Gold has been all the talk lately when it comes to where to put your money as a “safe haven” against all the craziness that’s going on in the economy today. But some, including myself, are hesitant to put significant sums of money into an investment that seems so arbitrary, and has little inherent true value other than the sentiments of the world at the time.

Truly, the only real use for Gold now is to make jewelry, and that, while a good investment, is only subject to the demands for jewelry, if there is small demand, the only good Gold feature is that it sits in a  vault, unused, basically a symbol of purchasing power. At least that’s its only intrinsic value to us as investors.

The thing is, even though there is this “true value” question, when there is economic uncertainty as there is today, just about every investment is “in the eye of the beholder” as gold is.  So really, it’s beside the point what type of value you place on gold – it’s what everyone else thinks at the moment that matters.

That is why I am seriously considering putting money into gold. Serious money.  With all the news coming out about the growth of the economy, and the knowledge taht a lot of this “growth” we are experiencing is really just residual from all the QE2 money that the government pumped into the economy, I wonder what will happen when that residual effect wears off.

More job losses?  An even bigger problem for the entire economy? Then of course you have the problems over in Europe, which can only compound the problems we have here in the US.  And yet you have politicians and economists poo pooing the idea that there is a major depression coming our way.  It’s enough to make your head spin. It’s all too confusing.

Although I don’t really want to put some of our nest egg in Gold, I am seeing more evidence that this may be the only investsment that makes significant gains for my retirement account in the long term. And that’s the game I’m in – long term investing for me and my family, so this is the one investment I am considering getting out of cash for at the moment.

This is my own personal view form hours of reading information on the subject, and I in no way claim I am correct, but then again, how can anyone be?

The stock market seems to be especially susceptible to the headlines for the past two years. Ever since the big US economic meltdown which started in 2008 (or at least made itself known then), the stock market seems to be the most volatile I’ve ever seen.

Granted, I haven’t been on this earth all that long, and I certainly haven’t been old enough to care about the various ups and downs we’ve had over the past few decades, such as the out of control inflation and the economic downturns of the 80′s.

What’s funny about the current state of affairs as it applies to the stock market and the sentiment that goes very deeply into the movements of the market is that it seems to move inversely at times.

Even bad news can move the market up, or down. It really depends on the perfect union of emotions that happen when the news headlines pop up that day. There are so many different headlines, and all of a caliber and seriousness that differ in their positivity or negativity that the markets seem confused.

The recent news that the job market is “improving” didn’t lift the market really at all. Common sense would tell you that the jobs report should have pushed stocks higher due to higher consumer confidence, but the inverse actually happened.

This goes to show how you can’t really count on the headlines to do what you think they will when it comes to the market. Emotions are running high. People are not only gunshy, but they are still scared due to events that have happened in the not too distant past in relation to jobs, housing, and stocks.

It’s gonna be a long time before the stock market gains any sort of sense or stability that makes common sense to most people in other words. Until then, it is pretty much a crap shoot as to what’s going to happen that day in terms of stock movement and which sectors move where.

Even jobs reports that say jobs have been added to the market are not regarded as good news. That’s because there are still so many people out there that are out of work and the unemployment rate is still way too high in order to sustain a good rally that is long term.

Apparently the idea that this whole financial fiasco has been primarily a “mancession” is somewhat of a misnomer. Surveys and research has shown that single women who are of the baby boomer generation are saying that they once thought they would be able to retire, but now do not think they can retire.

This is due to inadequate savings for a variety of reasons. What it is, is sad. I’ve heard this more and more where people have worked their whole lives for a company, or for themselves, and they are looking forward to those golden years of retirement where they can live out the last quarter or so of their life doing things they’ve always wanted to do and enjoying life.

Now, with the recession and the stock market basically going nowhere, people’s returns are low or nonexistent, or they’ve had to take hardship withdrawals just to make ends meet.

Single women are particularly concerned and are coming back into the workforce after being afraid to retire and thinking they don’t have the money to make it far enough into their golden years of retirement.

Women who are almost of retirement age seem to be the least prepared for their retirement. Research has shown the single women of this generation comprise about ten percent with pension, and only about thirty two percent of them with 401k plans. That is staggeringly and frighteningly low, especially when you consider social security is very uncertain in the future.

