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What’s on our mind? You can read about it in our blog. Whether it’s ideas from the industry or emerging trends, you can read about it here. And once in a while, we may throw in a movie review or some other surprise. So keep checking in. We’re glad to have you reading along. 

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Stocks showed mixed results last week as recession fears resurfaced in response to weak economic data and a tepid start to a new corporate earnings season.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average skidded 2.70%, while the Standard &...

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Stocks rallied last week thanks to fresh confirmation of inflation’s cooling trend and growing optimism that an inflation slowdown may provide the Fed with space to ease up on future rate hikes.The Dow Jones Industrial Average...

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 3 MIN Three Key Questions to Answer Before Taking Social Security Social Security is a critical component of the retirement financial strategy for many Americans, so before you begin taking it, you should consider...

Monday, December 20, 2021

INSURANCEREAD TIME: 2 MIN Does Your Credit Score Affect Your Insurance Rates? One landmark study found that credit-based insurance scores are used by about 95 percent of all auto and home insurers in calculating the cost of insurance...

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

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Friday, December 10, 2021

TAXREAD TIME: 3 MIN What If You Get Audited? “Audit” is a word that can strike fear into the hearts of taxpayers. However, the chances of an Internal Revenue Service audit aren’t that high. Between 2010 and 2018, the...

Sunday, December 5, 2021

INSURANCEREAD TIME: 2 MIN The Most Overlooked Item of Any Home Improvement If you are like most homeowners, you love selecting the fixtures, fabrics, and paint colors of your home improvement project. But there is one very important...

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

ESTATEREAD TIME: 4 MIN Estate Management Checklist Do you have a will? A will enables you to specify who you want to inherit your property and other assets. A will also enables you to name a guardian for your minor children. Do you...

Saturday, November 27, 2021

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 4 MIN Catch-Up Contributions A recent survey found that 23% of people were very confident about having enough money to live comfortably through their retirement years. At the same time, 33% were not confident.1...

Monday, November 22, 2021

Friday, November 19, 2021

Preparing for retirement just got a little more financial wiggle room. Thisweek, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced new contributionlimits for 2022. Staying put for 2022 are traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)...

Monday, November 15, 2021

INSURANCEREAD TIME: 2 MIN The ABC’s of Auto Insurance The questions around auto insurance center not so much on whether to have it—it’s mandated by state law, required by your lender, and serves to protect your...

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 3 MIN Should You Borrow from Your 401(k)? The average household with credit card debt had a balance of $7,149 in 2020. For the average household carrying credit card debt as of September 2020, this equates to an...

Saturday, November 6, 2021

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 2 MIN Social Security Benefits: How Much Will I Receive Next to “When should I claim Social Security benefits?”, one of the more common questions people have is “How much will I receive?”...

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

INSURANCEREAD TIME: 4 MIN Preparing for the Expected As Teddy Roosevelt once observed, “Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you've got to start young.”1 The challenges seniors have met throughout their...

Monday, October 25, 2021

ESTATEREAD TIME: 4 MIN Problems with Probate Many of us hope to leave something behind for our loved ones when we pass away. But the probate process is complex. To understand how to better manage potential probate fees, let’s...

Thursday, October 21, 2021

ESTATEREAD TIME: 3 MIN Managing an Inheritance 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...

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

INSURANCEREAD TIME: 4 MIN Assess Life Insurance Needs 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...

Saturday, October 2, 2021

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 4 MIN Retirement Seen Through Your Eyes How do you picture your future? Some see retirement as a time to start a new career. Others see it as a time to travel. Still others plan to spend more time with family and...

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Your Emergency Fund: How Much Is Enough? Have you ever had one of those months? The water heater stops heating, the dishwasher stops washing, and your family ends up on a first-name basis with the nurse at urgent care. Then, as...

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Elder Care They may not admit it, but as your parents age they might need your financial help.

Sunday, June 6, 2021

Nuts and Bolts: How to Roll Over Your Employer Retirement Plan There are two types of rollovers: direct and indirect. A direct rollover is paid from your plan directly to your IRA or to your new employer’s retirement plan. The...

