Financial Reference Library
Making Your Employer a Partner In Your Financial Planning
Date: 2007-05-01
Abstract: People who look to their employers for nothing more than a weekly paycheck and basic health care insurance are missing the boat.
Market Volatility Shouldn’t Rattle a Good Financial Plan
Date: 2007-05-01
Abstract: On Feb. 27 this year, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 416 points, the biggest drop since the market reopened after the 9/11 attacks. By early May, the market had more than made up those losses and stood at record highs.
Adopting a Child Requires a Specific Financial Plan
Date: 2007-05-01
Abstract: Adopting a child is a massive decision, probably bigger than education, marriage or career. Few individuals or couples anticipate how expensive it is to have a biological child, and depending on your choice of adoption scenario you’re going to need a fina
What Are Exchange-traded Funds and How Do They Work?
Date: 2007-04-01
Abstract: Since their launch in the early 1990s on the American Stock Exchange, there are now hundreds of ETFs available for investors to buy. As the market has struggled its way back since 2000, investors have embraced ETFs as a more efficient alternative to a mu
Getting the Kids Involved in Saving for College
Date: 2007-04-01
Abstract: The World War II generation got a taste of higher education through the G.I. Bill and made it a point to supplement or pay their kids’ tuition. It was a struggle, but a far more manageable one than it is in this day and age.
Losing Your Inheritance to Uncle Sam – or Others
Date: 2007-04-01
Abstract: Successful estate planning takes not one generation, but two. The first generation needs to make a clear, sensible plan and the second needs to be involved in that plan.
Using Universal Life Insurance with Secondary Guarantees for Estate Taxes
Date: 2007-02-01
Abstract: As things stand in early 2007, estate and generation skipping (GST) taxes will be repealed in 2010 and reinstated in 2011.
Tis the Season - Things to Know Before Filing Your Taxes
Date: 2007-02-01
Abstract: Everyone loves a good tax tip.
Creating an Ethical Will
Date: 2007-02-01
Abstract: You may or may not have heard the term "ethical will". But, for those who care about making their values and ethics part of their legacy, it is a tool to consider when planning your estate.
More Tax Changes: The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006
Date: 2007-01-01
Abstract: The new law, which offers $45.1 billion in tax breaks and adds more than 200 changes to the Tax Code, extended several tax provisions that were scheduled to expire, resurrected several tax provisions that had already expired and added a few surprises.
Medicare Provides Preventive Services
Date: 2007-01-01
Abstract: There are many myths about Medicare: many of which focus on what it covers and what it doesn't.
Getting Fiscally Fit In 2007
Date: 2007-01-01
Abstract: Here's a sampling of resolutions that Americans might consider in 2007.
A Primer on Hedge Funds
Date: 2006-12-01
Abstract: Not a day goes by when the phrase "hedge fund" doesn't appear in the headline of some newspaper or Web site.
The Ins and Outs of Mortgages and Refinancing
Date: 2006-12-01
Abstract: There was a time when mortgages were a fairly straight forward instrument.
The Ins and Outs of Roth IRA Conversions
Date: 2006-12-01
Abstract: If you are thinking about making a Roth IRA conversion in 2006, now is the time to make sure that distributions from your traditional IRA are completed before year end.
Is Conventional Planning Right for You?
Date: 2006-11-01
Abstract: Do online interactive financial planning models really help people in deciding how much to save, to insure, and to invest in stocks and other asset classes?
New law allows IRA owners over 701/2 to donate RMD to charity
Date: 2006-11-01
Abstract: The Pension Protection Act of 2006 allows IRA owners age 701/2 or older to make direct transfers of up to $100,000 per year from their IRA to a charity.
Year-End Personal Finance Checklist
Date: 2006-11-01
Abstract: To be sure, you have time to get your financial act together before 2006 ends. But not much time. Here's a recap of what Sue Stevens, director of financial planning at Morningstar, and other financial planners suggest doing...
A guide to withdrawing retirement assets
Date: 2006-10-01
Abstract: A lot is being written about how much money Americans can withdraw from their investments to fund their retirement years.
A Time and Place for Life Settlements
Date: 2006-10-01
Abstract: Sales of existing life insurance policies to third parties-often referred to as "life settlements"-have grown exponentially in recent years, and that trend appears likely to continue, according the NASD.
Taxpayers should get a head start on tax planning for 2007
Date: 2006-10-01
Abstract: Unlike many changes to the tax laws that are effective for only limited periods of time, indexing has become well established within the tax code.
Making A Home Senior Friendly
Date: 2006-09-01
Abstract: In October, a consumer awareness campaign aptly named National Aging In Place will occur and it has been deemed the perfect time for older Americans and their relatives to discuss a whole range of livability issues.
The New Pension Protection Act of 2006 Promotes Savings, Protects Pensions
Date: 2006-09-01
Abstract: It's been described as the most sweeping pension legislation in more than three decades.
Conserving Client Portfolios
Date: 2006-09-01
Abstract: "How much can an investor afford to withdraw from their portfolio during retirement, while minimizing the risk of exhausting that portfolio prematurely?"