Stories like this abound. I must admit, I’m a woman and I was single for quite a long time before I met my husband. I have been so paranoid about not having enough for retirement, or having the rug pulled out from under me with my job or with my business, that my husband and I have both saved quite a lot of our paychecks for retirement.

Sure, it’s always been tempting to scale back on the savings amount, but there has always been this conservative voice in my head that sayd rainy days may be ahead and we may want to be prepared.

I know that I’m fortunate and that not everyone is in the position where they can save a whole lot of money. It is SO important though for you to take advantage of any 401k program you have – especially if your employer matches. You’d be surprised at how little it impacts your paycheck due to the tax break it gives you.

It’s really hard to keep your cool about your precious 401k and life savings that is your nest egg for your long awaited retirement when you see the stock market acting volatile and irrational.

I know, because I’m in the same boat as many others, watching it swing wildly up and down from one day – shoot one HOUR – to the next. The VIX, which is the index of investor fear (don’t ask me how they calculate that one) has been showing some very scary numbers lately.

It shows that all investors are spooked, and this is what is expected right now with all the bad economic news and fears of a new, second recession about to occur. And with the Fed announcing that it may try another bailout and some people wanting that, well, that just makes things worse in my book.

We need another round of bailouts like we need a hole in the head.The Fed needs to leave well enough alone and stop spending money that we don’t have, and let this thing hit rock bottom on its own without furthering the pain and prolonging the recovery.

It’s hard to know what to do in this volatility, and no one can tell you with any certainty, including myself, what to do with your money. You can follow your gut and when the market goes up and you’re not losing anything, get out and into cash, or you can choose to ride it out and see what happens.

Either option has its risks. If you get out and in to cash, like I did about two months ago thanks to a tip from a close family member who knows about this stuff, you’re not risking your capital, but you also aren’t growing your money.

I chose to go this way because I’m younger and have plenty of time for growth. My personal plan is to get back in the market after I feel it’s hit rock bottom, scoop up some deals, and then hopefully watch it go down a few times with a pit in my stomach, and then enjoy the ride back up and subsequent stabilization of the economy again.

If you are older, and you don’t have much time until you retire, you may choose to do something that is safer, but please don’t do it when it’s too late and the markets are way down again. This way, you lose money because you sell too late, and you don’t really gain any benefit.

I’m not an expert, I just go with my gut, and that is what you should do too. Just try not to sell and get out after a massive selloff, because then you have wasted some of your money and you can’t get it back.

Today is the day. Is the stock market going to respond wildly to the previous downgrade of US debt and credit rating by Standard and Poors rating agency? Or is this going to be a case of everyone crying wolf, and the markets may seem to tank a bit in the morning, only to be saved by a later day rally with people picking up bargain prices?

Well, it’s really anyone’s guess, but there are some on good authroity that say that this is going to be a lot more painful than most of us are willing to believe right now. In fact, there are many who are saying we are going to feel the pain we did in the first recession, with a real possiblity that billions will be lost in retirement accounts.

But what will realy happen today in the stock market? Is everyone going to go running for the hills at the opening bell? Will it be a temporary drop followed by bargain hunting saving the day and driving the DOW back up?

No one can tell the future, but I can tell you now, I’ve already noticed, in my sideline business, that people are tightening up their purse straps. Haven’t made one sale in three days. That’s almost unheard of, and it’s the same thing I experienced when the first recession wrapped its ugly meathooks around us and had us all writhing in fear and desperation.

So, what can you do to shield yourself form the effects of this aftershock? The only thing you can do is to hedge your bets and try to go very bearish on any investments strategies at this point. Remember, don’t panic sell and lose a ton of money, because eventually the markets will go back up.

You may want to contact a professional for help with making decisions, as at these crucial times, making the right decisions can be the difference between retiring a millionaire and retiring with very little.

It’s a sad statement, but a recession, for several different reasons, can push people’s hard earned retirement out years.

Depending on the combination of events that happe to that person and their family, it can push their retirement goals out by anywhere from a few years, to five to even ten or more if it is severe.

You’ve got a situation that could end up being the perfect storm when it comes to pushing that time out further and further when you combine people losing jobs, and getting hours or overtime scaled back areare just two of them when it comes to jobs.

