The loss of your spouse or partner, no matter the reason, can turn your world upside down. You likely know someone who has shouldered the emotional burdens of this loss from a death, divorce, or other difficult circumstance. Perhaps she simultaneously inherited a money mess to untangle or endured a devastating financial hardship. I… Continue reading Why Wives Must Get Involved in the Family’s Money
Category: Financial Planning
Rising Rates Threaten Bond Funds. Consider These Alternatives.
Bond funds, including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), are popular because they have appealing features. But they do have some significant disadvantages. Bond funds are liquid and are less volatile than equity funds, and they typically pay monthly income. They come in many flavors, from the lowest-risk offerings like short-term US Treasury funds to… Continue reading Rising Rates Threaten Bond Funds. Consider These Alternatives.
Be Your Own Best Advisor: Learn These 6 Fundamentals for Wealth Management
There is no shortage of information someone can find on the internet, and that’s part of the problem for people trying to make the right investment decisions. There is an overabundance of information, so much that it can make your head spin. The solution to this information-overload issue isn’t always to hire a financial professional… Continue reading Be Your Own Best Advisor: Learn These 6 Fundamentals for Wealth Management
Could You Be Missing Out On Senior Discounts?
People who reach or near their retirement years often need to watch every penny. Sure, some of them are financially fit and don’t lose sleep worrying that their bank accounts and investments will run dry. For many, though, frugality is the watchword as they struggle to make it through each month. Fortunately, aging does come… Continue reading Could You Be Missing Out On Senior Discounts?
Annuities Offer Powerful Tax Advantages Plus Some Avoidable Pitfalls
Annuities are designed to build wealth and income for your retirement through tax deferral. Interest earned in a deferred annuity (the most popular type) is not taxed until withdrawn. Deferring taxes accelerates savings growth because interest compounds faster without withdrawals needed to pay taxes. Compounding occurs when interest is paid on previously earned interest. Most… Continue reading Annuities Offer Powerful Tax Advantages Plus Some Avoidable Pitfalls
Deferred Annuities’ Flexibility Provides Powerful Tax Advantages
Deferred annuities offer powerful tax advantages. While annuity tax rules aren’t too complex, understanding them and naming beneficiaries properly assures the maximum tax advantage. Annuity interest is not taxed until it’s withdrawn. With a deferred annuity, the owner decides when to withdraw interest and pay taxes on it. The flexibility to wait until you need… Continue reading Deferred Annuities’ Flexibility Provides Powerful Tax Advantages
Whether The Stock Market Soars or Sinks, Stay Cool
Market timing doesn’t work. Have a long-term plan and determine if you’re over- or underinvested in U.S. stocks, foreign stocks and bonds. By Anthony D. Criscuolo The stock market this past year has given investors both ecstasy and agony. It continues to provide object lessons. The first lesson: Don’t get overly excited when the market… Continue reading Whether The Stock Market Soars or Sinks, Stay Cool
Relax, Boomer Parents: Millennials Are More Financially Savvy Than You Think
Millennials came of age at a time when the job market was weak and their student-loan debt was high. Such a dreary combination did not bode well for a rosy financial future. But could it be, when all is said and done, that millennials will prove to be just as financially savvy as their baby… Continue reading Relax, Boomer Parents: Millennials Are More Financially Savvy Than You Think
Retirement Accounts and Your Tax Burden
They have been on the leading edge of nearly everything since the first of them were born in mid-1946. Now the earliest baby boomers are on the verge of another big moment – and it’s one that many of them might prefer to avoid. This year, the first baby boomers began turning 70½, which means… Continue reading Retirement Accounts and Your Tax Burden
How to Avoid Financial Fraud
Editor’s note: As we get older, having enough money becomes even more crucial for a number of reasons: to have a comfortable retirement and to be able to pay for health expenses and long-term care. Financial fraudsters prey on just those concerns, and trusting the wrong person can be catastrophic. Here, the Securities and Exchange… Continue reading How to Avoid Financial Fraud
Getting Financial Help for Diabetes Care
Whether you’ve just been diagnosed with diabetes, or have been managing the condition for a while, you know how expensive the health-care cost can be. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes has two fact sheets that can help: Financial Help for Diabetes Care and Financial… Continue reading Getting Financial Help for Diabetes Care
Don’t Have A Cookie-Cutter Retirement Plan
If you’re 10 years out from when you expect to retire, then now is the time to get serious about a retirement plan, says Kirk Cassidy, a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) who emphasizes the importance of the holistic approach to personal finances. “No matter what stage you’re in, there’s never a bad time to take… Continue reading Don’t Have A Cookie-Cutter Retirement Plan
What If Your Retirement Money Hits Bottom?
Wall Street hasn’t been for the faint of heart lately. Jittery investors saw the volatile market play havoc with investment portfolios. But while the ups and downs may have created anguish for some, financial planner Bryan S. Slovon says he fielded few if any calls from nervous clients. And that’s the way it should be… Continue reading What If Your Retirement Money Hits Bottom?
Eight Out of 10 People Don’t Know How Much They’ll Need for Retirement
Nearly 80 per cent of workers underestimate how much they will need to save for their retirement, according to new research. Carried out by deVere Group, one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organizations, the study found that 78 per cent of all new, working age clients did not realize how much money they… Continue reading Eight Out of 10 People Don’t Know How Much They’ll Need for Retirement