When it comes to our children, for many of us, there is almost nothing we wouldn’t do for them when we’re needed. But when it comes to our adult children, sometimes the best way to help is to pull back and teach them to help themselves. This is especially true when it comes [...]
To help allay their fears, MetLife has issued the first of four white papers on financial wellness. Fifty-three percent of employees worry about their financial future, and 46% feel overwhelmed by financial decisions, according to MetLife’s annual Employee Benefit Trends Survey (EBTS). In response, MetLife has created a four-part white paper series, “Financial [...]
Nearly 170,000 participants contributed $50 or less in 2016. Data show that these participants are less engaged than their peers. How do we gain their attention and get them to act? The 170k—By the Numbers Out of the more than 1.4 million participants who were eligible to defer retirement plans at T. [...]
Bond investors are clearly worried about rising rates in today’s environment. Many are protecting themselves by moving to very short-term investments, or even cash. But is their “safe” choice putting them at risk? The View Gets Better Up High We get it. It seems intuitive that if interest rates are rising, bond prices [...]
Compiled from lists published by the IRS and plan auditors, here are 10 items to check and review to make sure your 401(k) plan is operating in line with IRS expectations: Failure to understand and follow the plan’s definition of compensation: Look at the actual plan document (not the Summary Plan Description) and [...]
There are many ways to teach your children good money sense. You can fall back on stories of how you used to earn, save and spend money all those years ago. You can fill their heads with lessons on how important it is to be careful and wise with their money. However, the bottom line is [...]
A couple of years ago, our family made the collective decision to get a family dog. I wasn’t particularly sold on the idea, but my wife and all of our children clamored to have a dog at home, so I agreed. During the process of finding a dog and the subsequent process of [...]
You have more choices than you think. Is creating a college fund on your to-do list? Consider these options. 529 plans. Anyone can contribute to these savings vehicles. Some let you prepay college tuition; others allow you to accumulate and invest education funds. Earnings on investments in a 529 plan grow tax-deferred, and [...]
What questions do you need to answer before you're sure you're financially ready? The day is finally approaching. You've been saving and investing most of your adult life for this moment, but now you're not so sure you're really ready to retire. It's a predicament faced by many employees that we work with. [...]
Could you possibly arrange multiple income sources? On average, women receive 23% less Social Security income than men. In 2014 (the most recent year of data available), the average yearly Social Security benefit for a woman 65 or older was $13,150, compared to $17,106 for her male counterpart.1 This is one example of the [...]
