January
Growth vs. Value Stocks
Understanding the differences between growth and value stocks may help you better set your expectations for the stocks in your portfolio.
New Tax Law Information
The Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005, which became law in May 2006, contained several provisions that you may want to be aware of.
Prescription for Healthy Finances
With pensions on their way out and retiree health insurance close behind, it’s a good time to review your financial situation.
Roll into Retirement
Just as retirement offers you more choices for how to spend your time, an IRA rollover can offer you more ways to invest your money.
Current Inflation
Inflation can provide clues about how the economy as a whole may perform.
February
Retirement Needs
However you intend to spend your retirement, you will have more choices the sooner you get serious about meeting your goals.
Mutual Funds
If you are concerned about how you will reach your long-term financial goals, you might want to consider the benefits of mutual fund ownership.
Life Insurance Myths
There are several misconceptions about the affordability and availability of life insurance that might surprise you.
Identity Theft
Identity theft continues to be a major source of fraud in the country.
A Well-Rounded Portfolio
Building a portfolio outside your business can help ensure that your retirement is not exposed to the same risks as your business.
March
Disability Happens
It can be uncomfortable to think about becoming too incapacitated to work and pay the bills, but it may be less uncomfortable than being unable to work and worrying about how to pay the bills.
In It for the Long Haul
The good news is, you might be around for awhile, but that bad news is, your money might not go the distance.
April
Health Care
Much emphasis is placed on saving enough money for a comfortable retirement, but unless you factor in the potential cost of health care, you could arrive at retirement’s door a little short of what you’ll need.
Stretch Inherited Assets
The Pension Protection of 2006 includes flexible new rules that apply to retirement plan assets inherited by nonspouse beneficiaries.
Mortgages and Retirement
Many people think of retirement as a time free from the worry of mortgage payments, but for the past several decades, the percentage of people carrying a mortgage into their sixties has steadily increased.
A Ladder to Success
Bond values have an inverse relationship with interest rates, but using a bond ladder may help you weather the market fluctuations that are sure to come.
Insuring Your Business
If your business operations cease because of a disaster, business owner’s insurance can help replace the lost income and expenses related to operating from a temporary location.
Our Nation's Record Net Worth
Tax season leaves many of us feeling a bit poorer. All the more welcome then was a little-noticed report issued in March showing that the combined net worth of U.S. households grew by 7% last year to a record $55.6 trillion.
May
Prepare to Convert
New rules make converting to a Roth IRA a viable option, and it may make sense if you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement, or if you expect tax rates to be higher in the future.
Invest for Your Prosperity
If you are concerned about the ability of your investments to generate an adequate retirement income that will last throughout your lifetime, you might want to consider investing some of your assets in mutual funds.
Test Inflation Knowledge
Although most people regard inflation about as warmly as they do the bogeyman, many do not really know much about it.
Population: 300 Million
Keeping an eye on demographic trends may provide useful clues about the future of your portfolio.
June
Retirement Reality Check
You only get one chance to save for retirement, and if you arrive at retirement’s door without adequate resources, you may have limited options.
A Tale of Two Investments
Investing fads come and go, but a diversified strategy involving growth stocks, value stocks, or a combination of the two can be a great addition to your investment portfolio.
Your Estate Net Value
For many, the ultimate goal of estate conservation is preserving a financial legacy to pass on to loved ones or charitable organizations, and the first step toward reaching this goal is determining how much there is to conserve.
Business Succession Planning
The loss of an owner can be devastating to a small business, but a company-owned life insurance policy could help reduce the financial consequences if such a loss were to occur.
Outlook 2007, Part II
So the economy has begun to slow and there's some talk of a recession in the offing. Is it time to batten down and wait for the storm? Not so fast. Consumers, financial markets, and policymakers are behaving as though there are reasons to be optimistic.
July
Update Time
Estate issues are potentially uncomfortable to contemplate, but they are a critical aspect of your overall financial situation.
Finally, It’s For Keeps
The 2006 Pension Protection made tax-free withdrawals from a 529 college savings plan permanent, possibly removing a potential source of uncertainty for families who are using 529 plans to help send their students to college.