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

MONEYREAD TIME: 3 MIN Strategies For Managing Student Loan Debt If college were a party, then student loans are the hangover. Unfortunately, the “hair of the dog” won't cure this headache, but here are some ideas for...

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

INVESTMENTREAD TIME: 4 MIN Estimating the Cost of College Tip: Public Costs. Average in–state tuition and fees for public four-year institutions was $9,970 for the 2017-2018 school year. Out-of-state tuition for these same...

Friday, May 21, 2021

READ TIME: 3 MIN A Cheat Sheet for Sending Your Kid to College College marks a great milestone in a child’s life. It may be the first time he or she will live away from home. Dropping off your child at college may be an...

Sunday, May 16, 2021

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 4 MIN Choosing a Retirement Plan that Fits Your Business One survey found that 79% of small business owners expect at least some of their retirement income to come from tax-advantaged retirement savings accounts.1...

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

READ TIME: 4 MIN Disability and Your Finances The Social Security Disability Insurance program is projected to pay out approximately $133 billion in benefits in 2020. And with new applicants each year, the system is expected to exhaust...

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 5 MIN What Is a Roth 401(k)? While many people are familiar with the benefits of traditional 401(k) plans, others are not as acquainted with Roth 401(k)s. Since January 1, 2006, employers have been allowed to...

Friday, April 23, 2021

INVESTMENTREAD TIME: 3 MIN The Great Debate Continues: Active vs. Passive Whether it’s sports, music, or politics, life holds any number of “great debates”– debates that never seem to reach a conclusion. In...

Sunday, April 18, 2021

CREDIT AND DEBT Understanding the ways credit and debt work for and against you are some of the first steps toward understanding personal finance. While it’s not useful to be scared of credit and debt and avoid it entirely,...

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 8 MIN Social Security: Five Facts You Need to Know Social Security can be complicated, and as a result many individuals don’t have a full understanding of the choices they may have. Here are five facts about...

Thursday, April 8, 2021

TAXREAD TIME: 3 MIN Tax Rules When Selling Your Home How the gains from the sale of a primary residence are taxed has changed in recent years. If you have recently sold your home, or are considering doing so, you may want to be aware...

Saturday, April 3, 2021

LIFESTYLEREAD TIME: 3 MIN Debt Stress The average American owes $51,900 in debt. Of that $51,900, $35,660 is from mortgage debt, $5,610 is from student loans, and $4,760 is from auto loans.1 Little wonder that money worries can be a...

Monday, March 29, 2021

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 3 MIN Is a SEP-IRA Right for Your Business? If you're like many small business owners, running your own business is an all-consuming endeavor. In the face of everyday demands, choosing a retirement strategy for...

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

MONEYREAD TIME: 2 MIN How Does Your Credit Score Compare? Your credit score is simply a statistical estimation of how likely you are to pay your debts and, by extension, how much credit you should have. Everyone is different –...

Friday, March 19, 2021

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 4 MIN Traditional vs. Roth IRA Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), which were created in 1974, are owned by roughly 46.4 million U.S. households. And Roth IRAs, created as part of the Taxpayer Relief...

Sunday, March 14, 2021

ESTATEREAD TIME: 3 MIN Critical Estate Documents Financial Documents Joint Ownership Durable Power of Attorney Living Trust What does it do? Enables you to own property jointly with another person Authorizes someone to handle legal and...

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 4 MIN Catch-Up Contributions A recent survey found that 23% of people were very confident about having enough money to live comfortably through their retirement years. At the same time, 33% were not confident.1...

Thursday, March 4, 2021

MONEYREAD TIME: 3 MIN Budget Check Up: Tax Time Is the Right Time Every year, about 140 million households file their federal tax returns.1 For many, the process involves digging through shoe boxes or manila folders full of receipts;...

Saturday, February 27, 2021

LIFESTYLEREAD TIME: 3 MIN Healthy Body, Healthy Pocketbook Many people have a clear vision of what their ideal retirement looks like. Some desire vacation homes in tropical destinations, while others plan to spend quality time with...

