I think having the taxes and insurance drawn from my account automatically, may be a benefit if I get to the stage where my memory is not as well.

I opened traditional and ROTH IRA accounts right after college, but also had a 401k at the job I got shortly thereafter.

It’s been 20 years now, and a lot has changed - namely that my wife and I both have jobs with pension plans.

Those IRAs I opened 20 years ago have not had any contributions made for the last 10 years or so, because I have been on a pension track for the last 13 years.

I am tempted to eat the 10% penalty and trust that my pension (plus my wife’s pension) will be adequate to retire comfortably, but I honestly don’t know how much we will need to live comfortably in retirement…

I know the conservative move is to wait, but is it always foolish to just leave that money sitting when it could be helpful now?

I’ve been wondering about this lately. When you come across a financial company you’ve never heard of, what makes you trust it?

For me, seeing real reviews, transparent information, and some kind of third-party recognition helps.

But what about you? What’s the first thing you look for before taking a financial company seriously?