Financial Planning

This week is National Estate Planning Awareness Week. Wait—don’t leave this page yet! I know that a lot of our readers think they’re too young to worry about estate planning, but that’s a misunderstanding that’s going to hurt your family if you don’t snap yourself out of it. Each and …

This month is Long-Term Care Awareness month. For most of our readers, the purchase of a long-term care insurance policy is a long way off. However, many of you are caring for loved ones as they age and may need some guidance in helping give your loved one the best …

Three Ways to Start Saving for Retirement This Month Earlier in the month we celebrated National Save for Retirement Week. That means it’s a good week to touch on the kinds of concerns faced by people who are two or more decades away from retiring. Why? Well, because they have a …

The Problem With Payday Advances and Title Loans   The holiday season is fast approaching and, for most of us, that means we are facing higher expenses over the next few months. While some individuals spent the first part of the year saving up to ready themselves for this higher …

How Life Insurance Fits Into Your Retirement Plan   When you read an article about retirement planning, you expect to see terms such as IRA, 401(k), bonds, CDs and so on. What you might not expect to see is information about life insurance.   Life Insurance for Postretirement Income   …

When you first start saving for retirement, it’s fun and exciting. You watch the money begin to grow and you realize that someday, you’ll use that money to support yourself while you fritter away your days by the pool, on the beach, playing golf, gardening or reading a good book. …

There’s a big difference between knowing you should be saving for retirement and actually saving for it. For many people, that difference looks like a wide gulf of insurmountable chores that they keep putting off for another day. But eventually, that “other day” is going to be your retirement day—and …

  The internet is filled with stories from people who blew through an inheritance. It’s not surprising, since MarketWatch reports that 33 percent of people end up with no savings and even more debt just 2 years after inheriting assets. While these stories illustrate the unfortunate circumstances others find themselves …

Whenever the market endures a sustained dip, the news and pundits begin contemplating the likelihood of another recession. While a downturn in the market isn’t always indicative of a recession, we need to get used to the reality that we could see another recession within our lifetimes. Ideally, you should …

Are you ready for the 2016 holiday season? If you think that’s a typo and we meant to write 2015, think again. The time to prepare for the 2016 holidays is now when the 2015 holidays are almost over and all of the decor and supplies will soon be deeply …