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Protecting Your Financial Information Online
More consumers are conducting financial transactions online and may become vulnerable to tracking, hacking, identity theft, phishing scams, and other cyberspace risks. While nothing can guarantee complete safety on the Internet,...
Read More6 Important Components of Estate Planning
Basic estate planning is something that everyone should do, regardless of your age, marital status, the value of your assets, and if you’re a parent or not. According to a 2021 poll by Gallup, less than half of U.S. adults...
Read MoreHow Financial Planning Can Help Prepare for LTC Costs
With the cost of long-term care (LTC) increasing year over year, considering how the costs of long-term LTC will impact your financial plan is essential. According to insurance company Genworth, the price of LTC services increased...
Read More8 Things Financial Planning Can Help You Address
Financial planning is unique for each person; no two financial plans look the same because everyone's life and personal goals are different. Regardless of what your goals are, financial planning can help you work towards achieving them...
Read MoreA Fall Financial Checklist
For many, autumn is the best time of year. The return of cool breezes, comforting foods, and pumpkins can be invigorating. It’s also a bookmark of sorts, especially for your finances—a perfect time to take stock of your...
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What is Medicare and What Does it Cover?
For those approaching the age of 65, Medicare can be confusing, and you might also be wondering how it compares to your current health care coverage. This guide addresses your questions about Medicare and how you might deal with...
Read MoreFiguring Out a 401(k) Strategy That Works for You
Matching your tolerance for risk with your investment objectives Everyone wants a comfortable retirement, but the road you take there will depend on your specific situation. When you invest, you assume a certain level of risk (but like...
Read MoreLife Insurance: How Much Is Enough?
You may already be aware of the importance of having enough life insurance coverage to handle financial matters that could affect your family in the event of your death. However, determining the appropriate amount of coverage for your...
Read More3 Investing Lessons for Beginners
Twenty-one U.S. states, including Kentucky, Texas, and Virginia, require public schools to provide high school students with financial literacy courses.1 But even among the school systems that provide general financial...
Read MoreUnderstanding Simple IRAs and Simple 401ks
For those who don't have a 401(k) option through their employer—which includes some small-business owners—how to save for retirement might be challenging. In a competitive employment market, offering retirement options to new hires and ex
Read MoreBudgeting for Teachers
If you are an educator, you know how important budgeting is. Whether you take a summer job to have a year-round income or rely on your school year to pay for bills, budgeting your money properly may help you to stay on track with your...
Read MoreValue Investing & Today's Affluent Portfolio
Every consumer likes a good bargain, particularly value investors, who seek out stocks trading for less than their intrinsic value. By choosing companies the market has undervalued, or investing in mutual funds with similar objectives,...
Read MoreA Yearly Retirement Checklist
Labor Day is right around the corner. The weather is starting to turn a little cooler, college football returns and the kids are back in school. For me, it’s always been the kids going back to school that really marked the end of...
Read MoreA Financial Planning Guide for Families with Disabilities
About 61 million adults in the U.S. live with a disability. Many of these disabilities are serious enough to impact a person’s daily life.1 There may be financial benefits available to those whose disabilities leave them unable...
Read MoreBusiness Contingency Planning for Small Business Owners
There comes a point in time when almost every small business owner contemplates the future of his or her business. Because “the business” typically is a substantial asset, an owner must address a number of estate planning...
Read MoreSmall Business Owners and the Value of Insurance
A solid financial plan for small businesses is vital, and part of that financial plan should be insurance. Insurance is essential to preserve small businesses, cover their assets, and safeguard their employees. Here are some types of...
Read MoreAn Introduction to Estate Planning for the Sandwich Generation
For members of the "Sandwich Generation"—those currently in their 40s and 50s who are caring for children and their parents who are over 65-years old—estate planning may seem like a low priority. After all, when you're...
Read MoreTips to Shape Up Your Fiscal Fitness this Summer
Many people realize that the best way to stay in shape is to develop an appropriate fitness regimen and then stick with it. If you start a fitness program and drop out, you never give yourself a chance to become physically fit. In the...
Read MoreSummer Time Reminds Us to Be Flexible
Your financial plan must be adaptable – you don’t set it and forget it As summer heats up, it pays to take a good look at how flexible you are. When you plan for the future, you need to be adaptable. No one knows...
Read MoreESG Investing: The New Frontier for Environmentally Conscious Investors
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing is on the rise throughout the world. A 2018 study from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government found that ESG investing now accounts for nearly $30 trillion, which...
Read MoreIs an Annuity Appropriate for You?
When it comes to your retirement, there are three factors that you may want to take into account when planning for your retirement income needs. First, the deductibility of Individual Retirement Account (IRA) contributions...
Read MoreEstate Planning for Same-Sex Couples
Estate planning is a process designed to help you manage and preserve your assets while you are alive, and to conserve and control their distribution after your death based on your goals and objectives. In United States v. Windsor...
Read More4 Costly 529 Plan Mistakes to Avoid
With the average cost of tuition and fees at private colleges exceeding $43,750 in 2021-22—while out-of-state public college students are paying nearly $30,000 per year—saving for college might feel like a monumental task...
Read MoreDefined Benefits Plan- An Attractive Option for Small Businesses
Defined benefit pension plans may still be an attractive retirement benefit option for small employers. This is especially true for small business owners who have been too busy growing their businesses to plan for their retirement....
Read MoreRetirement Plans for Small Businesses
If you are self-employed or own a small business and you haven't established a retirement savings plan, what are you waiting for? A retirement plan can help you and your employees save for the future. Tax Advantages A retirement plan...
