Finance

Retirement Expert Shares Top Tips to Avoid Common Planning Mistakes

When planning for the future, many people become distracted by short-term news, losing sight of the long-term strategy needed for retirement, which often spans decades.

This is just one of several mistakes individuals make when saving for or living in retirement, according to Nick Nefouse, global head of retirement solutions and head of LifePath at BlackRock.

“Retirement planning is almost always a long-term endeavor,” Nefouse explained in a recent episode of Decoding Retirement (see video above or listen below). “However, we're constantly bombarded with short-term news, which is a very different focus from planning for retirement.”

For example, someone in their 20s may spend roughly 45 years saving for retirement, and by age 65, they could live another 20 to 30 years. Even someone at 55 still has about a decade before they retire, making long-term financial planning essential.

TECH

A 'Renaissance' in Small Tech Stocks? Hot Take from Opening Bid

There are plenty of growth opportunities in tech beyond the widely-discussed "Magnificent 7."

With the Mag 7 still underperforming, now might be the perfect time to explore some smaller-cap tech stocks that have been overlooked.

"We've become a bit addicted to the Mag 7 over the last few years. They're great companies with strong cash flow, but they might not deserve as much of your portfolio as you might have thought a year or two ago, when they were outperforming in '23 and '24," said Eric Jackson, founder of EMJ Capital, during the Hot Takes segment on Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid podcast (video above; full episode below).

Jackson, a tech investor with nearly 20 years of experience, focuses on small- to medium-cap tech opportunities for his clients but also follows mega-cap stocks like Nvidia (NVDA).

"I think investors should take a step back and look at smaller tech names. The tech sector will continue to attract attention because of growth potential," Jackson said. "I believe we’re going to see a renaissance for these smaller-growth companies in the years ahead."

CRYPTO

Crypto Fortune Fuels $1 Billion Space Station Ambition

Jed McCaleb amassed a fortune through cryptocurrency, and now he's ready to invest a significant portion of it in space.

The billionaire, known for his involvement with the notorious Mt. Gox Bitcoin exchange and the cryptocurrency XRP, is the sole financial backer of an ambitious project to create the world's first commercial space station and launch it into orbit.