Other circumstances that are often brought about by recessionary periods in the economy are taking pay cuts, losing money in the stock market, and getting other benefits taken away that force them to put away less for retirement.

That all adds up to one thing – longer time til retirement! The biggest problem is that the stock market can literally cut someone’s retirement in almost thirty percent to half (fifty percent) fairly easily when the markets get spooked and then begin to move sideways, instead up up, for several years after the recession is over.

Surveys have shown that people who expected to once retire at around age 64 ten years ago, now expect to retire five years later on average – at age sixty nine.

That’s quite a few more years clocking in if you ask me, and it’s really a sad state that we in America can’t enjoy our golden years as early as we used to be able to.

I remember when I was a little younger and more naive, I thought I’d for sure have no problems retiring at age 50. Now I’m starting to rethink that, especially seeing how the stock market and solid stocks aren’t even guaranteed any more, and I used to put all of my money is stocks only for retirement.

I actually think some options are better ideas than I did before, and have invested in some of them where I would not have done that 5 or 6 years ago.

For example, I always thought that an annuity was a bad idea for someone my age, because you could make way more in stocks over those thirty years that the annuity kept your money.

However, seeing the volatility of the stock market and how easily you can get your gain wiped out and start at square one, I decided to get one and go a little more conservative on some of my investments.

I’ll admit, the past few weeks I have LOVE opening up my 401k online, logging in, and seeing what the latest numbers are. I didn’t used to like it this much. In fact, I avoided opening it up and looking at the returns and the balance for a long time when the stock market was really rocky, and a lot of people, including myself, were losing a lot of money in their investments.

I used to do just mutual funds, but I discovered that I have a knack for picking decent companies that tend to do pretty well, and I had no problem buying some of them when they were the most beaten down and people were running scared. So, I’ve had a decent sort of return on some of the stocks that make up my 401k portfolio which are going to fund my retirement.

It’s something that not only makes me feel secure, to have a now-booming 401k account, but it makes me feel proud that I have been disciplined enough to be able to save this money without spending it. Not that I’ve never been tempted to bump the amount I contribute down so I have more discretionary income.

I have always been tempted to do that, when I go to the mall and see all the pretty clothes and I start to wish I had certain material things, or I want to do something else to our house. But then I think, by putting this money away and taking it directly out of my pay, I’m never seeing it, and it’s giving me a tax break, so why would I sacrifice that right now?

It’s quite gratifying to see a savings account grow, and even more gratifying to know that you’re getting a tax break when you have a great 401k plan. But you know what’s even better? When your employer has a generous matching program, where they match you up to a certain percentage of your contributions.

That is actually like passing up free money if you don’t take advantage of it, at least up to that percentage cap. Many employers unfortunately have scrapped their employer match programs during hard economic times, but the really competitive ones who are smart and want to keep good talented people on board, have kept them.

Right now, the stock market is really surging, so it’s a good time to take stock and feel good about what your account is doing. It’s also important not to panic sell and diminish your returns when there is a short downturn. You have to kind of have a laissez fare attitude, where you know you won’t see or touch the money or move it around until something serious happens, or you really start seeing bad signs of an investment you’ve made – on a consistent basis.

A variety of factors indicate that baby boomers will face major financial difficulty for their retirement years. This will have a signifigant impact on our economy due to the vast number of baby boomers turning 65 in our immediate future.

Over 10 thousand baby boomers will turn 65 per day after this new year, and this will continue for about 19 more years. A usual source of income that the previous generation to the boomers had is the pension plan.

Pension plans used to be available, in 1980, to 39% of workers. The benefit of the pension plan today is only available to 15% of workers.

The 401K plans used to grow at an appreciable rate. 401K plans rely heavily on stocks and over the past decade the returns have shrunk to just 4%. Many retirement portfolios have lost money over the past ten years at various times.

Another source of possible retirement income used to be our main lifetime investment of our homes. With the recent crash of housing prices the sale of your home is no longer a source of income. As many as 22% of homeowners owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth. A high percent of these homeowners are baby boomers.

Probably the most important oversight for boomers in planning for retirement is simply a failure to save. On the list of concerns for boomers and retirement is the early start for collecting Social Security.

About 75% of people today are opting to claim their Social Security benefits as soon as they can at age 62. This will lock your amount you get per month at about 25% less than if you waited until you were age 66.