Navigating Interest Rates, Inflation and the Economy
Date: 2006-08-01
Abstract: These are tricky times for American investors and consumers in general. The economy seems to be cooling down!
The Correct Way to Use Lifecycle Mutual Funds
Date: 2006-08-01
Abstract: Target-date and target-risk funds have become popular investments among 401(k) plan participants and retirement investors, especially those who have neither the time, knowledge nor inclination to create and manage an investment portfolio.
College Planning in the Wake of New Tax Laws
Date: 2006-08-01
Abstract: Planning for college has never been easy. But such planning became a bit easier when President Bush signed the TIPRA and DRA into law earlier this year.
A Primer on the TIPRA 2005
Date: 2006-07-01
Abstract: A Primer on the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005
Gearing Up for Life on the RV Road
Date: 2006-07-01
Abstract: More than 30 million Americans are RVing these days.
ILITS Remain a Popular Estate Planning Tool and Technique
Date: 2006-07-01
Abstract: Indeed, financial planners say irrevocable life insurance trusts, or ILITs, can fulfill many estate-planning goals, not the least of which is avoiding federal estate taxes on the death benefit amount of the life insurance policy.
Getting Started with ETFs
Date: 2006-06-01
Abstract: Exchange-traded "equity" funds (ETFs) were introduced in 1993 by a subsidiary of the American Stock Exchange.
Taking Responsibility for Retirement: How today's scary headlines can help your retirement plan
Date: 2006-06-01
Abstract: One general tip. If you're not really certain where you stand, get some help. If you've never sat down with a financial adviser it may be time to get a second opinion on your retirement readiness. The meeting may yield some ugly news, but it's better to k
About that dream vacation home...
Date: 2006-06-01
Abstract: Vacation homes-of which the U.S. Census Bureau identified 6.8 million at last count-accounted for 12.2 percent of all homes purchased in 2005, and, at a record 1.02 million, such purchases were up 16.9 percent from 872,000 in 2004, a recent survey by the
The Importance of an Annual Financial Checkup
Date: 2006-05-01
Abstract: It's one of the six steps of the financial planning process. But, oftentimes, it's the one step that gets overlooked. It's the sixth step - the annual financial check-up.
Financial Education for Minorities
Date: 2006-05-01
Abstract: All Americans are in need of financial literacy and financial planning. But minorities are seemingly in particular need of the information, knowledge and skills required to navigate what is increasingly becoming a complex financial services market.
The Truth about Small-Business Succession Planning
Date: 2006-05-01
Abstract: Of all the things facing a man or woman from the moment he or she becomes chief executive officer of a large company, few have a higher priority than determining who will succeed him or her when it becomes necessary.
A BRAVE NEW FINANCIAL WORLD FOR BABY BOOMERS
Date: 2006-04-01
Abstract: On any given day, you will find not one but several studies that examine the current state of affairs for Baby Boomers, the 77 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 that are now slowly approaching retirement. And what's emerging is an interesting,
A NEW APPROACH TO SELECTING A FINANCIAL PLANNER
Date: 2006-04-01
Abstract: Selecting a financial planner has never been an easy task. Yes, experts have long advised checking such things as a person's experience and education, as well as their regulatory record. But in recent years, selecting a planner has become especially diffi
ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL INVESTMENTS
Date: 2006-04-01
Abstract: Investors sometimes get bored with traditional investments, such as U.S. stocks, investment-grade bonds, and the mutual funds that are invested in those asset classes. Especially when such investments fail to generate adequate returns as they did in 2005.
The Perplexing World of Social Secuirty and Earnings in Retirement
Date: 2006-03-01
Abstract: Launched in 1935 during the Great Depression as a principal component of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal recovery program, the Social Security System has earned an unquestionable reputation for the reliability of its stream of monthly checks to retirees,
THE RETURN OF UNCLE SAM'S 30-YEAR BOND
Date: 2006-03-01
Abstract: Nearly five years after offering its last issue of 30-year bonds to individual and institutional investors-causing some to warn of a bond shortage-the U.S. Treasury has returned to the market place with a $14 billion issue of its longest maturity, perhaps
THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF MEASURING AND COMPARING INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE
Date: 2006-03-01
Abstract: Measuring and comparing investment performance is not an easy task. Consider, for instance, something as simple as the daily comings and going of the stock market. One month the Dow Jones industrial average (DJIA) is up and the next month it's down. B
CHANGES IN STORE FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID
Date: 2006-02-01
Abstract: President Bush signed into law in February the Deficit Reduction Act, otherwise known as the fiscal year 2006 budget reconciliation bill. That law, which contained more than $39 billion in cuts, including $6.4 billion from Medicare and $4.8 billion from M
FIGURING OUT THE FINANCIAL AID FORMULA
Date: 2006-02-01
Abstract: Few areas of financial planning are more complicated for parents than ensuring that their children will have enough money to pay for tuition, room, board, books, transportation and other related expenses.