Monday, February 22, 2021

ESTATEREAD TIME: 3 MIN Revising Estate Strategy Assumptions When the rules of the game change, tactics should follow in response to the new landscape. While estate tax exemptions have ridden an uncertain roller coaster in recent years,...

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

MONEY What you need to know about side hustles Do you want to earn some extra money doing what you enjoy on your own time? Consider pursuing a side hustle, which can be defined as any type of work undertaken in addition to a full-time...

Friday, February 12, 2021

INVESTMENTREAD TIME: 3 MIN Don’t Be Your Own Worst Enemy One of the most well-known investors of the 20th Century, Benjamin Graham, said that “the investor’s chief problem—and even his worst enemy—is...

Sunday, February 7, 2021

INSURANCEREAD TIME: 4 MIN Disability and Your Finances The Social Security Disability Insurance program is projected to pay out approximately $133 billion in benefits in 2020. And with new applicants each year, the system is expected...

Monday, February 1, 2021

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 4 MIN Traditional vs. Roth IRA Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), which were created in 1974, are owned by roughly 46.4 million U.S. households. And Roth IRAs, created as part of the Taxpayer Relief...

Thursday, January 28, 2021

READ TIME: 3 MIN A Penny Saved is Two Pennies Earned The famous saying from Poor Richard’s Almanack is frequently misquoted. It was published by founder Benjamin Franklin in 1737: “A penny saved is two pence clear.”...

Saturday, January 23, 2021

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 4 MIN Eight Mistakes That Can Upend Your Retirement Pursuing your retirement dreams is challenging enough without making some common, and very avoidable, mistakes. Here are eight big mistakes to steer clear of, if...

Monday, January 18, 2021

INSURANCEREAD TIME: 3 MIN A Look at Whole Life Insurance Whole life insurance is designed to remain in force for your whole life, as long as you remain current with your premiums. In exchange for fixed premiums, the insurance company...

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

READ TIME: 5 MIN 4 Reasons for the Return of Market Volatility Until early 2018, stocks were enjoying their longest period without a five percent pullback in nearly 90 years.1,2 But in early February, that calm came to a sudden and...

Friday, January 8, 2021

TAXREAD TIME: 3 MIN “Dirty Dozen” Tax Scams to Watch For Every year the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) releases its list of tax scams, spotlighting the myriad ways that people try to separate you from your money.¹ The...

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

New Year's Resolutions: Making it a Habit Year over year we hear people making New Year's Resolutions and then several weeks or a month later ditch them for a multitude of reasons. It is estimated that almost half of American Adults...

Thursday, December 24, 2020

LIFESTYLEREAD TIME: 3 MIN Retiring Wild: National Parks and You For many older adults, finding time to experience nature can be one of the greatest pleasures in retirement. And what better place to take in America's splendor than one...

Saturday, December 19, 2020

INSURANCEREAD TIME: 4 MIN The Basics of Medicare Medicare is the federal government program that provides health care coverage (health insurance) if you are 65+, under 65 and receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for a...

Monday, December 14, 2020

Holiday Season: To Travel or Not Travel... There is a lot going on the in world today and there are recommendation everywhere for whether or not your should travel and if you do, what you are suppose to do. Travelling during the...

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

MONEYREAD TIME: 3 MIN Weighing the Benefits of Prepaid Debit Cards Many Americans use some sort of prepaid debit cards, for a wide variety of reasons. Some prefer them for their versatility and the ability to use them for everything...

Friday, December 4, 2020

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 2 MIN How Retirement Spending Changes With Time New retirees sometimes worry that they are spending too much, too soon. Should they scale back? Are they at risk of outliving their money? This concern may be...

Sunday, November 29, 2020

Alzheimer's, Long-term Care, and More November is Alzheimer Disease Awareness Month. In order to acknowledge and provide support, it is imperative that we understand what Alzheimer's Disease is and how it can affect the need for...

