Allocating your assets with the goal of helping the world … and your portfolio. “Do well by doing good.” You’ve probably heard that phrase. In the financial arena, it is often written or spoken in reference to impact investing – also known as socially responsible investing. A...
The 2011 payroll tax holiday may give you a chance to boost your 401(k). What would you do with an extra $1,000 or $2,000? The Tax Relief Act of 2010 will give many of us the equivalent of a 2% raise in 2011. Employee payroll taxes...
Financial-Budget-Worksheet - Click on the worksheet. Get a clearer idea of where your money goes each month by putting pen to paper with this simple monthly household budget worksheet. Once you get a birds-eye view of your spending habits, it may be easier to see how...
Before you make any extra mortgage payments, consider some factors. Should you own your home free and clear before you retire? At first glance, the answer would seem to be “absolutely, if at all possible.” Retiring with less debt … isn’t that a good thing? Why...
We will all leave this world sometime. Why leave unanswered questions with those we love? We all want to live a significant, successful life. Yet how many of us realize that our important, positive contributions can last long after we are gone? Two things are certain: death...
Create a pool of healthcare dollars that will grow in any market. How will you pay for long term care? The sad fact is that most people don’t know the answer to that question. But a solution is available. As baby boomers leave their careers behind, long...
What can be done to control the price of care? HMOs, PPOs and POS plans have long claimed that their intent is to keep healthcare costs low for individuals through preventive care strategies. While these claims are often publicly disputed, new studies and efforts have emerged...
It can reveal hidden flaws and help you improve the 401(k) plan. Why do companies request specialized audits of their 401(k)s? After all, the standard annual audit that large companies routinely attach to Form 5500s may seem adequate. Yet a specialized audit may reveal things that...
Beware of the financial schemes aimed at mature Americans. Retirement lasts longer and longer, and the retired population is growing. So the conditions are right for a “perfect storm” of financial swindles aimed at baby boomers and elders. Just an alert … here are some common...
If you’ve turned 70 and have a Traditional IRA, please read this. Federal law requires you to withdraw money from Traditional IRAs (and inherited Roth IRAs) at age 70½. (If you don’t make a withdrawal, you’ll owe a 50% penalty on the amount you should have...