TAKING TIME TO UNDERSTAND THE 2006 TAX CHANGES
Date: 2006-02-01
Abstract: The Internal Revenue Code is not ordinarily thought of as a gift that keeps on giving, but, with 2005 having given way to 2006, it does contain several sections which provide for keeping more of what you will be earning and saving more for your retirement
CARING FOR ELDERLY LOVED ONES FROM AFAR
Date: 2006-01-01
Abstract: There was a time when family members - grandparents, parents and children alike - lived in close proximity to each other, often in the same house. But that was then and this is now.
EVALUATING THE NEED FOR INSURANCE IN RETIREMENT
Date: 2006-01-01
Abstract: Of all the changes that come in retirement, few are likely to give you more concern than dealing with money.
NAVIGATING THE FEDERAL AND STATE ESTATE TAX MAZE
Date: 2006-01-01
Abstract: To taxpayers, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 may have meant income tax cuts resulting in more current after-tax income, but to financial planners it has meant more work for clients to develop strategies to minimize both fede
Equity-Indexed Annuities Demystified
Date: 2005-12-01
Abstract: There is perhaps no financial product more confusing today than equity-index annuities or EIAs. On the surface, EIAs are somewhat simple, but...
Financial Planning for Life
Date: 2005-12-01
Abstract: If the term “financial planners” evokes visions of equities and equity mutual funds—selected to implement financial plans they developed for clients in accordance with their investment goals and tolerance for investment risk—it should not be surprising.
Making and Keeping New Year's Financial Planning Resolutions
Date: 2005-12-01
Abstract: Even if you aren’t among those who normally make New Year’s resolutions—and keep them—this may be a time when you will want to make and keep them in the year to come.
A Primer on Charitable Donations
Date: 2005-11-01
Abstract: Americans have long responded generously to people in need. Witness the torrent of checks to the victims of recent hurricanes and earthquakes. But while such acts remind us of the generosity of Americans...
Rules for Hiring Family Members
Date: 2005-11-01
Abstract: Many self-employed people want to hire family members to work for them. But as with many things in life, there’s a right way and a wrong to do this.
Year End Tax Planning Tips
Date: 2005-11-01
Abstract: Although it’s too early to know what your taxable income will be in 2005, it’s not too late to plan strategies to lower it by means of legitimate tactics that can impact your total income, the expenses you may deduct against it, or both.
Tips on Filing Homeowner's Insurance Claims
Date: 2005-10-01
Abstract: Whether your home was damaged by Hurricane Katrina or Rita or by other causes-or whether it has been spared-it is important to know what to do and what to expect when you file a claim for losses under your homeowners insurance policy.
Preparing for the New Medicare Drug Benefit
Date: 2005-10-01
Abstract: Starting January 1, 2006 Medicare will offer for the first time in its 40-year history coverage for prescription drugs.
A Primer on the National Saving Rate
Date: 2005-10-01
Abstract: The Commerce Department recently announced that the nation's personal saving rate, calculated as a percentage of disposable (or after-tax) personal income, had fallen to a negative number for the first time since October 2001.
Understanding the New Roth 401(k)
Date: 2005-09-01
Abstract: Come January 2006, the new Roth 401(k)
Exploring Identity Theft
Date: 2005-09-01
Abstract: To help clients to be protected against identity theft, it is important for them to have a sense of the many ways in which it may occur.
A Primer on Living Benefits
Date: 2005-09-01
Abstract: How do baby boomers maintain their standard of living
Go Easy On Home-Equity Loans
Date: 2005-03-01
Abstract: Homeowners are unlocking the equity built up in their homes like never before.
How To Avoid A Medical Financial Disaster
Date: 2005-03-01
Abstract: The inability to pay mounting medical bills was the main cause for filing nearly half of all personal bankruptcies in 2004.
Do You Know What Your CPI Is?
Date: 2005-03-01
Abstract: Do you know what your personal inflation rate was for 2004?
Why You Need an Estate Plan
Date: 2005-03-01
Abstract: An estate plan is important, even for families who are not wealthy.
What Is The Real Reason You Should Invest?
Date: 2005-03-01
Abstract: Most people think they know the answer to the question of why should they invest. Many invest for the wrong reasons—and that can lead to financial difficulties.
Will Your Future Social Security Payments Be Smaller Than Expected?
Date: 2005-03-01
Abstract: Your future Social Security payments might be smaller than expected—more than $300 a month smaller in some cases—and you might not even realize it.
Caring for Elderly Loved Ones from Afar
Date: 2005-01-01
Abstract: There was a time when family members – grandparents, parents and children alike – lived in close proximity to each other, often in the same house. But that was then and this is now.
Evaluating the Need for Insurance in Retirement
Date: 2005-01-01
Abstract: Of all the changes that come in retirement, few are likely to give you more concern than dealing with money. Your concern is, of course, understandable and widely shared because so much of what will happen is unpredictable.
Navigating the Federal and State Estate Tax Maze
Date: 2005-01-01
Abstract: To taxpayers, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 may have meant income tax cuts resulting in more current after-tax income, but...