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Problems with Probate Many of us hope to leave something behind for our loved ones when we pass away. But the probate process is complex. To understand how to better manage potential probate fees, let’s explore what probate is...

Saturday, November 14, 2020

What to Look for in a Long-Term Care Policy Long-term care coverage can be complex. Here’s a list of questions to ask that may help you better understand the costs and benefits of these policies. What types of facilities are...

Monday, November 9, 2020

Long-Term Care Needs There are basically two approaches when considering your long-term care needs: self-insure or purchase long-term care insurance. Use this calculator to determine your potential long-term care needs and how long...

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Elder Care They may not admit it, but as your parents age they might need your financial help. Give us a call to discuss how we can help you navigate all these areas and how we can help.

Friday, October 30, 2020

In a year where vacationing has been nearly impossible due to shut down and restrictions - having a staycation can be both beneficial to your and your budget. You have worked hard to meet your financial goals and maybe seen some...

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Do you know your net worth? There are lots of calculators online or software that can help you calculate your personal net worth, but to really get the most out of your numbers, you should calculate it yourself. in order to calculate...

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

RETIREMENTREAD TIME: 3 MIN Retirement Realities Expectations vs. Reality Predicting exactly what your retirement will be like is about as possible as a meteorologist predicting the weather correctly every single time. In fact, few...

Thursday, October 15, 2020

RETIREMENT 3 plans every Gen Xer needs to consider before they turn 50 It’s not your imagination Generation X — the heat is being turned up with every candle added to your birthday cake. Let’s face it: reaching the...

Saturday, October 10, 2020

How Long Will Systematic Withdrawals Last? You have worked hard to accumulate your savings. Use this calculator to determine how long those funds may potentially last given regular withdrawals. Savings Current savings balance ($)...

Monday, October 5, 2020

INSURANCE Comparing Health Insurance Plans Comparing Health Insurance Plans Perhaps you're starting a new job or trying to integrate employee benefits with your new spouse. Or maybe you're shopping for individual health insurance...

Monday, September 28, 2020

Catch-Up Contributions A recent survey found that 23% of people were very confident about having enough money to live comfortably through their retirement years. At the same time, 33% were not confident.1 Congress in 2001 passed a law...

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

A Bucket Plan to Go with Your Bucket List John and Mary are nearing retirement and they have a lot of items on their bucket list. Longer life expectancies mean John and Mary may need to prepare for two or even three decades of...

Friday, September 18, 2020

INSURANCE READ TIME: 4 MIN Assess Life Insurance Needs 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...

Sunday, September 13, 2020

READ TIME: 3 MIN A Look at Whole Life Insurance Whole life insurance is designed to remain in force for your whole life, as long as you remain current with your premiums. In exchange for fixed premiums, the insurance company promises...

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

MONEY Tips for Creating a Budget and Sticking to It Creating – and sticking to – a budget is a common problem for many individuals. After paying expenses, such as your mortgage, utilities, and credit card bills, you may...

Thursday, September 3, 2020

READ TIME: 3 MIN Put It in a Letter American actor Lee Marvin once said, “As soon as people see my face on a movie screen, they knew two things: first, I'm not going to get the girl, and second, I'll get a cheap funeral before...

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Sunday Sept. 6, 2020 is National Read a book day! Click the link below to hear Sara's Daughter - Hanna read a book! Read a book Enjoy

Saturday, August 29, 2020

Financial Aid for Students 101 Preparing for college while still in high school can be difficult for even the most academically minded student. These days, you need to excel in the classroom, make sure you’re involved in...

Monday, August 24, 2020

And the Executor Is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger is famous for more than just his time on the bench. When he died in 1995, he left a 176-word will that gave no specific power to his executors.1 As a result, he reportedly...

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Coverdell Education Savings Account (Coverdell ESA) Last week we discussed 529 Plans as one of the education savings vehicles, so today we want to discuss the Coverdell Education Savings Account (Coverdell ESA) as another way to save...

