You’ve seen the footage on the news. You’ve been in the middle of it. You’ve stood in the vexing lines. You’ve circled for the elusive parking spots. Holiday shopping can be downright frenzied – and impulsive. You don’t necessarily need to go to the mall to...
You are more likely to die from killer bees than contract the Ebola virus. Statistically, that is currently the case. As The Economist notes, an American’s chances of dying from wasp or bee stings in any given year are about 25,000,000-to-1. Right now, your odds...
As every calendar year ends, the window slowly closes on a set of financial opportunities. Here are several you might want to explore before 2015 arrives. Don’t forget that IRA RMD. If you own one or more traditional IRAs,you have to take your annual required minimum...
If your loved ones have invested, saved or insured themselves to any degree, you may be named as a beneficiary to one or more of their accounts, policies or assets in the event of their deaths. While we all hope “that day” never comes, we...
A SCOTUS ruling raises eyebrows. On June 12, 2014, the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that assets held within inherited IRAs by non-spousal beneficiaries do not legally constitute “retirement funds.” Therefore, those assets are not protected from creditors under federal bankruptcy statutes.1,2 This opinion may have you...
How many of us save and invest with an eye on tax implications? Not that many of us, according to a recent survey from Russell Investments (the global asset manager overseeing the Russell 2000). In the opening quarter of 2014, Russell polled financial services professionals...
If you have saved and invested consistently for retirement, you may find yourself ready to leave work on your terms – with abundant free time, new opportunities, and wonderful adventures ahead of you. The thing to keep in mind is that the reality of your...
“Easing without end” will finally end. According to its June policy meeting minutes, the Federal Reserve plans to wrap up QE3 this fall. Barring economic turbulence, the central bank’s ongoing stimulus effort will conclude on schedule, with a last $15 billion cut to zero being...
To start, ask each other what you see yourselves doing in retirement – individually as well as together. Is the way you are saving and investing conducive to those dreams? Think about whether you are making the most of your retirement savings potential. Could you save...
What kind of retirement do you think you’ll have? An outstanding one? A depressing one? What if it all starts with your outlook?Qualitatively speaking, what if the success or failure of your retirement begins with your perception of retirement? A whole field of study has emerged...