Some guides to help you develop a sound financial plan for today and the future, no matter where you are in your life’s journey.
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10 Retirement Saving Tips
Back To Top This Content is for informational purposes only. Nothing contained herein constitutes accounting, tax, financial, investment, legal or other professional advice, and, accordingly,… Read More
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Annuities: Frequently Asked Questions
What are variable annuities? Variable annuity contracts are sold by insurance companies. Purchasers pay a premium of, for example, $10,000 for a single payment variable… Read More
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Annuities: How They Work and When You Should Use Them
Annuities may help you meet some of your mid and long-range goals such as planning for your retirement and for a child’s college education. This… Read More
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Applying For a Loan: How To Get The Best Loan At The Lowest Cost
Debt should be incurred with caution. Yet there are ways to take advantage of your available credit to enjoy a purchase, make an investment, or… Read More
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Are You Getting Good Financial Advice?
Don’t Just Look At Numbers; What’s Your Gut Telling You? It’s not hard to find advice on how to manage your money these days. You… Read More
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ATM Transactions: Frequently Asked Questions
How do automated teller machine (ATM) and other electronic transfer transactions work? There are various transactions that fall under the umbrella term “electronic funds transfer.”… Read More
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Bank Accounts: Frequently Asked Questions
What banking fees do you need to look out for when shopping for a bank account? Fortunately, banks are required to give you a list… Read More
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Bank Accounts: What To Look and Ask For
What type of account should you keep your money in at a bank or savings and loan association? How can you find the account that… Read More
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Becoming a Parent: The Financial Considerations
Once you have a child, financial planning for the future becomes even more essential. How will you finance child care, medical bills, food, education, clothing,… Read More
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Budgeting: How To Prepare a Workable Plan
A budget is an essential component of your financial plan. Not only does it force you to monitor your spending, it enables you to focus… Read More
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Buying a Home: Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I spend on my next home? The first step is to think about how much you can afford to pay out each… Read More
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Buying or Leasing Your Next Car: Frequently Asked Questions
Should I lease or buy my next car? Will you save money leasing instead of buying? It depends on four things: (1) how good a… Read More
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Cash Flow – The Pulse of Your Business
Many small business owners do not fully understand their cash flow statement. This is surprising, given that all businesses essentially run on cash, and cash… Read More
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Credit Cards: Frequently Asked Questions
Which are the best credit cards? Finding the best credit card is mostly a matter of comparison shopping, but before you accept a credit card… Read More
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Credit Cards: How To Choose – And Use – Them Wisely
Using your credit cards wisely is largely a matter of being informed – e.g., how much your card company is charging you for credit –… Read More
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Credit Rating: Frequently Asked Questions
How will a divorce or separation affect my credit? Here are some tips for handling the credit aspects of divorce, both in the planning stages… Read More
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Credit Reports: Frequently Asked Questions
How can I check my credit report? Mistakes on credit reports occur more frequently than you might think. And whether those mistakes are there because… Read More
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Credit Reports: What You Should Know – And Do – About Yours
How do lenders determine who is approved for a credit card, mortgage, or car loan? Why are some individuals flooded with credit card offers while… Read More
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Developing a Financial Plan: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I determine my long-term financial goals? The first step is to decide what you realistically want to achieve financially. Financial goals might include… Read More
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Financial Planning Checklist
Once you’ve finished with your tax planning for the year, and your return is safely on its way to the IRS, you’re at an excellent… Read More
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Financial Planning Tips For Business Owners
1. Consider establishing an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). If you own a business and need to diversify your investment portfolio, consider establishing an ESOP.… Read More
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Financial Trouble: Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell whether I have too much debt? If you answer yes to any one of the following questions, you should take action:… Read More
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Financing Questions: Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Raise Money For My Small Business? Even though, raising capital is the most basic of all business activities, it can be a… Read More
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Getting a Loan: Frequently Asked Questions
Should I prepay my mortgage? As a general rule, if you are able to prepay your mortgage (and if there is no penalty for doing… Read More
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Getting Divorced: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I prepare financially for divorce? If you are considering divorce, it’s vital to plan for the dissolution of the financial partnership in your… Read More
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Getting Married (or Divorced): Some Financial Guidelines
What are the financial implications of marriage (and of divorce and remarriage)? Those who have recently changed their marital status or who are planning such… Read More
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Getting Married: Frequently Asked Questions
Legal Rights: What are the major differences between married and unmarried couples? When it comes to legal rights and being married vs. unmarried, there are… Read More
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Getting Out of Financial Trouble: Steps You Can Take
If like thousands of others, you are having trouble paying your debts, it is important to take action. Doing nothing can lead to much larger… Read More
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Home Equity Loans: How To Shop For The One That Is Best For You
