TOD or Living Trust?
A look at two basic methods for shielding assets from probate. How do you keep assets out of probate? If that estate planning question is on your mind, you should know that there are
Taking Charge of Your Financial Life
Delegating responsibilities to others may lead to problems down the road. When you are putting together a household, it isn’t unusual to delegate responsibilities. One spouse or partner may take on the laundry, while another
Three Key Questions to Answer Before Taking Social Security
When to start? Should I continue to work? How can I maximize my benefit? Social Security will be a critical component of your financial strategy in retirement, so before you begin taking it, you should
Taking a Loan from Your Retirement Plan = Bad Idea
Why you should refrain from making this move. Thinking about borrowing money from your 401(k), 403(b), or 457 account? Think twice about that because these loans are not only risky, but injurious, to your retirement
When You Retire Without Enough
Start your “second act” with inadequate assets, and your vision of the future may be revised. How much have you saved for retirement? Are you on pace to amass a retirement fund of $1 million
Is Generation X Preparing Adequately for Retirement?
Future financial needs may be underestimated. If you were born during 1965-80, you belong to “Generation X.” Ten or twenty years ago, you may have thought of retirement as an event in the lives of
Bad Money Habits to Break
Behaviors worth changing. Do bad money habits constrain your financial progress? Many people fall into the same financial behavior patterns, year after year. If you sometimes succumb to these financial tendencies, now is as good
How Retirement Spending Changes With Time
Once away from work, your cost of living may rise before it falls. New retirees sometimes worry that they are spending too much, too soon. Should they scale back? Are they at risk of outliving
Your Emergency Fund: How Much is Enough?
An emergency fund may help alleviate the stress associated with a financial crisis. Have you ever had one of those months? The water heater stops heating, the dishwasher stops washing, and your family ends up
Retirement Plan Contribution Limits Increase for 2019
We have some exciting news to report for 2019 for those who are contributing to their retirement accounts! The IRS recently announced increases to the annual contribution limits to various types of retirement plans for