Newsletters
Fourty-seven percent of American workers have saved less than $25,000 for retirement, and 24% have saved less than $1,000.1
Will you outlive your retirement income? Are your financial expectations for the coming year realistic?
Our financial newsletters are designed to provide helpful information on a wide variety of financial topics. Simply click on one of the newsletter topics below to read the article in its entirety.
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October
HOT TOPIC: The Fed Finally Cut Interest Rates
The Fed’s first rate cut of one-half percentage point in four years marks a critical juncture for the economy, with significant implications for consumers, businesses, and investors.
Can You Put the Brakes on Rising Auto Insurance Premiums?
Auto insurance premiums increased more than 18% between July 2023 and July 2024. This article outlines some steps that may help reduce premiums.
Do You Have Enough Life Insurance?
Life insurance needs change over time. This article presents five guidelines to help determine an appropriate amount of life insurance coverage.
Making the Most of Your Credit Card
Credit cards are being used more than ever. This article offers suggestions for choosing and using a credit card.
A Pension Strategy That May Boost Your Income
A strategy called pension maximization may enable a married pensioner to elect the higher payments of a single-life annuity while also providing for the spouse’s financial future.
What’s Your Real Return?
While investors typically look at the nominal return on their investments, it’s important to understand the real return in order to target financial goals.
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September
HOT TOPIC: Should You Worry About Market Volatility?
On August 5, 2024, the S&P 500 dropped 3% from its previous close but bounced back quickly. This article explains why investors would be wise to tune out the noise of market volatility.
It’s Complicated: Inheriting IRAs and Retirement Plans
The SECURE Act of 2019 dramatically changed the rules governing how IRA and retirement plan assets are distributed to beneficiaries.
Retroactive Social Security Benefits: A Chance to Turn Back Time
Beneficiaries who postpone claiming Social Security past full retirement age have the option of receiving a lump-sum payment for up to six months of benefits when they finally apply.
Eight Great Investing Quotes
This article offers eight quotes from successful investors, economists, and other insightful thinkers that may help provide perspective and focus for an investing strategy.
Thinking of Selling Your Home? Don’t Be Surprised by Capital Gains Taxes
This article explains the basics of capital gains taxes when selling a home.
Just Your Average Millionaire
The average net worth of U.S. families surpassed $1 million for the first time in 2022, but wealth levels vary greatly by age, housing status, education, and income.
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May
HOT TOPIC: What Stubborn Inflation Could Mean for the U.S. Economy
This article looks at some of the reasons behind the inflation numbers, the likely effect on Fed decisions, and the potential economic impact.
Market Measures: Beyond the Dow
In addition to the better-known Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 stock indexes, this article provides an overview of some stock indexes that are commonly used as benchmarks.
New SAVE Repayment Plan Offers Key Benefits
In July 2023, the Department of Education launched a new income-driven repayment plan for federal student loans called the Saving on a Valuable Education Plan.
ESG Investing in the Spotlight
This article explains environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing and its potential effect on portfolio performance.
Housing Market Trends: Are They Helping or Hurting the Economy?
U.S. home values held steady in 2023, even as mortgage rates rose to the highest levels in a generation. What could the current state of the housing market mean for the broader U.S. economy?
Where Will You Live as You Grow Older?
Many people would rather not think about the consequences of aging in general, much less that they might eventually need to rethink their living situation.
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April
HOT TOPIC: International Investing: The Diverging Fortunes of China and Japan
Investing Internationally can help increase portfolio diversification and provide access to opportunities that may differ from those in the United States.
Beware of These Life Insurance Beneficiary Mistakes
Naming a life insurance policy’s beneficiaries should be a relatively simple task, but there are some situations that can lead to unintended and adverse consequences.
Individual Bonds vs. Bond Funds: What’s the Difference?
Individual bonds and bond funds can both provide an income stream, but there are important differences. This article provides an overview of these two types of investments.
What’s Required of the Executor of an Estate?
Being named as the executor of an estate is generally an honor but settling an estate can be a difficult and time-consuming job. This article provides an overview of typical executor responsibilities.
How a Family Limited Partnership Can Power an Estate Plan
A family limited partnership is a legal agreement that enables business owners and their heirs to address succession, estate, and tax planning needs, all at once.
Fixed Annuities: Retirement Income for Now or Later
Purchasing a fixed annuity shifts the risk for future investment returns to the insurance company and could help create a pension-like income stream for retirement.
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March
HOT TOPIC: Can Productivity Keep Driving the U.S. Economy?
This article looks at the importance of productivity to the U.S. economy, possible contributing factors to the recent surge, and the prospects for an extended period of strong productivity growth.
Key Retirement and Tax Numbers for 2024
This article presents the IRS’ cost-of-living adjustments for 2024 that affect contribution limits for retirement plans and various tax deduction, exclusion, exemption, and threshold amounts.
How Savers and Spenders Can Meet in the Middle
Couples who have opposite philosophies regarding saving and spending often have trouble finding common ground. This article offers some tips to learn to work with financial differences.
The Federal Reserve’s Key Meeting Dates in 2024
This article outlines the Federal Reserve’s three main objectives and provides the meeting schedule of the Federal Open Market Committee.
Roth 401(k) News: Is It Time to Rethink How You Save for Retirement?
High-income participants will not be allowed to make pre-tax catch-up contributions to a traditional 401(k) or similar plan starting in 2026, but they will be able to contribute to a workplace Roth.
Can Your Personality Influence Your Portfolio? New Research Points to Yes
The findings of two recent academic studies may offer insight into how investors can make more fruitful financial decisions.
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February
A New Year, A New Opportunity to Save with a 529 Plan
This article explains how a 529 plan can help a family save for college, including recent changes that have made these plans more flexible.
Don’t Forget About Credit When Planning for Retirement
Credit may not be at the top of the list when it comes to retirement, but good credit can make a big difference for retirees. This article looks at some key factors that lenders consider.
Do You Have These Key Estate Planning Documents?
This article provides an overview of four estate planning documents that almost everyone should have: a durable power of attorney, a medical directive, a will, and a letter of instruction.
Debit or Credit — What’s the Difference?
This article explains why it may be better to use a credit card for certain transactions, as long as the bill is paid on time to avoid interest charges.
Small Businesses Could Face Borrowing Challenges
Despite tougher lending conditions and higher interest costs, many people who need capital for business purposes may need to borrow money. This article discusses some common financing options.
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January
HOT TOPIC: SECURE 2.0 Provides New Retirement Savings Options in 2024
The SECURE 2.0 Act made wide-ranging changes to U.S. tax laws related to retirement savings. This article provides an overview of some important provisions that take effect in 2024.
Understanding Life Insurance
Life insurance can help replace much-needed income after the death of a provider. With the wide variety of policies available, it’s important to understand the basic types of coverage.
Will You Work Beyond Traditional Retirement Age?
Does your income strategy beyond traditional retirement age include receiving a paycheck? This article looks at the advantages and disadvantages of working later in life.
Setting a Retirement Savings Goal
Only 51% of workers or their spouses have tried to estimate the savings they would need to live comfortably in retirement. This article offers a simple worksheet to help calculate a savings target.
SECURE 2.0 Makes It Easier to Give and Receive
The SECURE 2.0 Act modified the rules for qualified charitable distributions to allow funding a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust from an IRA.
How to Kill Your Zombie Subscriptions
With inflation cutting into consumers’ purchasing power, getting rid of a few unnecessary recurring charges could be a painless way to help balance the household budget.
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