Category: Financial Planning

  • Plans to consider

    By Alexis Kobin A majority of American adults die without writing down their most basic desires for what is to happen when they pass on, according to estate planners. I am 29, and the idea of writing a will seemed pointless at this stage, until the birth of my son. He’s been my catalyst for…

  • Designating your beneficiaries

    By Isabelle Denton Just as it is important to be sure that you are allocated appropriately given market conditions and your risk tolerance, you need to know how your money will be passed to your heirs and that it is aligned with the rest of your estate plans. […]

  • Mutual funds to diversify portfolios

    Asset allocation accounts for the bulk of the long-term performance of investment portfolios. For the same reason you don’t put all your eggs in the same basket, successful investors rely on an array of investments. As Marc Amateis explains in a MONEY TALK VIDEO, mutual funds can help make it easier to diversify a portfolio.…

  • Counting on rainy days

    By Joel Dresang A longstanding rule of thumb has been to keep a rainy day fund of three- to six months’ worth of living expenses saved in safe, accessible accounts […]

  • Getting in form for filing

    By Lindsay Whaleysmith It is that season when year-end documents can overwhelm you, and you wonder what to stash in a folder until tax time. To provide some clarity and to better prepare you for tax preparation, here is a guide to some of the forms you may find as you sort your mail.

  • Year-end IRA tidying

    The end of the year is a good time for wise investors to take the opportunity to review, among other things, their retirement accounts. To help you consider what to do about your IRAs (Individual Retirement Arrangements), Debi Rybicki answered some frequently asked questions.

  • College Finance

    Some common vehicles for helping cover higher education costs: Coverdell Accounts Tax-deferred investment growth for education expenses Pros – Can be used for K-12 costs too, wide investment choices Cons – non-deductible contributions limited to $2,000 a year, restricted to income limits ($110,000 for a single tax filer; $220,000 for a married couple in 2015)…

  • Knowing The Number

    Planning leads to confidence, which breeds success. I like to keep it simple and focus on only the key variables.

  • Rolling over retirement plans

    By Kyle Tetting It is no secret that today’s workers overall are not staying with their employers as long as they used to. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median tenure for workers in 2012 was 4.6 years. With all that moving around, many investors leave behind their employer-sponsored retirement plan.  While it is…