Friday, August 14, 2020

Avoiding Cognitive Decline Of those aged 65 and older, 10 to 20 percent have mild cognitive impairment. In addition, women have a 1 in 6 chance — and men have a 1 in 11 chance — of developing Alzheimer’s during the...

Sunday, August 9, 2020

529 Savings Plans 529 savings plans are tax-advantaged education savings vehicles and one of the most popular ways to save for college today. They can also be used to save for K-12 tuition. Much like the way 401(k) plans changed the...

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

A Cheat Sheet for Sending Your Kid to College College marks a great milestone in a child’s life. It may be the first time he or she will live away from home. Dropping off your child at college may be an experience loaded with...

Thursday, July 30, 2020

MONEY Pay Yourself First Each month, you settle down to pay bills. You pay your mortgage lender. You pay the electric company. You pay the trash collector. But do you pay yourself? One of the most-basic tenets of sound investing...

Saturday, July 25, 2020

ESTATE Trends in Charitable Giving According to Giving USA 2020, Americans gave an estimated $449.64 billion to charity in 2019. That’s one of the highest totals in more than 60 years since the report was first published.1...

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

RETIREMENT Healthcare Costs in Retirement In a 2020 survey, 36% of all workers reported they were either “not too” or “not at all” confident that they would have enough money to pay for their medical expenses in...

Friday, July 10, 2020

LIFESTYLE A House Divided The latest research suggests that divorce rates in the U.S. have been falling in recent decades. Still, many people face the difficult crossroads that comes when their marriage ends.1 Getting a divorce is a...

Sunday, July 5, 2020

RETIREMENT Important Birthdays Over 50 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...

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

All Muni Bonds Are Not Created Equal The city of Detroit emerged from bankruptcy in 2014. Still, its previous inability to pay investors left some questioning their long-held assumption about the relative safety of municipal bonds....

Thursday, June 25, 2020

The Junk Drawer Approach to Investing It's easy to let investments accumulate like old receipts in a junk drawer.

Saturday, June 20, 2020

Prevent a Rift: Money Tips for Newlyweds Research suggests that 70% of married millennial couples argue about financial decisions more than any other topic. This could explain why some experts say financial problems are one of the top...

Monday, June 15, 2020

Password Protection Strategies We all know that the more complicated a password is, the better. They should include a mixture of numbers, punctuation marks and symbols, and upper- and lower-case letters. Or should they? Recent research...

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Global vs. International: What’s The Difference? With international stock markets comprising about 45.5 percent of the world’s capitalization, a broad range of investment opportunities exist outside the borders of the U.S.1...

Friday, June 5, 2020

Coping with Identity Theft In general Whether they're snatching your purse, diving into your dumpster, stealing your mail, or hacking into your computer, they're out to get you. Who are they? Identity thieves.Identity thieves can empty...

Sunday, May 31, 2020

Debt Stress The average American household with debt owes $132,158. And credit card debt accounts for $15,675 of that.¹ Little wonder that money worries are a major cause of stress. The Link Between Stress and Health Humans have...

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Filing Final Tax Returns for the Deceased When a family member passes away, there are many decisions that need to be made and many emotions to handle. The last thing anyone thinks about is taxes. Unfortunately, even the deceased...

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Asset Allocation Let’s meet to create a risk tolerance profile and an investment portfolio that supports your goals. Call me.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

5 Benefits of Working in Retirement In the past, retirement has been portrayed as an ending, a grand exit from your years in the workplace. But the rules are shifting. Labor force participation among those aged 65-74 is predicted to...

Friday, May 15, 2020

How Women Can Prepare For Retirement When our parents retired, living to 75 amounted to a nice long life, and Social Security was often supplemented by a pension. The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that today’s...

Monday, May 11, 2020

Mortgages in Retirement Anyone who has gone through the process of mapping out their retirement knows there can be a lot to keep in mind. Saving, investing, anticipating medical costs, and making sure you have enough tucked away for...

Thursday, May 7, 2020

The Cycle of Investing Understanding the cycle of investing may help you avoid easy pitfalls.

