Articles

Estates & Trusts

• What Key Estate Planning Tools Should I Know About?

  Wills and trusts allow you to spell out how you would like your property distributed, but they also go beyond that.

• How Can I Benefit from a Charitable Remainder Trust?

  A designated income beneficiary could receive payment of a specified amount from a charitable remainder trust.

Retirement

• What Is a SEP IRA?

  A SEP IRA is a type of plan under which the employer contributes (up to a certain limit) to an employee’s IRA.

• What Is a SIMPLE?

  The SIMPLE plan may appeal to small business owners as it is easy to set up, administer, and allows for a tax deduction.

• What Is an IRA Rollover?

  If you leave a job or retire, you should consider your options regarding your employer retirement plan assets.

• How Much Do I Need to Save?

  Many realize it’s important to save for retirement, but knowing exactly how much to save is another issue altogether.

• What Does the Changing Pension Landscape Mean for Retirement?

  With the changing pension landscape, it is important to take charge of your own retirement security.

• Unforgettable Birthdays

  There are key dates after you turn 59½ that can impact your taxes, Medicare eligibility, and retirement benefits.

• What Are My Retirement Planning Options?

  There are a variety of retirement planning options that could help meet your needs. Here are some of the most popular.

• Will Social Security Retire Before You Do?

  Greater demand is being placed on the Social Security system as the baby boom generation has begun to retire.

• How Can I Estimate My Future Social Security Benefits?

  The Social Security Administration’s retirement estimator gives estimates of your future benefits based on your actual Social Security earnings record.

• What Is a Self-Employed Retirement Plan?

  Tax-deferred retirement plans for self-employed individuals have higher contribution limits than IRAs.

• What Are My Retirement Plan Distribution Options?

  When receiving money accumulated in your employer-sponsored retirement plan, you have two options: lump sum or annuity.

• What Is a Traditional IRA?

  If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might consider a traditional IRA.

• What Is a 401(k) Plan?

  401(k) employer-sponsored retirement plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.

• Save Now or Save Later?

  If you start saving for retirement sooner, the more money you are likely to accumulate and possibly retire sooner.

• What Is a Roth IRA?

  Qualified Roth IRA distributions in retirement are free of federal income tax and aren’t included in gross income.

Tax Planning

• What Is the Estate Tax?

  Everything you own, whatever the form of ownership, is subject to federal, and possibly state, estate taxes.

• How Much Money Can I Put Into My IRA or Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan?

  IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to annual contribution limits set by the federal government.

• What Is a Required Minimum Distribution?

  Required minimum distribution is the annual amount that must be withdrawn from a qualified retirement plan/account.

• What Happens If I Withdraw Money from My Tax-Deferred Investments Before Age 59½

  Tax-deferred retirement account withdrawals before age 59½ generally triggers a 10% federal income tax penalty.

• What Is Tax Deferral?

  There can be a substantial benefit to deferring taxes as long as possible.

• Is There Such a Thing as a Tax-Free Investment?

  It's important to understand tax-exempt vehicles when establishing a comprehensive tax planning strategy.

• How Can I Keep More of My Mutual Fund Profits?

  Want to keep more of your mutual fund profits? You may be interested in strategies to help lower your tax liability.

Investing

• What Is a Bond Ladder?

  A bond ladder is a strategy involving the purchase of bonds that have staggered maturity dates.

• How Are Common and Preferred Stocks Different?

  It's important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of common stock versus preferred stock.

• How Are Growth and Value Stocks Different?

  The labels growth and value reflect different approaches that can be used when making investment decisions.

• What Is Stock?

  Before investing in stocks, it is important to understand some of the basics and the risks involved in owning stocks.

• What Is Diversification?

  An important element to successful investing is to manage investment risk while maintaining the potential for growth.

• What Is a Bond?

  A bond is simply evidence of a debt from a government entity or a corporation and represents a long-term IOU.

• What Is a Stock Index?

  Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.

• How Do Mutual Funds and Stocks Differ?

  The difference between purchasing an individual stock versus shares in a mutual fund to potentially earn dividends.

• What Is a Mutual Fund?

  A mutual fund is a collection of stocks, bonds, and other securities with certain benefits and risks.

• What Is a Closed-End Fund?

  With closed-end funds, investors pool their money together to purchase a professionally managed portfolio of stocks and/or bonds.

• What Is an Annuity?

  An annuity is a flexible financial vehicle that can help protect against the risk of living a long time because it provides an option for a lifetime income.

• What Are the Different Classes of Assets?

  There are five broad asset classes that you should take into consideration when constructing your investment portfolio.

• What Is Asset Allocation?

  Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.

• What Is Dollar-Cost Averaging?

  Dollar-cost averaging involves investing a set amount of money on a regular basis, regardless of market conditions.

Cash Management

• How Long Will It Take to Double My Money?

  Before making investment decisions, it is helpful to determine the real rate of return on the investment.

• How Do Money Market Mutual Funds Work?

  Money market funds can be a highly liquid and effective cash management tool.

• How Can I Better Manage My Short-Term Cash?

  There are numerous investment alternatives available to help provide liquidity.

• What Is a Reverse Mortgage?

  There are techniques that can enable older homeowners to use their property to finance their lifestyle.

• What About Financial Aid for College?

  It's important to understand the options, such as financial aid grant programs, when having to pay for college.

• How Does Inflation Affect Me?

  Historically, one of the best ways to fight the effects of inflation has been to utilize growth-oriented investments.

Risk Management

• Why Are Annuities Considered an Insurance Product?

  An annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company to pay you future income in exchange for premiums you pay.

• What Is Last-Survivor Life Insurance?

  Couples who want to help protect their legacy from estate taxes could consider last-survivor life insurance.

• What Is Disability Income Insurance for Business Owners?

  As a business owner, a disability can create an economic hardship putting both your personal finances and business at risk.

• What Is Term Life Insurance?

  Term life insurance differs from permanent forms of life insurance in that it offers temporary protection.

• What Is Whole Life Insurance?

  Some of the pros and cons of whole life insurance.

• What Is Universal Life Insurance?

  Consider a universal life insurance policy if you want the flexibility to change your premium or death benefit.

• What Are the Main Types of Auto Insurance?

  Even if your state doesn’t require certain types of auto insurance, it may be wise to purchase multiple types to ensure you are covered for a variety of situations.

• What Types of Health Coverage Are Available?

  There are three basic types of medical insurance plans: fee-for-service, managed care, and high-deductible health plan.

• What Is the Difference Between an HMO and a PPO?

  Selecting health insurance is often one of the most important decisions you will make. Do you know the different types?

• Am I Prepared for Long-Term Care Expenses?

  The odds of needing long-term care increase as you age. Prior planning can help protect you from financial ruin.