Another huge area of concern is the rapidly increasing cost of medical expenses. It’s almost hard to comprehend how much will be needed to cover these expenses as baby boomers are living longer and will need care as they advance into old age.

Unemployment is another area of trouble for all of the economy and baby boomers in particular. Most boomers want to continue to work but many have lost their jobs. Most baby boomers that have jobs plan on working until they are no longer physically able to.

A lot of people still have a large debt such as a mortgage going into this age group, which means they will still need to pay for expenses even after retirement. This burden is scary when you consider how the sources of income for baby boomers is drying up, unless they have a prepared fund of their own.

This is why it is vital that you set up your own retirement fund and put your future in your own hands!

Well, we all pretty much took a huge hit to our 401k’s, collectively, when the 2008 crash hit the stock market. And the subsequent months looked horribly dismal as well, shrinking people’s 401k investments by the most money in recent memorable history .The worst since the Great Depression in fact.

The huge mistake that many people made, was that they ended up either cashing out these funds or taking their money out of these stocks that were doing so badly. Those stocks did go back up. True, many of them did not fully recover or never recovered at all, but a decent enough amount did that people did end up going back up.

I just read an article that said that people’s retirement accounts are looking better, but they still have not recouped most of the money they lost in that terrible time period. This is just sad to me. Many people were in their retirement years and lost years and years of savings in merely one day.

I go to stores now, and I see so many seniors working that I know would probably not be working if it weren’t for the tanked economy. I even hear of a lot of teenagers who can’t even find simple retail jobs because seniors are getting back into the job market and taking these types of jobs. Not that I’m saying one age group need them more.

I would have to say that if I were faced with a decision to hire a senior who lost their life savings or a teen who probably still was being supported by their parents, the decision would pretty much be a no brainer.

The survey that determined that most people gained in their 401k’s last year found they went up a substantial amount. It’s no secret that the stock market has amazingly rebounded, and not with that much of a hint of a strongly sustainable economy recovery, which is curious by most counts.

This gives hope though to the millions of us who are investing in our retirement accounts on a monthly basis, and saw our returns basically go nowhere for a few years. But there really was nowhere else to put the money that would have returned anything better than an average money market for so long.

I have all of mine in stocks, and I still wouldn’t do it any other way. I have that much confidence in the stocks I’ve chosen. Not saying I might never get bitten in the butt, but I feel pretty good with what I have!

In more troubling news that a lot of Americans are under water when it comes to bill, mortgages, and overall credit extensions, there is a new report that Fidelity came out with, detailing the finding that the last quarter had some of the highest hardship withdrawals from their 401k and retirement plans.

It shows that Americans are still really struggling, and it actually takes a lot to withdraw for hardship. In order to qualify for this type of withdrawal, you have to prove that you are having a very difficult time paying medical bills, or you are under threat of foreclosure on your home, or some such financial distress that warrants this withdrawal.

Not only that, you STILL get hit with a 10% early withdrawal fee, plus you have to pay taxes on the withdrawal at the end of that year. I mean I guess I get why they do this. They do it to deter people from dipping into their nest egg or any little thing, and they also do it to prove a point, that Uncle Sam doesn’t stand for giving you tax free money for years only to have you squander it away before you have to pay higher taxes on it down the line.

I think that’s sort of why they went with charging the 10% early withdrawal penalty, to discourage people from getting their money out in a lower tax bracket/lower tax times. The average age of the people who are having to use these early withdrawal options is reportedly between about 35 to 55 on average.

This is a huge shame, because this means that these people still have earning potential in their lives, and they are probably still contributing. Thanks to the hardship though, they may have had to stop contributing all together, or perhaps they had to reduce their contributions, missing out on years of interest building, and putting themselves behind the eight ball big time.

But hey, tough times are tough times, and I’m sure I’d do the same thing if my back were up against a wall. The earlier you start saving for your retirement the better. Uncle Sam may not be able to take care of us folks, especially for those of us, like me, who are years and years away from collecting social security.

That’s right, even though we’ve paid into it since we had our first jobs at sixteen or eighteen, we may not be getting jack squat, or we may not be getting nearly what we think we are. Of course, this is worst case scenario, but it’s really best to be prepared for the worst.