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If your family relies on your income, it’s critical to consider having enough life insurance to provide for them after you pass away. But too often, life insurance is an overlooked aspect of personal finances. In fact, according...

Life insurance choices can be confusing. Man is Mortal. That makes life insurance a little unique and interesting, doesn’t it? We purchase things like health insurance, car insurance and home insurance, then hope we never have a...

Your portfolio may be designed to give you the best chance of achieving your financial goals. Unfortunately, the market doesn’t care about your risk tolerance or your goals. The Market Has a Mind of Its Own A key characteristic...

Social Security is an important source of income for most retirees. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), one in every six U.S. residents collected Social Security benefits last year.1 But understanding which Social...

COLA and Social Security. The news keeps getting better for Social Security recipients. It's now projected that benefits will increase 6.1% in 2022, up from the 4.7% forecast just two months ago. That would be the most significant...

A few things you may want to think about before filing for benefits. Determining when to take Social Security benefits is a complicated financial decision. Here are a few things to think about and discuss with your financial...

Retirement is a time for pursuing your passions, reaping the fruits of your life’s work, and making the most out of life. But there are many financial pressures facing those planning to retire in the coming months and years....

Should you make a change to suit changing times? Do you have an IRA or a 401(k)? You probably do. You may have both of these retirement savings accounts in your portfolio, or accounts that are similar. While IRAs and 401(k)s are...

Only 45 percent of adults have a will or other estate documents in place, which may not be entirely surprising.1 No one wants to be reminded of their own mortality or spend too much time thinking about what might happen once...

Who Is Your Trusted Contact? Investment firms have a client service feature that may be a benefit to certain investors. They will ask you whether you would like to provide the name and information of a trusted contact.1 You do not have...

Inheriting wealth can be a burden and a blessing. Even if you have an inclination that a family member may remember you in their last will and testament, there are many facets to the process of inheritance that you may not have...

Ah, retirement! Finally, there will be time to relax, free from financial worry. Many people think of retirement as a time to travel or pursue special interests—a welcome break from the 40-hour workweek. But without careful...

Think about these factors before you leave work for the last time. Retirement planning is not entirely financial. Your degree of happiness in your “second act” may depend on some factors that don’t come with an...

Most children stop being “and-a-half” somewhere around age 12. Kids add “and-a-half“ to make sure everyone knows they’re closer to the next age than the last. When you are older, “and-a-half”...

How can you cover your child’s future college costs? Saving early (and often) may be key for most families. Here are some college savings vehicles to consider. 529 college savings plans. Offered by states and some educational...

Do you have an I.R.A.? As you enter your 70s, you may start to look at that I.R.A. not only as an asset, but also as a problem. By law, you must take required minimum distributions (R.M.D.s) from a Traditional I.R.A. once you reach age...

In August of 2020, the Fed announced that it is willing to allow inflation to run higher than normal in order to support the labor market and broader economy. This major policy shift allows inflation to run above the Fed’s 2%...

Retirement planning is not entirely financial. Your degree of happiness in your “second act” may depend on some factors that don’t come with an obvious price tag. Here are some non-monetary factors to consider as you...

How do you picture your future? If you are like many contemplating retirement, your view is likely pragmatic compared to that of your parents. That doesn’t mean you must have a “plain vanilla” tomorrow. Even if your...

It can be easy to overlook the nation’s solid economic fundamentals when the financial media splashes stories every day about an army of amateur traders, short-selling mania, and initial public offerings (IPOs) that double in...

At this time last year, it was still unknown that a deadly global pandemic was on the rise, eventually stalling economic growth and sending crude oil prices into negative territory. But recently, oil prices have surged, with crude...

When you read about money matters, you will sometimes see the phrase, “getting your financial house in order.” What exactly does that mean? When your financial “house is in order,” it means it is built on a...

Financially, many of us associate April with taxes – but we should also associate April with important IRA deadlines. April 15, 2021 is the deadline to take your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from certain individual...

After a bit of political posturing in December, the $900 billion Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (2021 CAA) was signed into law by President Trump as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact employers and employees....

The start of the holiday shopping season can provide important clues about the economy's state and, more importantly, overall consumer confidence. So far, the results have been a “mixed bag” with empty malls and busy...

When you marry or simply share a household with someone, your financial life changes—and your approach to managing your money may change as well. The good news is that it is usually not so difficult. At some point, you will have...

As the U.S. presidential election draws near, expect to see more and more headlines that propose, "What will happen next if this person is elected?" or, "What policy changes to prepare for in the next four years?" In reality, however,...

This summer, the Federal Reserve made a key policy shift. It announced that it would focus on promoting job creation and tolerate a little more inflation along the way for the near future. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell stated on August 27...

Most recently, you may have read that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced a change in how the Fed views inflation. In the past, the Fed said it would consider adjusting short-term rates when inflation approached 2 percent....

America’s debt is now nearly as large as its economy. On September 2, the Congressional Budget Office announced that by the end of the 2020 fiscal year (September 30), the federal government is projected to owe debt equaling 98%...

Everyone loves a winner. If an investment is successful, most people naturally want to stick with it. But is that the best approach? It may sound counterintuitive, but it may be possible to have too much of a good thing. Over time, the...

When you distribute, sell, or receive assets from a retirement account, taxes usually follow. It is true for individuals; it is true for trusts. These decisions represent taxable events. Many retirement accounts are tax-deferred, but...

Right now, many Americans are worried about their financial health due to the impact COVID-19 has had on the country. Adding to these concerns were July's consumer prices— excluding food and energy—which rose at the highest...

When it comes to retirement, some women face obstacles that can make saving for retirement a challenge. Women typically earn less than their male counterparts and often take time out of the workforce to care for children or other...

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), one of the most widely followed stock market indices, has made some key changes to its starting lineup. Salesforce.com, Amgen Inc., and Honeywell International Inc. have replaced Exxon Mobil...

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Key Provisions of the CARES Act Distributions can be waived in 2020 for Inherited Accounts, 401(k)s, and IRAs. Recently, the $2 trillion “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security” (“CARES”) Act was signed...

Investors are people, and people are often impatient. No one likes to wait in line or wait longer than they have to for something, especially today when so much is just a click or two away. This impatience also manifests itself in the...

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