Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Financial Planning”
Tax planning is often seen as a task that only needs to be done once a year, right before the tax filing deadline. However, this common misconception can lead to missed opportunities for maximizing savings. Mid-year tax planning can provide a range of hidden benefits that can significantly impact your financial situation. By taking the time to review your tax …
As a working mom, whole weeks may go by without the chance to sit down or even think. You’re managing a career, making decisions for your family, and caring for kids and often parents, too. It’s not easy, then, to hear about one more job that needs your immediate attention: retirement planning. But let’s just be blunt, women are almost …
A look at three other long-term care (LTC) coverage options. Traditional long-term care insurance has grown costlier—and some of those who buy it may never need the coverage. Are potentially cheaper, flexible options available? Yes. 1 Hybrid life insurance policies with LTC riders. These life insurance policies have LTC coverage options available for a fee that you can use if …
What influences your spending choices? Social media can pressure you to spend more than necessary. We have all seen our friends post images of an expensive dinner,a pricy resort stay, a new car, maybe even their first condo or house. Seeing these message can influence your spending habits. Millennials are known for frugality, but the reality may differ. An American …
Sometimes you need a “sounding board” for your ideas and concerns. When you have financial questions or ideas, you need someone to listen. A professional can listen and help provide insight about possible financial moves you could make—plus give you guidance regarding your options. Every retirement saver needs to measure financial progress. Checking in with your financial professional every so …
It may be a wise financial choice. It may be a good idea for a woman to retire later rather than sooner. Leaving the workplace after 65 may help position a woman for slightly greater retirement income and reduce some of the pressure of funding her “second act.” Women tend to receive smaller Social Security payments than men. This doesn’t …
After you marry, to what degree should your financial lives be shared? Many couples who marry also wed their finances together. Whether they partly or fully merge their finances, many couples may see more advantages than disadvantages to taking this step. Some young married couples decide to create joint accounts early. Without a joint checking or savings account, the matter …
How to handle the cost of continuing your education. Some people decide to get another college degree later in life. That typically means taking on student debt, and dealing with that debt after 40 takes planning. Between 2005 and 2015, the number of Americans older than 60 carrying outstanding student loans quadrupled. How can you plan ahead to avoid joining …
An overview of its current financial dilemma and potential solutions. Will Social Security be different when you retire? Its reserves are projected to be depleted by 2034, and if that happens, the program could pay retirees only about 80% of projected retirement benefits.1 Since 2010, Social Security has paid out more than it has taken in. With roughly 10,000 baby …
Inattention and procrastination can hurt family wealth. Some estate planning is better than none, but sometimes people address wealth transfer issues inadequately or ineptly when they tackle the task. Here are some classic miscues. Waiting too long. A wealthy individual may postpone estate planning until too late in life, which may present obstacles due to diminished faculties or declining health. …
What options do you have if you risk a default? Have you made a federal student loan payment in the last three months? About 11% of federal student loan borrowers have not and are therefore in default. That default rate only represents the borrowers entering repayment.1 More than 8.1 million Americans are behind on federal student loan payments. If you …