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Your Emergency Fund: How Much Is Enough? Have you ever had one of those months? The water heater stops heating, the dishwasher stops washing, and your family ends up on a first-name basis with the nurse at urgent care. Then, as...

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Assess Life Insurance Needs 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...

Friday, April 24, 2020

Coping with Market Volatility: Avoid Rash Decisions If you've been watching the market lately, perhaps the first question on your mind is, "Should I make a big change in my investments?" In reality, a volatile market isn't the best...

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Pullbacks, Corrections, and Bear Markets The COVID-19 outbreak has put tremendous pressure on stock prices, prompting some investors to blindly and indiscriminately sell positions at a time when the entire market is trending lower....

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Lesser Known Provisions of the SECURE Act The SECURE Act passed into law in late 2019 and changed several aspects of retirement investing. These modifications included modifying the ability to stretch an Individual Retirement Account...

Friday, April 10, 2020

Nuts and Bolts: How to Roll Over Your Employer Retirement Plan There are two types of rollovers: direct and indirect. A direct rollover is paid from your plan directly to your IRA or to your new employer’s retirement plan. The...

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Coronavirus Concerns? Consider Past Health Crises During the last week of February 2020, the S&P 500 lost 11.49% — the worst week for stocks since the 2008 financial crisis — only to jump by 4.6% on the first Monday in...

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Good Health is Good Business According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, productivity losses linked to employees not showing up for work cost employers $226 billion annually, or $1,685 per worker.¹ Business owners...

Friday, March 27, 2020

Do you have a will? A will enables you to specify who you want to inherit your property and other assets. A will also enables you to name a guardian for your minor children. Do you have healthcare documents in place? Healthcare...

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Doubling Your Money Compound interest can have a dramatic affect on the growth of a single deposit. By dividing 72 by your investment return you can estimate the amount of time it may take for your money to be worth about twice as...

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Elder Care They may not admit it, but as your parents age they might need your financial help.

Friday, March 13, 2020

What has upswings and downturns, troughs, peaks, and plateaus? Though such terms could easily describe a roller coaster ride, they are also commonly used to describe the business cycle. The business cycle – also known as the...

Sunday, March 8, 2020

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality. The 2020 International Women's Day theme is...

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

The SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act) is major legislation that was passed by Congress as part of a larger spending bill and signed into law by the president in December. Here are a few provisions...

Saturday, February 29, 2020

Personal finance is a big subject. It’s fair to say there’s more to know than the average credit-card-swiping, online-bank-account-monitoring, stock-market-checking individual can keep track of. That’s why we’ve...

Sunday, February 23, 2020

John and Mary are nearing retirement and they have a lot of items on their bucket list. Longer life expectancies mean John and Mary may need to prepare for two or even three decades of retirement. How should they position their money?1...

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Whether you’re applying for Social Security in the future or currently receiving benefits, there are some important changes to earnings limits, Medicare premiums, and other differences to keep in mind. Ready to learn more? Read...

Friday, February 14, 2020

Have you ever had one of those months? The water heater stops heating, the dishwasher stops washing, and your family ends up on a first-name basis with the nurse at urgent care. Then, as you’re driving to work, you see smoke...

Sunday, February 9, 2020

You taught them how to read and how to ride a bike, but have you taught your children how to manage money? One study households with student loan debt showed that the average amount owed was $47,671.1 And more than 20% of recipients...

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

When markets shift, experienced investors stick to their strategy.

Saturday, February 1, 2020

What is the capital gains tax? Capital gains are the profits realized from the sale of capital assets such as stocks, bonds, and property. The capital gains tax is triggered only when an asset is sold, not while the asset is held by an...

Monday, January 27, 2020

The SECURE Act The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act is now law. With it, comes some of the biggest changes to retirement savings law in recent years. While the new rules don’t appear to amount to...

Friday, January 24, 2020

FIRE: Four Things You Need to Know About This Hot Retirement Many workers look forward to the day they can finally retire, and for some, an early retirement would be a dream come true. Others are turning this dream into a reality by...

