T. Rowe Price Personal Investor - 4 Reasons to Save in a Money Market Fund (2024)

FAQs

What is the 4% rule for T-rowe prices? ›

Rowe Price suggests the 4% guideline as a starting point for a withdrawal strategy. This means that in the first year of retirement, you could consider a withdrawal amount that is 4% of your retirement account balance. Every year, reassess the following to adjust your withdrawal amount if needed: Your spending needs.

Disadvantages of money market accounts may include hefty minimum balance requirements and monthly fees — and you might be able to find better yields with other deposit accounts.

Money market funds are useful for short-term goals, such as saving for a vacation, a wedding, or a down payment for a house. In these cases, it may be more important that your savings hold their value over the shorter time period. (2) Maintaining an emergency reserve.

While money market funds aren't ideal for long-term investing due to their low returns and lack of capital appreciation, they offer a stable, secure investment option for individuals looking to invest for the short term.

The 4% rule limits annual withdrawals from your retirement accounts to 4% of the total balance in your first year of retirement. That means if you retire with $1 million saved, you'd take out $40,000. According to the rule, this amount is safe enough that you won't risk running out of money during a 30-year retirement.

Some strategies call for having 10 to 12 times your final working year's salary or specific multiples of your annual income that increase as you age. Consider when you want to retire, goals, annual salary, expected annual raises, inflation, investment portfolio performance and potential healthcare expenses.

Since money market accounts are insured by the FDIC or the NCUA, you cannot lose the money you contribute to the account—even in the event of a bank failure. You can, however, be subject to fees and penalties that reduce your earnings.

Money market funds are usually considered to be safe investments, but it's important to remember that these investments are intended for the short term. With maturities of 13 months or less, the funds stay liquid and allow you better access to your money than longer-term investments.

U.S. government money market funds are typically regarded as the safest of the three, and within that category, those with a high concentration of Treasuries—with full government backing—would be exposed to a lower likelihood of default risk.

Because they invest in fixed income securities, money market funds and ultra-short duration funds are subject to three main risks: interest rate risk, liquidity risk and credit risk.

Are money market funds safe in a recession? ›

Money market funds can protect your assets during a recession, but only as a temporary fix and not for long-term growth. In times of economic uncertainty, money market funds offer liquidity for cash reserves that can help you build your portfolio.

Money market accounts offer flexibility with check-writing and debit cards, savings accounts are more accessible and have lower fees, and CDs offer higher interest rates but with a commitment to keep your money locked away for a set period of time. To make the best choice, consider your financial goals and situation.

Some money market accounts require minimum account balances for the higher rate of interest. Six to 12 months of living expenses are typically recommended for the amount of money that should be kept in cash in these types of accounts as emergency funds.

Like other deposit accounts, money market accounts are insured by the FDIC or NCUA, up to $250,000 held by the same owner or owners.

The risk of running out of money is an important risk to manage. But, if you're already retired or older than 65, your planning time horizon may be different. The 4% rule, in other words, may not suit your situation. It includes a very high level of confidence that your portfolio will last for a 30-year period.

For an income of $80,000, you would need a retirement nest egg of about $2 million ($80,000 /0.04). This strategy assumes a 5% return on investments, after taxes and inflation, no additional retirement income, such as Social Security, and a lifestyle similar to the one you would be living at the time you retire.

So, if you're aiming for $100,000 a year in retirement and also receiving Social Security checks, you'd need to have this amount in your portfolio: age 62: $2.1 million. age 67: $1.9 million. age 70: $1.8 million.

The rule ignores taxes. When drawdowns are made from qualified retirement accounts, including traditional individual retirement accounts and 401(k) plans, those withdrawals are considered ordinary income for tax purposes because no income tax was ever paid on the amounts invested.