Don’t gamble with retirement

QUESTION: Why do you advise people planning for retirement to figure on living to 90 or beyond? I hope to retire at 57, but I’m not going to plan on living beyond 85. That just seems iffy at best. — Paul, Bridgeport, Connecticut

Earnings Jitters
Companies are getting crushed when they miss numbers. That’s making me nervous.

Best credit cards for college kids
Laptop, iPod, a messenger bag and yes, a credit card – all the staples of modern college life. Nowadays, owning a piece of plastic has become as much as part of the college experience as griping about the dorm food.

Art of the Deal
There are less risky ways to capitalize on the recent energy and commodities mergers.

Buying Tech Low
With the Nasdaq near buying-opportunity levels, I’m mulling more eBay and Yahoo.

Too cool for a 401(k)? Do the math
QUESTION: Everyone says you should invest in a 401(k). But if my employer doesn’t match my contributions and I don’t expect to be in a lower tax bracket after I retire, I don’t see the point. Wouldn’t I be better off just paying taxes and putting my money in a mutual fund that generates little in the way of ongoing taxable distributions, such as an index fund? I don’t see how a 401(k) helps me. — Mark C., Wilmington, Delaware

Lincoln Zephyr sub-par in crash test
The redesigned 2007 Toyota Camry earned the top score of “Good” in side and front crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway safety.