Personal Finance Daily: No one-size-fits all for retirement

Personal Finance Daily APRIL 05, 2012 Thursday's Personal Finance Stories By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: The 4% solution for retirement doesn't fit all 30-year fixed-rate mortgage falls to 3.98% Exclusionary ETFs push investors out of loop Doubling up with the Masters and Oxbridge The 4% formula for drawing down retirement assets has long been a favorite for those planning for retirement and the people who advise them. But between changes in investment trends and longer life expectancies, that solution doesn't fit everyone's needs, Robert Powell writes today. He details alternatives and modifications to the formula, and examines how advisers help people factor in their wants and needs. If you like sports and high drama, tradition and an international flavor, then double up with the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga., and the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race in London this weekend. MarketWatch's Shawn Langlois notes some ties that bind these iconic sporting events, including surreal settings, incomprehensible pomp and circumstance, and even sponsor controversy. — Anne Stanley , Managing Editor, Personal Finance You're invited: MarketWatch ETF event If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area and you're interested in exchange-traded funds, we'd like to invited you to a free live event in April. Join us for an evening of cocktails and conversation about the risks and opportunities of trading ETFs. Our guest panelists will be Tom Lydon, president of Global Trends Investments and editor of ETFtrends.com; John Nyaradi, publisher of Wall Street Sector Selector; and Jim Wiandt, publisher and chief executive of IndexUniverse.com, Exchange-Traded Funds Report and Journal of Indexes. The event will be on the evening of Tuesday, April 17, in downtown San Francisco. To get more details and RSVP, send an email to MarketWatchevent@wsj.com by April 10. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage falls to 3.98% Mixed signals about the health of the economy caused mortgage rates to move little this week, Freddie Mac's chief economist said on Thursday. Read more: 30-year fixed-rate mortgage falls to 3.98% 4% solution for retirement doesn't fit all The 4% withdrawal strategy, a strategy used to produce income in retirement by many financial advisers and do-it-yourselfers, is, to put it bluntly, oversimplistic. The 4% solution for retirement doesn't fit all. Doubling up with the Masters and Oxbridge The Masters golf tournament will heat up on Saturday just a short time after a winner is crowned in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Read more: Doubling up with the Masters and Oxbridge. ECONOMY AND POLITICS Consumer delinquencies fall in all categories Delinquency rates for consumer loans fall in all 11 loan categories in the fourth quarter, including lower delinquencies for home-equity loans and bank loans, according to a report Thursday by the American Bankers Association. Consumer delinquencies fall in all categories. Will jobs data push Obama past magic 50 mark? Jobs data due Friday could be key to getting President Obama past the magic 50 mark in approval rating. Read more: Will jobs data push Obama past magic 50 mark? U.S. first-time jobless claims fall slightly to 357,000 Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fall slightly last week and remain at a four-year low, Labor Department data show. Read more: Initial jobless claims fall slightly to 357,000. Bank of England keeps policy on hold The Bank of England, as expected, holds its key lending rate at record low 0.5% and makes no adjustment to its bond-buying program Thursday. Read more: Bank of England keeps policy on hold. India under pressure over telecom ruling Two months after India's Supreme Court suspended 122 telecom licenses tainted in one of the country's biggest corruption scandals, New Delhi is asking for more time to sort out legal and commercial issues. Read more: India under pressure over telecom ruling. INVESTING Exclusionary ETFs push investors out of loop Some exchange-traded funds give investors an easy way to steer clear of what they believe will be poorly performing areas. But for most of these exclusionary ETFs — and a few like-minded mutual funds — "ex" doesn't mark the spot. Read more: Exclusionary ETFs push investors out of loop. Everybody back to Gap? Apparel retailer Gap Inc. finally looks to be hitting its stride, writes Angela Moore. Read more: Everybody back to Gap? Bears not rampant Stocks tumble, but key investment letters, although usually bearish, are not giving up on this market, Peter Brimelow writes. Read more: Bears not rampant. ADP data should quell irrational job exuberance When it comes to hopes about employment data, the financial markets and consumers may have gotten ahead of actual job growth, writes Kathleen Madigan. Read more: ADP data should quell irrational job exuberance. IPO investors: Beware the dual-class stock Groupon's accounting issues put a spotlight on how entrenched the company co-founders are and also show the negative side of dual-class stock structures, writes Therese Poletti. Read more: IPO investors: Beware the dual-class stock. Nervous market won't get help from earnings Just when the market needs a renewed dose of good news, earnings season arrives next week. But it's not going to help. Profits are expected to be flat to down this season, David Callaway writes. Read more: Nervous markets won't get help from earnings. 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