively involved in your financial preparations for retirement — and that’s true whether you’re single or married. As a woman, you have at least two special considerations associated with your retirement planning:

If you're a woman, you have to be actively involved in your financial preparations for retirement - and that's true whether you're single or married. As a woman, you have at least two special considerations associated with your retirement planning:

If you're a woman, you have to be actively involved in your financial preparations for retirement - and that's true whether you're single or married. As a woman, you have at least two special considerations associated with your retirement planning:

As an investor, you've pretty much seen it all in 2011 - including slow-but-steady gains early in the year, a market correction during the debt ceiling debate and the U.S. credit downgrade, and huge one-day price movements, both up and down - and there's still a few weeks to go. But despite the volatility of the past 11 months, you can make some positive year-end investment moves, including the following:

As an investor, you've pretty much seen it all in 2011 - including slow-but-steady gains early in the year, a market correction during the debt ceiling debate and the U.S. credit downgrade, and huge one-day price movements, both up and down - and there's still a few weeks to go. But despite the volatility of the past 11 months, you can make some positive year-end investment moves, including the following:

As an investor, you can sometimes still feel you’re at the mercy of forces beyond your control. This may be especially true today, when the Federal Reserve has warned of an approaching “fiscal cliff.” What can you do in the face of such a dire prediction?

If you were born anywhere from 1982 to 2001, or within a few years of this range, you are considered a “Millennial.”

If you’re relatively young, and you’ve only been investing for a few years, you possess an asset that is invaluable and cannot be replaced: time. And the more time you spend contributing to tax-advantaged investments, the better off you may be.