FINANCIAL LEARNING
Monthly 50/30/20 Budget Calculator
Enter your monthly after-tax income into this free budget calculator to create a suggested budget. CALCULATOR How the 50/30/20 budget calculator...
How to Budget Money in 5 Steps
Divide your income among needs, wants, savings and debt repayment, using the 50/30/20 budget. If you have take-home pay of, say, $3,000 a month, how...
All Muni Bonds Are Not Created Equal
The city of Detroit emerged from bankruptcy in 2014. Still, its previous inability to pay investors left some questioning their long-held assumption...
Are You Prepared for an Estate Tax Sunset?
The federal estate tax threshold rose to $27.22 million in 2024 for married couples and $13.61 million for individuals as part of the Tax Cuts and...
Best-Performing Asset Classes
According to Yale University's Crash Confidence Index, only about 24% of investors are confident the stock market will not crash sometime during the...
Breaking Down the Parts of Medicare
Generally, the different parts of Medicare help cover specific services. Most beneficiaries choose to receive their Parts A and B benefits through...
Budget Check Up: Tax Time Is the Right Time
Every year, about 140 million households file their federal tax returns. For many, the process involves digging through shoe boxes or manila folders...
Building a Solid Financial Foundation
When you read about money matters, you may see the phrase, “getting your financial house in order.” What exactly does that mean? To some, when your...
Buying a Vacation Home? 5 Questions to Consider First
Purchasing a vacation home is a significant decision that involves more than just falling in love with a property in your favorite holiday spot. It...
Buying Auto Insurance For Teen Drivers
Driving may be a rite of passage for teenagers, but for parents, having a teenage driver can be stressful and expensive. Your child will need auto...
Buying vs. Leasing a Car
Some people approach buying a car like they approach marriage, "'til death do us part." Others prefer to keep their options open, trading in every...
Can Group, Private Disability Policies Work Together?
According to the Social Security Administration, a 20-year-old has more than a 25% chance of becoming disabled before reaching retirement age.1 Loss...
Changing Unhealthy Behaviors
Most Americans know the fundamentals of good health: exercise, proper diet, sufficient sleep, regular check-ups, and no smoking or excessive...
Choices for Your 401(k) at a Former Employer
One of the common threads of a mobile workforce is that many individuals who leave their job are faced with a decision about what to do with their...
Choosing a Retirement Plan that Fits Your Business
If you have yet to develop a retirement plan for your business, or if you're not sure the plan you've chosen is the right one, here are some things...
Conquering Retirement Challenges for Women
When it comes to retirement, women may face unique obstacles that can make saving for retirement more challenging. Given that women typically live...
Consider Keeping Your Life Insurance When You Retire
Do you need a life insurance policy in retirement? One school of thought questions this decision. Perhaps your kids have grown, and the need to help...
Countdown to College
As a parent, you of course want to give your child the best opportunity for success, and for many, attending the "right" university or college is...
Counteracting Capital Gains with Tax-Loss Harvesting
Tax-loss harvesting means taking capital losses (selling securities for less than what you initially paid for them) to offset any capital gains you...
Critical Estate Documents
Joint Ownership Durable Power of Attorney Living Trust What does it do? Enables you to own property jointly with another person Authorizes someone...
Debt Stress
The average American owes $59,580 in debt. Of that $59,580, $41,830 is from mortgage debt, $5,640 is from student loans, and $5,470 is from auto...
Five Most Overlooked Tax Deductions
Who among us wants to pay the IRS more taxes than we have to? While few may raise their hands, Americans regularly overpay because they fail to take...
Four Really Good Reasons to Invest
Thirty-nine percent of Americans do not own any stocks or stock-related investments, according to a recent Gallup poll.¹ Individuals may cite...
Getting a Head Start on College Savings
One study estimates the average cost of raising a child to the age of 17 for a middle-income family is about $310,605. As a point of comparison, the...
Important Birthdays Over 50
Age 50 At age 50, workers in certain qualified retirement plans are able to begin making annual catch-up contributions in addition to their normal...
Retirement Seen Through Your Eyes
How do you picture your future? Some see retirement as a time to start a new career. Others see it as a time to travel. Still others plan to spend...
Three Key Questions to Answer Before Taking Social Security
Social Security is a critical component of the retirement financial strategy for many Americans, so before you begin taking it, you should consider...
What Is a 1035 Exchange?
According to the most recent information available, Americans have individual life insurance with a total face value of $14 trillion.1 Due to a...
What Is a Roth 401(k)?
While many people are familiar with the benefits of traditional 401(k) plans, others are not as acquainted with Roth 401(k)s. Since January 1, 2006,...
What’s New for Social Security?
Whether you’re applying for Social Security in the future or currently receiving benefits, there are some important changes to earnings limits,...