By using the equity in your home, you may qualify for a home equity line of credit (HELOC), a sizable amount of credit that is… Read More
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Investment Options: Frequently Asked Questions
What are the steps in the investment process? The investment process is comprised of several steps that enable you to select a portfolio appropriate to… Read More
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Loan Questions: Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if a friend or family member asks me to co-sign a loan? Many people agree to co-sign loans for friends or… Read More
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Maximize Your Wealth With a Winning Exit Plan
Selecting your business successor is a fundamental objective of planning an exit strategy and requires a careful assessment of what you want from the sale… Read More
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Merchant Credit Card Abuses: What They Cannot Ask You To Do
Many merchants engraft their own rules to your use of a credit card, usually without the right to do so. What are you required to… Read More
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Other Situations: Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Resolve A Consumer Complaint? First, go to the seller of the item. Second, contact the relevant consumer agency. Finally, if neither of… Read More
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Raising a Child: Frequently Asked Questions
How much will it cost me to raise a child? We can’t tell you exactly what your child will cost, but we can provide you… Read More
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Raising Capital: How To Get Money For a Small Business
In addition to drive, ambition and a great deal of planning, starting and expanding a small business generally requires capital. Capital may come from family,… Read More
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Refinancing Your Mortgage: When and How
If you bought your home when mortgage rates were higher than today’s rates are, or have an adjustable-rate loan and would like to change it… Read More
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Retirement Assets: Frequently Asked Questions
Will my heirs owe income taxes when they inherit my retirement assets? Yes, generally under the same rules that would apply to your withdrawals of… Read More
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Retirement Plan Distributions: Frequently Asked Questions
How should I take distributions from my retirement plan? If your assets are in a tax-favored retirement fund such as a company or Keogh pension… Read More
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Retirement Plan Distributions: How To Take Them
If you are thinking of retiring soon, you are about to make a major financial decision: how to take distributions from your retirement plan. This… Read More
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Retirement Plan Distributions: When To Take Them
When must you start withdrawing the funds in your retirement plans? And what happens if the funds aren’t withdrawn before you die? To what extent… Read More
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Roth IRAs: How They Work and How To Use Them
Roth IRAs differ from other tax-favored retirement plans, including other IRAs (called “traditional IRAs”), in that they promise complete tax exemption on distribution. There are… Read More
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Saving for College: Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start saving for my child’s education? This depends on how much you think your children’s education will cost. The best way is… Read More
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Saving Money: 10 Major Ways To Increase Your Nest Egg
One way to accumulate assets for retirement, education, or other major goals is to reduce your spending. Studies have shown that these savings can add… Read More
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Should You Count On Social Security?
In December 2022, 48.6 million retired American workers received an average of $1,825 average monthly benefit in Social Security retirement benefits. Social Security is the… Read More
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Social Security Benefits: Frequently Asked Questions
Who is entitled to Social Security disability benefits? An individual who is determined to be “disabled” by the Social Security Administration receives an Award Letter,… Read More
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Social Security Benefits: How To Get The Maximum Amount
Decisions about retirement, including understanding your Social Security benefits, are among the most important ones you will ever make. This Financial Guide provides the information… Read More
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Tax Saving Strategies: A Helpful Checklist
This Financial Guide provides tax saving strategies for deferring income and maximizing deductions and includes some strategies for specific categories of individuals, such as those… Read More
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Tax Saving Strategies: Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best way to borrow to make consumer purchases? Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, for tax years 2018 through 2025, interest on… Read More
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The “SIMPLE” Plan: A Retirement Plan for the Really Small Business
Several different types of retirement plan – 401(k), defined benefit, and profit-sharing – can be made to suit a prosperous small business or professional practice.… Read More
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Traditional vs Roth IRAs: Frequently Asked Questions
What’s good about investing in IRAs? There are two types of IRAs: traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. Traditional IRAs defer taxation of investment income, and… Read More
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Your Child’s Education: How To Finance It
How can you properly fund your children’s education without draining your current cash flow? What should you do if they are a few years away… Read More
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Your Credit Card Rights: What To Do If You Have a Problem
Federal law grants consumers several rights relating to their credit card transactions, against the card companies and in the case of a dispute with a… Read More
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Your Financial Plan: Getting Started On a Secure Future
This Financial Guide tells you how to begin the financial planning process. It provides worksheets to help you find out where you are financially and… Read More
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Your Next Car: Should You Buy Or Lease?
This Financial Guide gives you a framework for deciding whether leasing a car makes sense for you. It explains the meaning of various lease provisions,… Read More
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Your Retirement Plan: How To Get Started
The number of people who are financially unprepared for retirement is staggering. One study revealed that more than half of the adults in the U.S.… Read More
Financial Calculators
How Much Am I Spending?
How Do Taxes and Inflation Impact My Investment Return?
How Long Will It Take To Pay Off My Credit Card?