Read MoreSix Uses for Life Insurance You May Not Know About
When people think of life insurance, what usually comes to mind is settling the deceased's final expenses and providing financial support for their beneficiaries. Although these are the most common uses of life insurance, cash value,...
Read More5 Attributes of Successful Entrepreneurs
What does an entrepreneur need to create a dynamic company? The right mindset is a big part of it. As an entrepreneur, you devote half your time or more to the daily hustle, making things happen and accomplishing goals. The other half...
Read More3 Ways to Invest in Our Planet on Earth Day
A green future is a prosperous one, and it is essential for everyone to do their part to ensure the future stays bright. Earth day may be the ideal time to find ways to invest in the planet so that the current generation and future...
Read MoreIf Social Security Falls Short, Have a Plan
Are you worried about the current state of the Social Security system and how its future may affect your retirement income? It’s important to take a long, hard look at your current savings strategy to ensure you’ll be able...
Read More10 Ways to Use Your Tax Refund
As we approach tax day 2022, you may be expecting to receive a tax refund. While you may have a temptation to spend your tax return, other options may be more beneficial to your financial situation. Your tax refund is for overpayment...
Read MoreHow to Spring Clean Your Finances with a Financial Review
Spring cleaning presents a great opportunity to clear out any items you no longer need—and the same goes for your finances. Checking in with your finances during tax season may be particularly beneficial, as it allows you to...
Read MoreProtecting Information from Prying Eyes on the Web
As more and more consumers search for financial information on the Internet, they may inadvertently leave themselves open to being “tracked” by certain companies and individuals. Visitors to financial websites have created...
Read MoreThe Traits of a Good Investor & How Women Can Make the Most of Them
Many women manage their own money. This includes women who have always been doing so and women who are relatively new to the world of investing, for whatever reason. Regardless of your level of investing experience, there are certain...
Read More4 Ways to Boost Your Credit IQ
March is National Credit Education Month in the U.S., which makes it the perfect opportunity to brush up on your credit basics.1 Whether you're a credit novice or well-versed in the art of the FICO score, below are four ways to...
Read MoreHow To Manage Your 401k When You Switch Jobs
In the past, boomers and generation Xers often held on to jobs for 10 or more years. Some professionals stayed with the same company for most of their working lives. The Great Recession changed this for many. Now, people have become...
Read MoreFive Helpful Tools for Tax Prep
Tax preparation tools and products continue to evolve even more quickly than the federal tax code itself. Which tax prep tools are worth the hype, and which may be passed over? Below we discuss five high-tech tools to help make tax...
Read MoreBuilding a Strong Financial Foundation
Today, many people are concerned about saving for retirement or paying for a large ticket item, such as a child’s college education. If you belong to this group, now may be the time to organize your finances. It is never too...
Read MoreRetirement Plan Limit Updates for 2022
Many IRA and retirement plan limits are indexed for inflation each year. Although the amount you can contribute to IRAs remains the same in 2022, other key numbers will increase, including how much you can contribute to a work-based...
Read MoreHow to Recognize and Protect Yourself from Tax Identity Theft
When you hear the term identity theft, the first thought that comes to mind may involve a data breach or opening a credit card in someone else's name. But another common type of identity theft involves the use of someone's Social...
Read MoreFive Healthy Habits for Financial Wellness
Financial stress can have a direct negative impact on a person's health and happiness. Unfortunately, this may lead to a downward spiral. The more stress you're feeling, the larger your financial hurdles may seem, and the more you...
Read MoreTax Preparation Checklist
Regardless of whether you prepare your taxes yourself or use a professional's services, it's a good idea to gather the information and documentation you need well in advance of your actual tax filing date. Below, we've listed some key...
Read MoreFive New Year's Resolutions for Those Nearing Retirement
If your retirement years are on the horizon, below are a few new year's resolutions that may help put you on track.
Read MoreMatter of Tax
Should you set up a trust? Maybe you've been to a seminar where they scare the life out of you, convincing you to start one. Let’s demystify this murky but very important area. Trusts are legal arrangements that give control of...
Read MoreAre You Maximizing Your 401(k) Contributions?
The more money that you can save when you are working, the easier it should be for you to retire and enjoy your golden years. Unfortunately, Social Security may no longer provide a sufficient income to live on during retirement. To...
Read MoreOutlook 2022: Passing the Baton
LPL Research Outlook 2022: Passing the Baton is designed to help you navigate the risks and opportunities over the rest of 2021 and beyond.
Read MoreOptimizing Required Minimum Distributions
Seventy-two is an important age milestone for those in or near retirement, as it marks the time when required minimum distributions (RMDs) begin to be withdrawn annually from IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans (previously,...
Read MoreRetirement Mistakes to Fix Before the Holidays
You probably spend more time planning your holiday gathering than preparing for your golden years. As a result, you make basic mistakes in trying to fund your retirement. Here are a few of the top mistakes people make to screw up this...
Read More4 Year-End Tax Planning Tips for Small Businesses
The past two years presented many small-business owners with unprecedented challenges. This year’s tax planning preparations include necessary measures for small-business owners to satisfy existing, new and modified tax laws that...
Read MoreA Year-End Planning Checklist for Everyone
Your 2021 Year-End Planning Checklist It may be easy to forget we're nearing the end of the year. Even during the busy end of year rush, it's a good time to reevaluate your 2021 finances and turn an eye toward 2022. What can you do now...
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