• How Personality Traits Affect Financial Planning
    06/24/2010 - 02:00

    The ancient Greek expression “Know thyself” carries a lot of weight when it comes to investing. Indeed, an investor’s personality can speak volumes to their ability to spot opportunities and avoid risk. If more people truly “knew themselves” when it came to money over the last decade, it’s arguable we would not have seen many of the individual excesses and mistakes that marked the recent economic slowdown.

  • Why 2010 is the Year You Should Pay Closer Attention to Your Estate Plan
    05/26/2010 - 02:00

    Estate planning is an essential part of anyone’s personal finances -- no matter how wealthy you are. But even for those who have been diligent about planning for their spouses and heirs, this is a year when it may make particular sense to re-examine your strategy.

  • Ways to Analyze Charities and Give Smarter
    05/26/2010 - 02:00

    Despite the recession, Americans haven’t shut down much of their charitable giving. According to the Giving USA Foundation, U.S. charitable giving stood at $307.65 billion in 2008, down only 2 percent from the previous year.

    This year may not be an exception given the outpouring after the Haitian earthquake. But if you’re going to give, give smart. It makes sense to develop a long-term giving strategy that dovetails with your current finances, your estate-planning strategy and your values.

  • How Much Term Life Insurance Should You Buy?
    05/25/2010 - 02:00

    You may have read that term life insurance rates are at historic lows and that now is the time to buy. It’s worth a quick primer on why life insurance is necessary and who should buy it before getting to specific amounts that individuals should own.

  • Adult Children with Nest Eggs Can Create Private Low-Cost Reverse Mortgages for Their Parents
    04/13/2010 - 02:00

    Parents typically don’t like to burden their kids with their financial problems. That hesitancy can sometimes lead seniors to choose financial solutions that charge high fees and often don’t deliver what they promise.

  • Does It Make Sense to Get Into The Market for Troubled Homes?
    04/13/2010 - 02:00

    In March, RealtyTrac, a leading online market for foreclosure properties, reported that February 2010 foreclosures were actually down 2 percent from the previous month.

  • What to Know and Ask About Disability Insurance
    04/13/2010 - 02:00

    The commercial featuring that loud, quacking duck has gone a long way to making people think about individual disability coverage as a way to keep bills paid if the family breadwinner gets sick or injured over an extended period of time.

    It’s true -- individual disability insurance is more important than ever, and every working individual should have it.

    The key is shopping smart for that coverage. A financial planning professional is a good first stop for advice on that coverage, which should be considered as part of an overall financial plan.

  • Moving Toward a No-Debt Lifestyle: Steps to Consider
    04/13/2010 - 02:00

    Any financial planning process begins with necessary changes in financial behavior. The degree of change varies based on financial priorities, but in the end, it’s about adopting good habits and abandoning bad ones.

    Before you take any of the following steps, it makes sense to talk to an expert who can help you see your whole financial picture. A financial planning professional can examine all your sources of income and expenses and find the most efficient ways to cut expenses, pay off debt and boost the money you have for saving and investing.

    In the meantime, here are some ideas:

  • The Federal Death Tax Might Be Taking a Holiday, But Keep an Eye on Your State’s Estate and Inheritance Tax Policy
    03/02/2010 - 03:00

    With the 24/7 rush to get health care reform legislation through the U.S. Senate in the waning days of 2009, Congress let the federal estate tax die for 2010 as planned by the Bush Administration back in 2001. That’s not expected to stay the case for long – many experts anticipate that Congress will re-apply exemption levels with retroactive legislation sometime this year to help tame rising deficits.

    But, individuals and families should keep their eye on another big estate tax issue – a potentially huge hit from their home state.

  • Stepping In Financially For An Older Relative at a Time of Need
    03/02/2010 - 03:00

    No one wants to give up control of their lives. That’s true for someone who’s 20 or 80. But if you sense an older relative is slowing down, or if a serious illness is threatening the finances of any loved one, it’s time to fashion a battle plan.

Market Snapshot

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0.00
0.00