Articles

Estates & Trusts

• How Can My Gift Benefit Me and the Charity?

  To retain the tax advantages associated with charitable giving, your gift must be made to a qualified organization.

• How Can I Control the Distribution of My Estate?

  If you haven't taken steps already, consider planning now for the distribution of the assets of your estate.

• How Will I Pay Estate Taxes?

  If you believe your estate will be subject to estate taxes, consider how your heirs will pay the bill.

• What Gifting Strategies Are Available to Me?

  Compare the advantages and disadvantages of different gifting strategies available for planned giving.

• How Can I Benefit from a Charitable Remainder Trust?

  A designated income beneficiary could receive payment of a specified amount from a charitable remainder trust.

• How Can I Benefit from a Wealth Replacement Trust?

  A wealth replacement trust could be used to gift appreciated assets to a charity as well as provide for heirs.

• Could My Family Benefit from a Family Limited Partnership?

  One estate planning strategy that families with closely held businesses could consider is the family limited partnership.

Retirement

• What Is an IRA Rollover?

  If you leave a job or retire, you should consider your options regarding your employer retirement plan assets.

• What Is a Roth 401(k)?

  A Roth 401(k) is funded with after-tax money, and allows for tax- and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings if requirements are met.

• What Is a Profit-Sharing Plan?

  Profit-sharing plans give employees a share in the profits of a company and can help to fund their retirements.

• What Is a 403(b) Plan?

  A 403(b) plan is a tax-deferred retirement savings plan that can only be offered by a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity.

• What Is a Split-Annuity Strategy?

  A split-annuity strategy can generate immediate income while potentially stretching some retirement savings.

• How Much Do I Need to Save?

  Many realize it’s important to save for retirement, but knowing exactly how much to save is another issue altogether.

• What Is a 1035 Exchange?

  A Section 1035 exchange is a tax-free exchange of an existing annuity contract or life insurance policy for a new one.

• How Can I Estimate My Future Social Security Benefits?

  The Social Security Administration’s retirement estimator gives estimates of your future benefits based on your actual Social Security earnings record.

• What Is a Self-Employed Retirement Plan?

  Tax-deferred retirement plans for self-employed individuals have higher contribution limits than IRAs.

• What Is a 401(k) Plan?

  401(k) employer-sponsored retirement plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.

• How Should I Manage My Retirement Plan?

  Employer-sponsored retirement plans are more important than ever, but managing the assets can be confusing.

Tax Planning

• What Is the Estate Tax?

  Everything you own, whatever the form of ownership, is subject to federal, and possibly state, estate taxes.

• How Much Money Can I Put Into My IRA or Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan?

  IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to annual contribution limits set by the federal government.

• What Is a Required Minimum Distribution?

  Required minimum distribution is the annual amount that must be withdrawn from a qualified retirement plan/account.

• When Must Taxes Be Paid on IRA and Employer-Sponsored Retirement Funds?

  With traditional IRAs and most employer-sponsored retirement plans, taxes are not payable until funds are withdrawn.

• What Happens If I Withdraw Money from My Tax-Deferred Investments Before Age 59½

  Tax-deferred retirement account withdrawals before age 59½ generally triggers a 10% federal income tax penalty.

• How Can I Benefit from Tax-Advantaged Investments?

  Many traditional tax-advantaged investment strategies have gone away, but there are still some alternatives.

• What Is the Most Tax-Efficient Way to Take a Distribution From a Retirement Plan

  Consider a trustee-to-trustee transfer to an IRA versus a lump-sum distribution from a workplace retirement plan.

• What Is the Tax History of the United States?

  United States tax law is a constantly changing landscape. The latest major piece of tax legislation is the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

Investing

• What Is a Bond Ladder?

  A bond ladder is a strategy involving the purchase of bonds that have staggered maturity dates.

• How Are Common and Preferred Stocks Different?

  It's important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of common stock versus preferred stock.

• How Are Mutual Funds Taxed?

  Mutual fund taxes can be cumbersome, but there are ways to help mitigate the amount of taxes you may owe.

• What Is Stock?

