Simple, DIY Methods To Retire With $1 Million

By Karla Bowsher  |  MoneyTalksNews  |  March 31, 2015

Retiring as a millionaire is within anyone’s reach if they start young enough and can follow a simple recipe.

Last year, William J. Bernstein broke down one recipe in a 16-page e-book called “If You Can: How Millennials Can Get Rich Slowly,” which he made available free on his website.

But you don’t need to read his free book, or any book. Suggestions similar to those he makes have been made many times before by myriad people, including John Bogle, legendary founder and retired CEO of Vanguard Investments.

Here’s how Bogle suggests you invest: It’s an asset allocation method he calls “the majesty of simplicity.” You just divide your long-term investment money into three mutual funds:

• A U.S. total stock market index fund
• An international total stock market index fund
• A U.S. total bond market index fund

You simply put equal amounts into each fund. As they grow at different rates over time, you make adjustments to keep their values roughly equal.

As for how much to invest, Bernstein suggests 15 percent of your salary. Obviously, using tax-advantaged accounts, like a 401(k) or IRA is preferable, but the key is to put aside as much as possible.

That’s it. If you can follow this simple recipe throughout your working career, you’ll likely beat most professional investors, while keeping things simple. More important, providing you invest enough, you’ll likely accumulate enough savings to retire comfortably.

Five Ways To Push Forward When You're Stuck

By Mitch Mitchell  |  LinkedIn  |  March 31, 2015

We all get stuck sometimes. I don't mean getting your car stuck in the mud. I mean mentally stuck. 

Mentally stuck means you're not taking action. You're basically idling, doing other things instead of the tasks at hand. It feels bad, but it's also something that you don't think you can get out of.

I know this feeling. Many times I don't even know it's happening because the one thing I can always do is write. Ideas pop into my head, I write them out, and I'm done.

However, there are times when that's all I can do. I don't work on my business. I don't remember to eat, don't remember to clean the kitchen, don't remember to do laundry. That's what stuck does; it makes you forget everything else that helps to make you whole.

Luckily, when I do recognize I'm stuck, there are things I start doing that pulls me out of it. They allow me to push forward, to take action towards my goals. They help to get me out of a false comfort level, because it always feels good to "not" be doing something, but if it's not helping you push forward then it's not good for you.

To keep it simple, I'm only giving 5 ways to push forward, to get unstuck, and get back on track.

First, get out some paper and start writing things down. This might be a list of goals; it might be a list of steps toward a goal. It might be a list of things you want out of life. It might even be a list of the things you want to buy when you attain your goals. A grocery list doesn't count; this has to be a big time life action list, not anything relatively mundane.

Writing things down might feel like a chore, but it's actually cathartic and frees your mind. It also helps you focus on everything and you get to decide what's important and what you can put aside for a while.