The Savings Scare That Wasn’t
Although some economists and media outlets paint a picture of a looming savings crisis, with close to 80 million baby boomers on the cusp of retirement, you may find that the nation’s personal savings rate isn’t all that important.
Check Your Credit Score
Knowing your credit score and understanding its significance are important because the number can directly affect the interest rates you pay for mortgages, car loans, and credit cards.
The Health-Care Squeeze
The coming health-care squeeze will likely affect most Americans regardless of age, net worth, or health.
August
Reasons to Roll
An IRA rollover is one way to give you the maximum control over your retirement assets.
Social Security Quiz
Test your knowledge about Social Security with this short quiz.
Chasing Hot Performers
As hype builds, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement, but chasing the latest investment trends may just as easily leave an investor with a big loss.
Afraid of Outliving Your Income?
A split-annuity strategy is one way to help ensure a steady retirement income stream.
Which Way to Payday?
Even though small-business owners put a lot into their companies, including time and capital, sometimes it’s hard to determine exactly how much to take out.
Dow Know-How
The Dow has been on a tear for many months, recently breaking 14,000. This article looks at the Dow and explains this benchmark.
September
Score Your Credit Knowledge
Creditworthiness is an inseparable part of financial health, therefore it’s important to know how to maintain good credit.
Join the Millionaire Club
The burden of funding retirement now rests squarely on the shoulders of workers, many of whom are finding that they may need much more than $1 million to provide a comfortable retirement lifestyle.
Shelter from the Storm
Finding yourself on the wrong side of a multimillion-dollar decision would be a bad time to discover you didn’t have enough liability coverage under your homeowners and auto insurance.
IPO Trends
Though experts are expecting 2007 to be another big year for initial public offerings, or IPOs, the U.S. IPO market may not be the same as in years past.
Understanding the Credit Crunch
The financial markets went into a tailspin after a handful of subprime mortgages went into default and central banks had to jump in to help. What do these defaults have to do with global liquidity?
October
His and Her Uncertainty
By sharing information about each other’s plans and expectations for retirement, a couple may be able to avoid some common mistakes that could hamper their progress toward a comfortable retirement lifestyle.
The High Cost of Low Coverage
The cost of not carrying adequate life insurance could be far more expensive to surviving family members than the cost of the additional premiums.
Hand-Me-Down Dollars
Inheriting an IRA can be a great source of additional income, but the penalties for mismanaging one are severe.
Estimate the Cost of College
Determine how much needs to be saved annually so the youngsters in your family can afford college.
A Retirement Plan for One
Although most large companies are moving away from traditional defined-benefit plans, a solo defined-benefit plan may be an attractive pension option of you are a sole proprietor or if you are self-employed.
November
Diversify and Conquer
If you dream of doing more in retirement than sipping lemonade in a rocking chair on the porch, you may want to consider the advantages of diversifying your portfolio.
Develop a Life Plan
An out-of-date estate conservation strategy is about as useful as none at all, but by updating your estate documents periodically, you can help protect the assets you wish to pass on to your heirs.
Poverty and the Modern Millionaire
Being a millionaire retiree has never really been the status quo – but now this amount may not be nearly enough to maintain even a modest retirement lifestyle.
December
Life Insurance Goes to College
If you dream of doing more in retirement than sipping lemonade in a rocking chair on the porch, you may want to consider the advantages of diversifying your portfolio.
World of Opportunity
An out-of-date estate conservation strategy is about as useful as none at all, but by updating your estate documents periodically, you can help protect the assets you wish to pass on to your heirs.
Money and the Battle of the Sexes
Being a millionaire retiree has never really been the status quo – but now this amount may not be nearly enough to maintain even a modest retirement lifestyle.
Giving for the Greater Good
When you utilize a structured giving strategy, your efforts can help reap greater benefits for you, your heirs, and your favorite charity.
An ILIT Might Fit
If you are concerned about estate taxes, an ILIT might be the way to go.
Oil's Above-Ground Problems
It used to be that the main concern about oil was finding enough of it in the ground to meet world demand. Despite dire predictions to the contrary, most experts believe that there is still plenty of oil in the ground. Why then has the price of oil doubled since 2004?
