Home Ownership — The Comeback of a Dream
Home buying has been out of favor since the mortgage crisis of 2008-2009. That’s when everyone learned the dangers of being overextended with mortgage debt — and with credit card debt used to furnish a...
View Article529 Plan Costs Compare
Are you paying too much for your 529 college savings plan? If you’ve bought through a broker or adviser, the answer is almost certainly yes. Every state has a “direct-sold” plan that you can access...
View ArticleStock Market Predictions
The tenth anniversary year of this bull market got off to a great start in 2019. After posting the largest one-day point decline in history on Christmas Eve, January proved the Grinch did not steal the...
View ArticleSocially Responsible Investing
If you want your investment dollars to not only make money but to make the world a better place as well, there are now some new and easy ways to make that happen. More than one out of every four...
View ArticleTaxing Your Retirement
As tax time draws near, Americans are taking a second look at the impact of the new tax laws. For many people, the day of reckoning is proving an expensive one. The tax cut put more money in their...
View ArticleConsider Disability Insurance
Income tax time brings you face to face with the amount of money you earn — and have left to live on, after taxes. But what if you were disabled and couldn’t work? It’s something no one wants to think...
View ArticleRoth Conversions
In a recent column, I mentioned the importance of tax planning for your retirement assets. We are living in a time of relatively low historic income tax rates, and as our national debt grows and...
View ArticleSocial Security, Medicare Key Facts
Americans are woefully uneducated about Social Security and Medicare — and that creates some expensive mistakes. Here are a few facts you should know. —Waiting until age 70 will increase your monthly...
View ArticleCongrats, Grad. Now Repay Debt
Congratulations, college grad. Your first challenge is finding a job, and perhaps a place to live. The second challenge is even more difficult: starting to repay your student loans. The time to start...
View ArticleInheriting an IRA
As America ages, it’s likely that more people will inherit substantial Individual Retirement Accounts. What you do next will make a big difference in your own financial future. Yet, few people leave...
View ArticleStudent Loan Rates Drop — Still Not Great Deal
There’s a bit of good news for those taking out student loans for the 2019-2020 school year, which begins this fall. Rates on new student loans will fall about a half of one percent to 4.53 percent on...
View ArticleA Lonely Problem
The baby boom generation is getting a new name: The Loneliest Generation. About one in 11 Americans age 50 and older lacks a spouse, partner or living child, according to a recent report in the Wall...
View ArticleFive Tips for College Grads
If you have a child graduating college this spring, it’s quite an accomplishment — not only for them, but for you as a parent. When that baby was born so long ago, surely you gave a bit of thought to...
View ArticleThe Long Run?
People buy lottery tickets with astronomical odds against winning. (I must confess, I do that myself when the jackpot is huge.) After all, it’s a cheap price for a few hours of fantasy. But that’s...
View ArticleBeware New “Best Interests” Standard
The SEC has just passed a new regulation called the “best interest standard.” The title of the rule — and the public self-congratulations — are designed to reassure investors that all brokers are...
View ArticleKeeping Score of Your Credit
Your credit score affects almost every aspect of your financial life — not only the rate you will pay on a mortgage or car loan but also the cost of your auto insurance and even your prospects for...
View ArticleCut Student Loan Rates!
Student loans are about to become a big political issue in the 2020 election. That’s a shame because it guarantees that nothing will get done to solve this huge $1.6 trillion problem that not only...
View ArticleTime for Risk Management
Whether you’re trying to decide how to invest or considering the prospects for a better job, the economic outlook has never been more confusing. Yes, the economy is doing well right now, despite the...
View ArticleThe Search for Yield
The stock market cheered signals that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this month. There was no complaint from politicians, who see low interest rates as encouraging economic growth. But...
View ArticleBeware of Bonds
Bonds are traditionally viewed as the safest of investments. But that myth may be shattered in the months ahead, whether interest rates rise or fall. So, if you’re looking to hide out from the stock...
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