Monday, January 20, 2020

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), which were created in 1974, are owned by roughly 33.2 million U.S. households. And Roth IRAs, created as part of the Taxpayer Relief Act in 1997, are owned by nearly 22.5 million...

Monday, January 13, 2020

Raising a child is expensive and can cost a quarter of a million dollars, not including college. For a child with special needs, that cost can more than double.1 If you’re the parent of a special needs child, it’s vital to...

Monday, January 6, 2020

That big list of dreams and goals isn't the only way to look at your bucket list.

Monday, December 30, 2019

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act roughly doubled the standard deduction ($12,200 for single filers and $24,400 for married taxpayers filing jointly in 2019) and indexed it for inflation through 2025. As a result, far fewer taxpayers will...

Monday, December 23, 2019

Here are 12 things to consider as you weigh potential tax moves between now and the end of the year. Set aside time to plan Effective planning requires that you have a good understanding of your current tax situation, as well as a...

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

18 Years Worth of Days The average retirement lasts for 18 years. Are you prepared to fill that many days?

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Twelve Year-End Tax Tips for 2019 Here are 12 things to consider as you weigh potential tax moves between now and the end of the year. Set aside time to plan Effective planning requires that you have a good understanding of your...

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Three Regrets of Retirees A recent survey found that more than half of retirees have retirement planning regrets. Unfortunately, many of these retirees had to cut back on their lifestyles to compensate for financial shortfalls.1...

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Third Quarter Market Review The Markets (third quarter through September 30, 2019) The third quarter was full of ups and downs for stocks, much like the second quarter. Stock values moved in response to the rhetoric from the...

Monday, November 18, 2019

Five Retirement Lessons from Today's Retirees Each year for its Retirement Confidence Survey, the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) surveys 1,000 workers and 1,000 retirees to assess how confident they are in their ability to...

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Budgeting After a Divorce Full Size Version Download the Worksheet

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Will Power Only 45% 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...

Friday, November 1, 2019

Countdown to College Tip: Parlez-vous Francais? Many universities like to see multiple years of foreign language on a transcript.Source: Collegeapps.about.com, March 11, 2016 Most parents want to give their children the best...

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Traditional vs. Roth IRA Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), which were created in 1974, are owned by roughly 35.1 million U.S. households. And Roth IRAs, created as part of the Taxpayer Relief Act in 1997, are owned by...

Friday, October 25, 2019

Understanding Long-Term Care Tip: Won’t Medicare Pay for It? After a three–day hospital stay, Medicare will cover the first 20 days in a skilled nursing care facility completely. For the next 80 days, it will cover all but...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Social Security: By the Numbers Here are five facts about Social Security that might surprise you.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Cost of Procrastination Some of us share a common experience. You’re driving along when a police cruiser pulls up behind you with its lights flashing. You pull over, the officer gets out, and your heart drops. “Are you...

Monday, October 14, 2019

Split Annuity Strategy When financial markets turn volatile, some investors show their frustration by fleeing the markets in search of alternatives that are designed to offer stability. For example, in the first quarter of 2018,...

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses Chris Rock once remarked, “You don’t pay taxes – they take taxes.”1 That applies not only to income, but also to capital gains. Capital gains result when an individual...

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Financial Aid for Students 101 Preparing for college while still in high school can be difficult for even the most academically minded student. These days, you need to excel in the classroom, make sure you’re involved in...

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Data Thieves from Outer Space

Thursday, September 26, 2019

What happens if I withdraw money from my tax-deferred invest Withdrawing taxable funds from a tax-deferred retirement account before age 59½ generally triggers a 10% federal income tax penalty, on top of any federal income taxes...

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Make your retirement as exciting as your next vacation.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

529 savings plans are tax-advantaged education savings vehicles and one of the most popular ways to save for college today. They can also be used to save for K-12 tuition. Much like the way 401(k) plans changed the world of retirement...

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Lifestyle inflation can be the enemy of wealth building. What could happen if you invested instead of buying more stuff?

