Articles in Financial Focus
Five Financial Success Strategies for Today’s Busy Woman
What is the sign of a good decision?®
It’s preparing for the unexpected to help protect the lifestyle you have worked so hard to achieve.
Disability Facts that Might Surprise You
In times like these, good decisions matter. And when it comes to protecting a portion of your income from disability risks, it’s important to base your decision on the facts. In the case of disability, some of those facts might surprise you.
For example, more than one-quarter of today’s 20 year-olds …
By The Numbers
What is the sign of a good decision?®
It’s putting what’s important to you first.
Did you realize that your assets owned at death are generally subject to federal and state taxes?
A significant percentage of your estate may go towards tax liabilities. Unless you plan ahead, your legacy becomes open to public …
By The Numbers
1. DROPS HAPPEN – Since the S&P 500 bottomed on 3/09/09, the stock index has gained +130.1% through the close of trading last Friday 3/22/13 (change of the raw index not counting the impact of reinvested dividends). Even though the index has more than doubled there have been 13 different …
By The Numbers
1. LOOKING BACK – Over the 300 months ending 2/28/13 (i.e., the last 25 years), the S&P 500 has been up 64% of the months and down the other 36% of the months. The period includes the 2000-02 bear market (down 49%) and the 2007-09 bear market (down 57%). The …
By The Numbers
1. TWO MONTHS – The S&P 500 gained +6.6% (total return) during the first 2 months of 2013, 67% of the average annual total return achieved over the last 50 calendar years. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index of 500 widely held stocks that is generally considered representative of …
How Much Will Health Care Cost in Retirement?
What is the sign of a good decision?®
It’s managing health care costs and your retirement outlook.
Health care costs rank as one of retirees’ biggest financial concerns. But the sooner you plan for this cost, the better you’ll feel about your retirement security. Keep in mind, too, that the chances of …
Help Protect Your Assets
Lawsuits have become increasingly common in our society. From 1951 through 2009, the cost of torts (civil suits) rose at more than double the annual rate of general inflation and even surpassed the annual increase in medical expenses.
What Are Some Smart Ways to Refinance?
Recently, fixed mortgages were near their lowest rates in almost 30 years. And if you are one of the many people who took out mortgages in the few years prior to that, you may be wondering if you should look into refinancing.
If your mortgage was taken out within the past …
Help Protect Your Assets
Lawsuits have become increasingly common in our society. From 1951 through 2009, the cost of torts (civil suits) rose at more than double the annual rate of general inflation and even surpassed the annual increase in medical expenses (see chart).
Investing in Our Future
Parents generally don’t have to be convinced of the value of a college education for their children. Studies show that college graduates not only earn more but are healthier, more satisfied with their jobs, and more likely to remain employed during tough economic times.1
How Does Inflation Affect Me?
Are you saving for retirement? For your children’s education? For any other long-term goal? If so, you’ll want to know about a sometimes subtle, yet very real threat to your savings: inflation.
How Will I Pay Estate Taxes?
Estate taxes. It’s not enough to simply know they exist, and to know strategies to minimize them. When it comes down to it, you need to plan how you and your family will eventuaally pay them.
The Estate Tax Dilemma
Estate taxes are generally due nine months after the date of death. …
How Can I Benefit from Tax-Advantaged Investments??
For many people, tax-advantaged investing is an excellent way to reduce their taxes. And while many of the traditional tax-advantaged strategies have been eliminated, there are still alternatives left that can help you reduce your taxes. Some are described below.
Real Estate Partnerships
Two of the most common types of real estate …
Is a Home Equity Loan Right for Me?
Taxes are becoming an ever-increasing burden to Americans. Through the Tax Reform Act of 1986, Congress reduced or eliminated many of the ways that taxpayers can lower their taxes.
Interest deduction is one of the areas that has been strongly affected by this tax reform legislation. Since tax year 1991, interest …
Will Social Security Retire Before I Do?
People have traditionally seen Social Security benefits as the foundation of their retirement planning programs. The Social Security contributions deducted from your paycheck have, in effect, served as a government-enforced retirement savings plan. However, the Social Security system is under increasing strain. Better health care and longer life spans have …
How Can I Better Manage My Short-Term Cash?
For the vast majority of people, it is essential to keep a portion of their assets in liquid form in order to meet monthly commitments. For example, most families have to meet their mortgage or rent payments, grocery, utility, and transportation bills out of their monthly paychecks. There is a …
1031 Exchanges: Deferring Gains on the Sale of Real Property
For investors who seek to defer capital gains on the sale of investment property, one complex yet effective option is a 1031 exchange (also known as a Starker exchange).
Named after Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code, 1031 exchanges became more popular and accessible after a key ruling by the …
IRA Rollovers: Helping Retirement Savers Defer Taxes, Avoid Penalties
If you participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you may have concluded that you don’t need a traditional IRA. Many people see the IRA as unnecessary because they don’t exhaust the contribution limits on their employer plans. But don’t be fooled into thinking that an IRA can’t help you reach …
When Investing, Make The Best Use Of Time
When you’re investing for retirement, it’s best to have time on your side. The sooner you begin investing, the more time your retirement fund has to potentially grow.
Choosing The Right Caregiver
As medical science continues to find ways to help Americans live longer, it also requires us to examine some of the challenges of people living longer lives. The biggest, from both an emotional and financial point of view, may be providing ongoing care for a disabled adult.
By the numbers
According to …
Your Kind of Retirement
How do you picture your retirement? Do you envision visiting old friends and traveling to new places? Do you plan to take up a new hobby or pursue an old interest? If you have high hopes for your retirement, you aren’t alone. The retirement script is being rewritten by today’s …
Treating Your Employees Well
You might think that, with currently high unemployment rates, it will be an employer’s market forever. But, you would be wrong. Even today, as unemployment remains stubborn, some industries are having difficulties filling their job openings.
Today, your industry could be in a buy or sell mode as far as attracting …
