As the years go by, many of your short-term plans may change. But you’ll always need to focus on three lifetime goals: planning for retirement, preparing for the unexpected and creating an estate plan. What steps should you take to meet these goals? Let’s start with retirement. Throughout your career, …continue reading
Independence Day is almost here. And as we make progress in moving past the COVID-19 pandemic, more of us will be able to enjoy Fourth of July activities. However, you observe the holiday, it’s important to recognize all the liberties we enjoy in this country. But you may still need …continue reading
If you don’t have a spouse or children, you might think you don’t need to do much estate planning. But if you have any assets, any familial connections, any interest in supporting charitable groups – not to mention a desire to control your own future – you do need to …continue reading
If you’re a dad, you may be in line to get some nice gifts on Father’s Day. But your greatest gift may be your ability to help your children. One way of doing that is to get them started in the world of investing – and making a few investments …continue reading
June is Effective Communications Month. And it’s a good idea to recognize the importance of good communications because it plays a role in almost every aspect of living – including your finances. You’ll want to clearly communicate your financial goals to your loved ones – and you’ll want to hear …continue reading
Being self-employed has some benefits: You get to choose your own hours, you don’t have to count “vacation days” and you’ll never worry about getting downsized. On the other hand, you’re truly on your own – there’s no employer-sponsored retirement plan and no benefits package. So, if you’ve recently started …continue reading
If you have children or grandchildren, you may already be somewhat familiar with the 529 plan, a popular education savings vehicle. But you may not have kept up with some recent changes in the plan’s capabilities and in the educational environment in which the plan might be used. Let’s start …continue reading
The COVID-19 pandemic may have unsettled many aspects of your life – including your financial situation. Even if your employment and earnings were not directly affected, you might have concerns about whether you’ve been making the right investment moves in such a stressful environment. The pandemic is, hopefully, just a …continue reading
Is homeownership a goal of yours? It does offer some benefits, in addition to meeting your basic need for shelter. The equity you build in your home can be a valuable financial asset, and you may get to deduct your interest payments on your taxes. But if you’re a first-time …continue reading
Mother’s Day has almost arrived. As an adult, you can fully appreciate all your mother has done for you, so, on this occasion, you may be happy to give Mom flowers, candy, jewelry or something similar. But Mother’s Day is here and then it’s gone. Is there a longer-term gift …continue reading
What’s the biggest financial mistake you can make? Choosing the wrong investments? Waiting too long to save for retirement? Underestimating the costs of retirement? All these are reasonable answers, but the biggest mistake you might make is not looking at your financial picture holistically – that is, not bringing into …continue reading
On April 22, we observe Earth Day, an occasion that has inspired millions of people over the decades to take steps to clean up our world. Of course, your physical surroundings are important, but you also operate in other “ecosystems” – social, cultural and political. And you’ll need to consider …continue reading
As you’ve probably heard, the government extended the federal income tax filing deadline for individual taxpayers from April 15 to May 17, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the extra month doesn’t just give you additional time to prepare your taxes – it also provides you with an extra chance …continue reading