Monday, May 27, 2019

Memorial Day Memorial Day is a day to remember those who served our country and did not make it home to take off their uniform. Often times, we use it as an extra weekend to spend with family, have a BBQ, or get extra projects done...

Friday, May 24, 2019

Until early 2018, stocks were enjoying their longest period without a five percent pullback in nearly 90 years.1,2 But in early February, that calm came to a sudden and decisive end, as the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell more...

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Whether through inertia or trepidation, investors who put off important investment decisions might consider the admonition offered by motivational speaker Brian Tracy, “Almost any decision is better than no decision at all...

Friday, May 17, 2019

Forty-four percent of American women are the primary breadwinner in their house.1 Yet only 10% of women feel very confident in their ability to fully retire with a comfortable lifestyle.2 Although more women are providing for their...

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Sunday, May 12, 2019

There are many ways to say "Happy Mother's Day" to the mothers in our lives. Here are 5 different ways that I like when showing my mom appreciation. 1. Listing out the NUMBEROUS things she helped me to accomplish in the past year. 2....

Saturday, May 11, 2019

Of those aged 65 and older, 10 to 20 percent have mild cognitive impairment. In addition, women have a 1 in 6 chance — and men have a 1 in 11 chance — of developing Alzheimer’s during the remainder of their lives...

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Nurses week is celebrated every year May 6-12th to coincide with the birthday of Florence Nightengale, the founder of professional nursing. Let's take this time to give honor and praise to the men and women who work hard to care for us...

Friday, May 3, 2019

Personal finance is a big subject. It’s fair to say there’s more to know than the average credit-card-swiping, online-bank-account-monitoring, stock-market-checking individual can keep track of. That’s why we’ve...

Monday, April 29, 2019

About 70% of American workers are confident they will have enough money to pay for medical expenses in retirement. In a 2018 survey, 30% of all workers reported they were “not too” or “not at all” confident they...

Saturday, April 27, 2019

One of the most common questions people ask about Social Security is when they should start taking benefits. This is the $64,000 question. Making the right decision for you can have a meaningful impact on your financial income in...

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Ancient Chinese merchants are said to have developed a unique way to manage their risk. They would divide their shipments among several different vessels. That way, if one ship were to sink or be attacked by pirates, the rest stood a...

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Do you know how to set up your financial goals for success? This knight does.

Thursday, March 7, 2019

Charitable giving When developing your estate plan, you can do well by doing good. Leaving money to charity rewards you in many ways. It gives you a sense of personal satisfaction, and it can save you money in estate taxes. A few words...

Thursday, February 28, 2019

About 70% of American workers are confident they will have enough money to pay for medical expenses in retirement. In a 2018 survey, 30% of all workers reported they were “not too” or “not at all” confident they...

Monday, February 25, 2019

The common thread that runs through all small businesses, from professional services to manufacturing, is that a motivated workforce is central to the business’s success. Here are some quick, inexpensive, and potentially...

Thursday, February 21, 2019

With the rising costs of higher education, parents need to start preparing now for the expenses of tomorrow. It doesn't matter if your child is learning to count or deriving equations with ease, there's no better time to start...

Monday, February 18, 2019

Do you know how credit works? Or that it takes on a variety of forms, including credit cards, mortgages, student loans and car loans? Do you know when it makes sense to utilize credit? While many people understand what credit is, fewer...

Thursday, February 14, 2019

As parents, we encourage our children to work so they can learn important values about work and independence. At what point, if at all, do children need to file an income tax return for the money they earn? The IRS does not exempt...

Thursday, January 17, 2019

9 Facts About Retirement Tip: Nearly 70% of workers expect to work for pay in retirement, but only 26% of retirees actually have done so. Source: 2018 Retirement Confidence Survey, EBRI Retirement can have many meanings. For some, it...

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Raising a child is expensive and can cost a quarter of a million dollars, not including college. For a child with special needs, that cost can more than double.1 If you’re the parent of a special needs child, it’s vital to...

Monday, December 17, 2018

Sara L. Tilberg, a Financial Advisor with Waddell & Reed, has been authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) to use the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® certification marks in...