Americans aren’t saving enough for retirement.

True, this has been a refrain for longer than many can remember. But now some disturbing numbers show exactly how bad it’s gotten. Two-thirds of all Americans don’t contribute anything to a 401(k) or other retirement account available through their employer.

Millions aren’t saving on the job because they either don’t have access to a workplace retirement plan or they do but aren’t putting money in it. Many just can’t spare the cash, but a new analysis shows there are other reasons, too.

Until now, the exact size of the problem has been unclear. Surveys can be unreliable: Small businesses are difficult to assess, and many workers just don’t know what plan options they have, especially if employers aren’t making much effort to sign them up. Information on a 401(k) may be part of a stack of paper handed out on their first day, that they don’t read or understand, and ultimately set aside and never think about again.

Now, U.S. Census Bureau researchers have come up with estimates that rely on tax data, which should be more reliable than surveys. Their conclusion: Only about a third of workers are saving in a 401(k) or similar tax-deferred retirement plan. Also, the gap is far wider than expected between the number of employers offering retirement plans, and the number of workers saving in them.

Source: Two-Thirds of Americans Aren’t Putting Money in Their 401(k) – Bloomberg

The Applied Materials, Inc. [stckqut]AMAT[/stckqut] stock chart is littered with bullish indicators that suggest higher prices are likely for Applied Materials stock.

The bullish run in Applied Materials, Inc. stock, which began in August 2015, has been nothing short of spectacular. In that time span, AMAT stock has managed a whopping return of 160% for those savvy enough to pick up shares as the price put in a bottom.

Patrick Brik of Profit Confidential believes that this bullish run in Applied Materials stock still has legs, and that higher prices are still likely.

Patrick is bullish on AMAT stock because all the indications on multiple time frames continue to suggest that higher Applied Materials stock prices are likely. He believes that the current surge toward higher prices will continue until the previous all-time high, which was set at the peak of the dot-com bubble, is tested.

Source: Applied Materials Stock (NASDAQ:AMAT) Still Has Plenty of Room to Run

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As an example of the success that my book teaches, in a 7 year time frame from January 3, 2006 to December 31, 2012, Decker Corporation increased 304.7% if you would have implemented a pure buy-and-hold strategy. If you would implemented the strategy that I explain in my book, The Confident Investor, you would have seen a 371.2% return on your investment. This is a 21.8% increase on the profit percentage.

Can your investment system beat the market by that much?

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[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level1)]Thank you for being a registered book owner. Please remember that the below indicators should NOT be considered signals for you to invest in or sell any of these stocks. Rather, you should double check all analysis and understand that the decision to invest in or sell one of these stocks is purely your own. This information is purely provided for educational purposes.

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