Goodbye to Summer

The carefree days of summer have come and gone.  Some of us are grateful for the relief from 95-degree heat and high humidity.  Some are looking forward to dynamic fall colors as the leaves turn vibrant red and orange.  And some are anxious to get their portfolios in order.  Well, this is the right time!

History shows that the fourth quarter of the year produces the best performance.  The S&P 500 Index has averaged a 2.8% gain nearly 75% of the time in the last 3 months of the year.  And the NASDAQ 100 Index has recorded an average increase of 6.2% in the fourth quarter.

Don’t delay – if you’re not in the stock market yet, this is the best time of the year to get started.

And if you are investing already, consider increasing your monthly 401(k) contributions. Even a small bump-up in monthly contributions can make the world of difference, as this graph points out.

If you’re Age 40 right now, an extra $100 each month could add up to more than $80,000 when you retire in 25 years.

If you’re in your 20’s or 30’s now, you could retire with as much as $260,000 more in your nest egg!  And that’s from adding just $25 more a week to your investment account.

That’ll make for a lot more carefree retirement days any time of the year.