An estate planning option more families ought to know about. You may think of life insurance in very simple terms: you buy a policy so that your loved ones will have some financial assistance when you die. Its functionality doesn’t end there. If it looks like your accumulated wealth will be subject to estate taxes [...]
Preparing for taxes after marriage. When you tie the knot, your financial lives will change. Marriage is one of those life events that can really affect your money and tax situation. If you are about to wed, here are a couple of things you’ll want to consider when it comes to taxes and household cash [...]
Market retreats & corrections may herald opportunities. When stocks retreat, should you pick up some shares? If you like to buy and hold, it may turn out to be a great move. Buying during a downturn or a correction may seem foolish to many, but if major indexes sink and investors lose their appetite for [...]
Here’s why it can be a good idea. You may have read that you don’t need to buy life insurance early in life. That’s not necessarily true. In fact, getting a policy before midlife may prove wise. Relatively few people opt for life insurance coverage between the ages of 18 and 45, yet there are [...]
Some analysts think it is helping reduce the deficit; but others wholeheartedly disagree. Has the Affordable Care Act actually cut Medicare spending? The numbers from the Congressional Budget Office make a pretty good argument for that, and suggest that the ACA has had a distinct hand in the recent drop in the federal deficit. Detractors [...]
The year is coming to a close. Have you thought about these financial ideas yet? As every calendar year ends, the window slowly closes on a set of financial opportunities. Here are several you might want to explore before 2015 arrives. Don’t forget that IRA RMD. If you own one or more traditional IRAs, you [...]
Roth & traditional IRAs won’t get 2015 COLAs, but other plans will. 2015 Retirement Plan contribution limits went up A little inflation means a little adjustment. As the Consumer Price Index is up 1.7% over the last 12 months, the federal government is giving Social Security benefits a 1.7% boost for 2015 and [...]
Here we are in the Fall of 2014. Get the LPL Research Market Outlook for the remainder of the year. Want to Review Your Strategy for Generating Income in Retirement? 2014 Investment Outlook for clients Like the video? Download the printed version: LPL's Outlook 2014: The [...]
Six signs that you are in good shape. How well off do you think you are financially? If your career or life takes an unexpected turn, would your finances hold up? What do you think will become of the money you’ve made and saved when you are gone? These are major questions, and most people [...]
Certain misconceptions ignore the realities of retirement. Generalizations about money & retirement linger. Some have been around for decades, and some new clichés have recently joined their ranks. Let’s examine a few. “When I’m retired, I won’t really have to invest anymore.” Many people see retirement as an end instead of a beginning – a [...]
