Articles

The probate process can be lengthy and complex. There are strategies you can use to help avoid the probate process.

If you haven't taken steps already, consider planning now for the distribution of the assets of your estate.

An A-B trust can be an effective way to help reduce estate taxes and preserve family assets for heirs.

A living trust can help control the distribution of your estate upon death.

Life insurance can be used to help preserve the value of your estate for your heirs.

To retain the tax advantages associated with charitable giving, your gift must be made to a qualified organization.

A designated income beneficiary could receive payment of a specified amount from a charitable remainder trust.

A wealth replacement trust could be used to gift appreciated assets to a charity as well as provide for heirs.

Sole ownership, joint tenancy, tenancy in common, and community property have special benefits for property owners.

If you believe your estate will be subject to estate taxes, consider how your heirs will pay the bill.

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of different gifting strategies available for planned giving.

There are five broad asset classes that you should take into consideration when constructing your investment portfolio.

An annuity is a flexible financial vehicle that can help protect against the risk of living a long time because it provides an option for a lifetime income.

One attractive feature of an annuity is tax-deferral but qualified and non-qualified annuities are taxed differently.

The labels growth and value reflect different approaches that can be used when making investment decisions.

Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.

Understanding different types of investment risk can help investors manage their money more effectively.

Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.

Mutual fund taxes can be cumbersome, but there are ways to help mitigate the amount of taxes you may owe.

Starting to invest early for college and remaining consistent can help investors reach their goals.

With closed-end funds, investors pool their money together to purchase a professionally managed portfolio of stocks and/or bonds.

An important element to successful investing is to manage investment risk while maintaining the potential for growth.

It's important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of common stock versus preferred stock.

529 plans are tax-advantaged savings plans that generally allow people of any income level to contribute.

Before investing in stocks, it is important to understand some of the basics and the risks involved in owning stocks.

Dollar-cost averaging involves investing a set amount of money on a regular basis, regardless of market conditions.

A mutual fund is a collection of stocks, bonds, and other securities with certain benefits and risks.

It is important to understand how dividends (taxable payments to shareholders) fit with your long-term goals.

The difference between purchasing an individual stock versus shares in a mutual fund to potentially earn dividends.

ETFs have unique attributes and attempt to track all types of indexes, industries, or commodities.

There are several funding methods for a child's college education including mutual funds and Section 529 plans.

A bond ladder is a strategy involving the purchase of bonds that have staggered maturity dates.

Bonds are issued by many entities and share many characteristics, each type of bond has certain benefits and risks.

A split-annuity strategy can generate immediate income while potentially stretching some retirement savings.

A 403(b) plan is a tax-deferred retirement savings plan that can only be offered by a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity.

Employer-sponsored retirement plans are more important than ever, but managing the assets can be confusing.

If you leave a job or retire, you should consider your options regarding your employer retirement plan assets.

A money purchase plan is a retirement plan where employer contributions are based on a fixed percentage of compensation.

The Social Security Administration’s retirement estimator gives estimates of your future benefits based on your actual Social Security earnings record.

If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might consider a traditional IRA.

When receiving money accumulated in your employer-sponsored retirement plan, you have two options: lump sum or annuity.

Profit-sharing plans give employees a share in the profits of a company and can help to fund their retirements.

401(k) employer-sponsored retirement plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.

The SIMPLE plan may appeal to small business owners as it is easy to set up, administer, and allows for a tax deduction.

Tax-deferred retirement plans for self-employed individuals have higher contribution limits than IRAs.

An indexed annuity may provide some upside potential and downside protection.

Qualified Roth IRA distributions in retirement are free of federal income tax and aren’t included in gross income.

A Roth 401(k) is funded with after-tax money, and allows for tax- and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings if requirements are met.

A SEP IRA is a type of plan under which the employer contributes (up to a certain limit) to an employee’s IRA.

Selecting health insurance is often one of the most important decisions you will make. Do you know the different types?

Company-owned life insurance is one way to help protect a business from financial problems caused by the death of a key employee.

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for those persons age 65 and over. But what does it cover?

Consider additional liability insurance to help protect you from the potentially devastating effects of liability lawsuits.

As a business owner, a disability can create an economic hardship putting both your personal finances and business at risk.

When selecting a life insurance policy, examine all your options, as well as the positives and negatives of each type.

There are three basic types of medical insurance plans: fee-for-service, managed care, and high-deductible health plan.

Couples who want to help protect their legacy from estate taxes could consider last-survivor life insurance.

To help you choose insurance wisely, determine how much coverage and what kind of policy is best for your situation.

The odds of needing long-term care increase as you age. Prior planning can help protect you from financial ruin.

A business owner policy is an insurance package that assembles the basic coverages required by a business owner in one bundle.

An annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company to pay you future income in exchange for premiums you pay.

Knowing the basics of a disability income insurance policy is a good first step toward protecting your family.

If you have a family who relies on your income, it is important to have life insurance protection.

If you were to suffer an illness or disability that required long-term nursing care, would you be covered?

There can be a substantial benefit to deferring taxes as long as possible.

Want to keep more of your mutual fund profits? You may be interested in strategies to help lower your tax liability.

It's important to understand tax-exempt vehicles when establishing a comprehensive tax planning strategy.

IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to annual contribution limits set by the federal government.

Consider a trustee-to-trustee transfer to an IRA versus a lump-sum distribution from a workplace retirement plan.

With traditional IRAs and most employer-sponsored retirement plans, taxes are not payable until funds are withdrawn.

Changes to the tax code have left a few key deductions for itemizers, like medical, dental and some business expenses.

Many traditional tax-advantaged investment strategies have gone away, but there are still some alternatives.

Capital gains are profits realized from the sale of assets; a tax is triggered only when an asset is sold, not held.

Required minimum distribution is the annual amount that must be withdrawn from a qualified retirement plan/account.

The federal gift tax applies to gifts of property or money while the donor is living.

Tax-deferred retirement account withdrawals before age 59½ generally trigger a 10% federal tax penalty.

Everything you own, whatever the form of ownership, is subject to federal, and possibly state, estate taxes.

Wills and trusts allow you to spell out how you would like your property distributed, but they also go beyond that.