Do you regularly donate to charities and other non-profit organizations? Then you may want to open a Donor-Advised Fund. Donor-Advised Funds are becoming popular. It is easy to see why. They offer potential tax perks, and in some instances, a chance to grow money set aside for charitable gifting.1,2 It is all too easy to […]
Are Your Beneficiary Designations Up to Date?
Here’s a simple financial question: Who is the beneficiary of your IRA? How about your 401(k) or annuity? You may be saying, “I’m not sure.” It is a good idea to periodically review your beneficiary designations. Your choices may need to change with the times. When did you open your first IRA? When did you […]
Starting a Roth IRA for a Child or Grandchild
Do you have a child or grandchild earning some income? Indirectly, that after-school or summer job might present a savings opportunity for that teenager. You could help your child or grandchild save for future goals by assisting them to create and fund a Roth IRA. So many people wish they had begun saving for retirement […]
Should You Leave Your IRA to a Child?
Can a child inherit an IRA? The answer is yes, though they cannot legally own the IRA and its invested assets. Until the child turns 18 (or 21, in some states), the inherited IRA is a custodial account, managed by an adult on behalf of the minor beneficiary.1,2 IRA owners who name minors as beneficiaries […]
The Backdoor Roth IRA
Does your high income stop you from contributing to a Roth IRA? It does not necessarily prohibit you from having one. You may be able to create a backdoor Roth IRA and give yourself the potential for a tax-free income stream in retirement. The Backdoor Roth IRA, a move that high earners can make in […]
How to Protect Yourself and Your Money From Hackers and Identity Thieves
As you may have heard, Equifax, which is a credit reporting agency, suffered a data breach that compromised the personal and financial data of more than 143 million Americans.1 The information accessed included names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver’s license numbers. While this data breach is the largest in recent memory, these types of occurrences have become all too common and put us all at increased risk of identify theft. Unfortunately, the risks of identity theft extend beyond to just identity thieves taking out loans in your name. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Continue Reading …
Do you know the difference between a fee-based advisor and an independent, fee-only advisor?
This is a very important question as how your advisor is compensated may create conflicts of interest, which can lead to significant financial consequences for you and your family. As brokers and insurance agents have changed their job titles in recent years to “advisors” and have replaced commissions with fees as their primary method of compensation, such conflicts of interests are not as easy to see today but are still there if you know where to look. Such conflicts are also not hard to find if you know what questions to ask. Continue Reading …
Bundle Up? Not When It Comes To Financial Services
For many people subscribing to satellite services or cable television over the last couple of decades, the business model has been “bundling services” like television, Internet and phone together for a single rate. However, in this system, many customers are paying for TV channels that they never watch or for a landline that they rarely use. With the increased popularity of “cutting the cord” to cable and satellite TV in order to watch TV series and films on Over-The-Top (OTT) content devices, there have been calls, even from Washington, for a “pay for what you watch” or “a la carte” approach. Continue Reading …
Annuities: Are They a Good Option in Turbulent Times?
As Americans get older and the stock market goes through a periodic decline, the temptation to decrease risk over fears of running out of money makes people turn to annuities, according to the recent New York Times article entitled “Annuities as an Alternative to Shaky Markets? Not So Fast.” Single Premium Immediate Annuities (SPIA) are an especially enticing option as Americans near retirement, because by paying an upfront premium, persons can draw a payment periodically for the rest of their lives. Continue Reading …
Objective Investment Advice You Can Use
As you probably saw last week, global stock markets dropped sharply in value. There are a number of factors contributing to these recent declines including expectations of higher interest rates, falling oil prices and an economic slowdown in China.
As our focus is on the long-term, we welcome periods of sharp market declines as falling prices often produce for our clients buying opportunities with less risk. Also, periods of sharp market declines are historically normal and to be expected when investing in the stock market. Continue Reading …