  Before investing in stocks, it is important to understand some of the basics and the risks involved in owning stocks.

• What Types of Bonds Are Available?

  Bonds are issued by many entities and share many characteristics, each type of bond has certain benefits and risks.

• What Do Bond Ratings Mean?

  Bond ratings gauge a bond issuer’s financial ability to repay its promised principal and interest payments.

• How Do Mutual Funds and Stocks Differ?

  The difference between purchasing an individual stock versus shares in a mutual fund to potentially earn dividends.

• What Is a Mutual Fund?

  A mutual fund is a collection of stocks, bonds, and other securities with certain benefits and risks.

• What Is the Difference Between a Fixed Annuity and a Variable Annuity?

  Both fixed and variable annuities could be appropriate options for an individual interested in purchasing an annuity.

• What Are the Different Classes of Assets?

  There are five broad asset classes that you should take into consideration when constructing your investment portfolio.

• What Is Asset Allocation?

  Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.

• How Can I Save for My Child’s College Education?

  There are several funding methods for a child's college education including mutual funds and Section 529 plans.

• What College Investment Options Do I Have?

  Starting to invest early for college and remaining consistent can help investors reach their goals.

• What Stock and Bond Investing Alternatives Do I Have?

  There are other ways to invest in stocks and bonds besides owning individual shares or bonds.

Cash Management

• What Are Some Tips for Managing My Money?

  A sound cash management program uses a disciplined approach: accounting, analysis, allocation, and adjustment.

• How Do Money Market Mutual Funds Work?

  Money market funds can be a highly liquid and effective cash management tool.

• How Can I Better Manage My Short-Term Cash?

  There are numerous investment alternatives available to help provide liquidity.

• What Is a Reverse Mortgage?

  There are techniques that can enable older homeowners to use their property to finance their lifestyle.

• What Are Some Smart Ways to Refinance?

  Here are some smart ways to refinance your home.

• What About Financial Aid for College?

  It's important to understand the options, such as financial aid grant programs, when having to pay for college.

• Is a Home Equity Loan or Line of Credit Right for Me?

  Shifting some debt to a home equity loan, which typically allows interest payments to be tax deductible, could have its advantages.

Risk Management

• Why Purchase Life Insurance?

  If you have a family who relies on your income, it is important to have life insurance protection.

• Why Are Annuities Considered an Insurance Product?

  An annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company to pay you future income in exchange for premiums you pay.

• Do I Need a Business Owner Policy?

  A business owner policy is an insurance package that assembles the basic coverages required by a business owner in one bundle.

• What Is Last-Survivor Life Insurance?

  Couples who want to help protect their legacy from estate taxes could consider last-survivor life insurance.

• What Is Disability Income Insurance for Business Owners?

  As a business owner, a disability can create an economic hardship putting both your personal finances and business at risk.

• What Is Whole Life Insurance?

  Some of the pros and cons of whole life insurance.

• What Is Universal Life Insurance?

  Consider a universal life insurance policy if you want the flexibility to change your premium or death benefit.

• How Do I Make a Property Insurance Claim?

  When it is time to make an insurance claim, it helps if you are familiar with your policies and the steps you should take to file a claim.

• How Can I Maximize My Insurance Benefits?

  Several factors could undermine the financial security provided by the proceeds of your life insurance policy.

• How Can I Insure My Future?

  To help you choose insurance wisely, determine how much coverage and what kind of policy is best for your situation.

• What Types of Health Coverage Are Available?

  There are three basic types of medical insurance plans: fee-for-service, managed care, and high-deductible health plan.

• Am I Prepared for Long-Term Care Expenses?

  The odds of needing long-term care increase as you age. Prior planning can help protect you from financial ruin.

• What Does Medicare Cover?

  Medicare is the federal health insurance program for those persons age 65 and over. But what does it cover?

• How Likely Am I to Need Long-Term Care?

  If you were to suffer an illness or disability that required long-term nursing care, would you be covered?

• What Are the Basic Types of Life Insurance?

  When selecting a life insurance policy, examine all your options, as well as the positives and negatives of each type.