FINANCIAL LEARNING
3 Estate Challenges for Blended Families
Preparing your estate can be complicated, and if you're a part of a blended family, estate decisions can be even more complex and nuanced. Blended...
Retiring Wild: National Parks and You
For many older adults, finding time to experience nature can be one of the greatest pleasures in retirement. And what better place to take in...
Retirement Questions That Have Nothing to Do With Money
Preparing for retirement is not entirely financial. Your degree of happiness in your "second act" may depend on some factors that don't come with an...
Retiree Health Care Coverage Overseas
According to the AARP, an estimated 39% of Americans over the age of 50 expect to travel internationally in 2023.1 Overseas travel may be one of the...
Putting a Price Tag On Your Health
We hear over and over again how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But being healthy for its own sake isn't easy—especially when...
Protection Against Uninsured Drivers
About 12.6 percent of all motorists, or one-in-eight drivers, do not have automobile insurance, according to the Insurance Research Council.¹ Having...
Personal Finance Tips for Military Families
One study found that military personnel have more credit problems and are more likely to make late house payments than their civilian counterparts.¹...
Navigating Retirement Pitfalls
Much is written about the classic financial mistakes that plague start-ups, family businesses, corporations, and charities. Some classic financial...
Mutual Funds vs. ETFs
The growth of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has been explosive. In 2006, there were less than 1,000; by 2023, there were nearly 10,000 investing in a...
Investing with Your Heart
Some individuals believe that return on investment shouldn't be the only criterion for how they invest their money. For them, the social impact of...
Inflation & Your Money
"If the current annual inflation rate is 3 percent, why do my bills seem like they're 10 percent higher than last year?"1 Many of us ask ourselves...
How the Federal Reserve Works
Have you ever taken a close look at paper money? Each U.S. bill has the words "Federal Reserve Note" imprinted across the top. But many individuals...
Global vs. International: What’s the Difference?
With international stock markets comprising about 41.6 percent of the world's capitalization as of 2022, a broad range of investment opportunities...
Financial Aid for Students 101
Preparing for college while still in high school can be difficult for even the most academically-minded student. These days, you need to excel in...
Dog Bites Neighbor. Now What?
In 2022, there were 17,597 dog bite claims nationwide, totaling aggregate damages of over $1 billion, according to the Insurance Information...
Does Your Credit Score Affect Your Insurance Rates?
While the vast majority of insurance companies use credit-based insurance scores to help determine the price of insurance, it is banned in the...
Choosing a Business Structure
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were over five million new business applications submitted in 2022 alone. All individuals pursuing the...
Building Your Legacy
Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you. Shannon L. Alder The...
Assess Life Insurance Needs
If your family relies on your income, it's critical to consider having enough life insurance to provide for them after you pass away. But too often,...
AI Tools Changing Retiree Entrepreneurship
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have become a game changer in various industries, and they are also proving incredibly useful for retirees...
A Primer on Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
"I'm proud to pay taxes in the United States; the only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money." Entertainer Arthur Godfrey The...
A Primer on Dividends
When looking for income-generating investments, some investors turn to dividend-yielding stocks. When a company makes a profit, that money can be...
Caring for Aging Parents
Thanks to healthier lifestyles and advances in modern medicine, the worldwide population over age 65 is growing. In the past decade, the population...
Catch-Up Contributions
A recent survey found that 28% of workers are very confident about having enough money to live comfortably through their retirement years. At the...
A Cheat Sheet for Sending Your Kid to College
College marks a great milestone in a child’s life. It may be the first time he or she will live away from home. Dropping off your child at college...
Does Your Child Need to File an Income Tax Return?
As parents, we encourage our children to work, so they can learn important values about work and independence. At what point, if at all, do children...
Estate Management Checklist
Creating an estate management checklist can help ensure that your loved ones are taken care of in the event of your passing. Here is a sample...
Personal Financial Calendar Outline
Creating a personal financial calendar can help you stay on top of important financial tasks and deadlines throughout the year. Here's a sample...
Protecting Your Home Against Flood Loss
In 2021, the average flood claim payout from the National Flood Insurance Program was $44,401.1The financial loss that comes with flooding can be...
Red Flags for Tax Auditors
No one wants to see an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) auditor show up at their door. The IRS can’t audit every American’s tax return, so it relies...