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Friday, February 18, 2022

Monday, November 15, 2021

TIPS for Inflation In February 2018, Jerome Powell was appointed as Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. He became the 16th chair to take over the helm of the world’s most influential central bank. Among...

Friday, October 1, 2021

Investment Challenges of the Affluent Investor High net worth investors face investment challenges that some would consider unique to their financial status. The fundamental tenets of investing apply equally to them as with any other...

Saturday, August 14, 2021

What Is Inflation—And Why Is Everyone Talking About It? What is inflation, and is it something to worry about? A lot of the thinking surrounding inflation has changed over the years, and economists disagree on what causes it and...

Friday, July 16, 2021

Retirement Seen Through Your Eyes I thought the following thoughts where worth sharing relative to current or upcoming retirement. How do you picture your future? Some see retirement as a time to start a new career. Others see it as a...

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Friday, July 9, 2021

How the Federal Reserve Works Have you ever taken a close look at paper money? Each U.S. bill has the words “Federal Reserve Note” imprinted across the top. But many individuals may not know why the bill is issued by the...

Friday, May 7, 2021

What Kids Baseball Teaches Me About Investing: I watched my eight-year-old grandson’s baseball game last night. All the kids had on a game face and were focused during the first few innings. They then scored several runs and...

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

If you're looking for an investment-income source, you may want to consider adding dividend-paying stocks to your portfolio. They may be especially appealing to retirees or investors who aren't comfortable with a lot of risk. Going...

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Tax identity theft is when someone steals your Social Security Number, files a tax return with your number, and directs a refund to their own bank account. In other cases, this type of identity theft may involve a scam artist calling...

Friday, February 12, 2021

If you are one of the 90% of taxpayers who don't itemize deductions, you cannot claim a federal deduction for charitable donations. To get past this issue, some people lump their charitable gifts together. Wondering how to claim a...

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Entrepreneurs know that even the smallest of small businesses can be expensive to operate. In many cases, obtaining private equity through an "angel investor" or another source of business capital can help a nascent business grow into...

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Use your best comparison-shopping skills when choosing a financial advisor Many financially successful people are comparison shoppers. If you’re one, you pore over ratings in consumer magazines, read websites for reviews and...

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

To maximize your savings, understand your options — if any — for your retirement plan when you switch jobs. Changing jobs can impact your retirement plan. To minimize disruptions to your contributions and the vested portion...

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

In the past, boomers and generation Xers often held on to jobs for 10 or more years. Some professionals stayed with the same company for most of their working lives. The Great Recession changed this for many. Now, people have become...

Monday, January 4, 2021

After months of intense debate, the House and Senate voted to pass a second COVID-19 economic stimulus bill and the President has signed it into law.1 At a total cost of $900 billion, this 5,600-page bill[1] contains everything from...

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Many self-improvement goals focus on stability and personal growth — and financial goals are often no different. From buying your first home to saving for retirement, planning your finances can also help you work toward your...

Thursday, November 19, 2020

What are appropriate checklists for year-end tax planning? Tax planners often develop checklists to guide taxpayers toward year-end strategies that might help reduce taxes. Typically, suggestions are grouped into several different...

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

The holiday season is just around the corner and many charitable organizations are in desperate need of donations to help provide the vital services needed in the community. You are most often inundated with a number of charitable...

Thursday, November 5, 2020

By the last third of the calendar year, you're likely to have a pretty good idea of what your annual income will be and whether any major expenses or big life changes await you. This can allow you to engage in more robust tax planning,...

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

As you get older and closer to retirement, your financial practices need to shift slightly as you transition from working and saving to relying on your nest egg. As you approach this stage of your life, you need to take steps to...

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

For many Americans, navigating the maze of health insurance options—from employer-based plans to individual policies—can be dizzying. Much of that changes at 65. That’s when individuals generally are eligible for...

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Elections can move the market, but that doesn’t mean you should change your approach Like any big news event, U.S. presidential elections can cause ripples and even waves in the stock market. In November 2016, for example, Donald...

Friday, September 25, 2020

When it comes to retirement savings, the goal is quite simple for most. To accumulate as much wealth as possible so that they are able to retire in comfort and style, while they enjoy the fruits of years of labor. For those with a...

Thursday, September 17, 2020

When you retire, you’ll likely draw your income from several sources—such as retirement accounts, taxable investment accounts, and Social Security Benefits. Each of these sources is taxed according to its own rules. So, in...

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Today's low interest rates are a far cry from the double-digit rates seen in the 1970s and 1980s when even a certificate of deposit (CD) could yield up to 20 percent per year.1 But there are some distinct advantages to a...

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Each generation comes of age during different economic circumstances, and this can have a major impact on their later money habits. Financial professionals have identified some investing tips for certain generations that can help make...

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Leaving a Legacy You've worked hard over the years to accumulate wealth, and you probably find it comforting to know that after your death the assets you leave behind will continue to be a source of support for your family, friends,...

Friday, August 21, 2020

When you die, what will happen to your retirement plan benefits? In general, your retirement plan benefits pass to the beneficiaries you designate on the plan beneficiary designation form. Your benefits will generally be subject to...

Thursday, August 20, 2020

After years of investing for retirement and other goals, you may have accumulated a substantial portfolio. If you're approaching or already enjoying retirement, there are important steps that you can take to help ensure that your...

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Diversification is a basic concept that's critical to building a portfolio able to withstand the test of time. It is the process of spreading your money among a variety of securities to reduce exposure to any one investment or asset...

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Assigning Your Money to "Buckets" Many investors who are getting closer to retirement may worry about the impact of a sudden stock market drop. But while it's important to protect some funds from major market moves once you've left...

Thursday, August 6, 2020

If you've been diligently saving for your retirement, you may often find yourself wondering when you can afford to set an official retirement date. The answer to this question can often depend on how much monthly or annual income your...

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Non-qualified deferred compensation plans (NQDCs) allow an employee to earn wages compensation, and bonuses in one year while deferring the income tax payment on them to be settled in a later year.1 Pros of Contributing to an NQDC As...

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Social Security is the bedrock of Americans’ retirement income security. So you may have been concerned by the news that the federal government needed to dip into the Social Security’s trust fund to pay for the program this...

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Financial goals are essential. Setting them will help you to obtain the things you want out of life as well as live the lifestyle you desire, both during your working years and in your retirement. But obtaining these goals isn't always...

Friday, July 10, 2020

The combination of investments you choose is as important as the individual investments themselves. In fact, many experts argue that it's even more important, since the mix of various types of investments accounts for most of the ups...

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

New guidelines for retirement loans and distributions due to COVID-19 On June 19, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service announced new guidelines to help those affected by COVID-19 gain more access to retirement plan distributions and...

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Will dividends go the way of the Dodo Bird or the Small Elephants of Java? The COVID-19 crisis has forced companies around the world to suspend dividend payouts to their investors. In fact, through the first quarter of 2020 alone, over...

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Strategies for saving in your 50s Many retirees today are redefining the “golden years.” Forget about endless days of leisure. Retirees seek adventure, travel, and new business pursuits. While these changes may redefine...

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

How resourceful can you be during your retirement? Determining where your retirement money will come from is an integral part of planning for retirement. Most people draw on three main sources of income: Social Security,...

Thursday, May 28, 2020

In late March 2020, as the number of novel coronavirus cases in the U.S. surged past 100,000, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed into law.1 The CARES Act provides around $2.2 trillion in aid to...

Thursday, May 21, 2020

In an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the government has shut down numerous businesses throughout the country, and others have drastically cut hours. As a result, over 10 million workers filed for unemployment in March...