Small-business owners are especially vulnerable to a dangerous investment practice: under-diversification. For many, their business represents the lion's share of their net worth. With fortunes riding largely on the success or failure of a single business in a single industry, business owners are exposed to heightened levels of investment risk. Recognizing that risk and understanding [...]
When you change jobs, it may be tempting to cash out your 401(k) plan. But doing this could derail your retirement savings just when it’s important to keep your money growing tax-deferred. Rolling over your assets to an individual retirement account (IRA) is one of the most popular options available to help keep your money [...]
Boomers on the Brink: Issues Affecting Participants as They Approach Retirement Estate planning is not just for millionaires Having a core set of current planning documents, including a will, power of attorney and health care proxy, is critical to ensuring your wishes are carried out after you die. The operative word is “current.” You need [...]
Staying socially and emotionally engaged may be key to investing for your future Millennials are often criticized in the press for putting off financial planning and being too risk-averse. According to a 2014 survey, millennials devote less than one-third (28%) of their portfolio to stocks and over half (52%) to cash, while non-millennials keep almost [...]
Supporting actors can help prepare you for your retirement close-up It’s no coincidence that the best film award of the year is announced at the very end of the annual Academy Awards® in Los Angeles.1 While it is entertaining to watch stars pose on the red carpet, laugh at Billy Crystal dancing across the stage, [...]
Regardless of whether you and your parents have always talked freely about money or never discuss the subject, there are several considerations you may want to address with them as they approach their later years. The six questions below can help you to start thinking about and planning for that conversation. What's the best way [...]
When friends and loved ones finally raise their glasses to bid you a long and healthy retirement, you do not want to be worrying about how your bills will get paid. That is why it is so important to participate in your company's retirement plan now. On the road to retirement, however, other financial challenges [...]
For decades, the bypass trust was a popular estate planning tool for wealthy couples who wished to take full advantage of the federal estate tax exemption and bequeath more of their wealth to successive generations. However, recent changes to estate tax laws have made bypass trusts unnecessary for many. Individuals may now exempt $5.43 million [...]
As the days get shorter and cooler, it's a good time to conduct a comprehensive annual financial review. And while there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all financial plan, the three-step review process outlined below can help you do a better job of keeping your financial house in order from one year to the [...]
Millions of Americans fall victim to identity theft each year -- and their financial losses are in the billions. In 2012, an estimated 16.6 million Americans experienced identity theft, causing losses of $24.7 billion.1 What can you do to help reduce your chances of having your identity stolen? The steps below can help you prevent [...]
