The charitable remainder trust (CRT) is a popular retirement- and estate-planning tool. It can be a convenient way to create a stream of lifetime income for yourself and others or donate to a charity while minimizing and deferring taxes. But there are many choices to make when establishing a CRT and, in some cases, these tools may not be right for everyone.
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If you’re a parent, the start of a new school year may have you considering how much you’re able to set aside for your child’s college fund.
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Markets go up and down in ways that are not entirely predictable. For long-term investors, what the market is doing in the present isn’t that troubling; they’ve got a long time to ride out potential downturns. But for recent retirees, an ill-timed market downturn can have a negative impact on their nest egg, increasing the chances they’ll outlive their money.
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Bonds play an important role in a diverse investment portfolio. As fixed-income securities, they can provide a stable return until they mature.
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Sometimes stock prices drop across the entire market at once triggered by a range of things, such as a natural disaster, political turmoil, concerns over rising interest rates, a global health crisis, or problems within a single sector that cause a domino effect across the market.
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Talking with loved ones about estate planning and inheritance can be challenging, especially as it centers around two taboo topics — money and death. But talking with your adult children about their inheritance can provide significant advantages for you and them.
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A concentrated position in a single stock can happen to investors for many reasons. They may receive company stock as part of their employee compensation package or they may have bought shares of a single company, hoping to choose a big winner
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Retirement planning requires forethought, discipline, and the juggling of many moving parts. Staying on track to meet financial goals can be tricky for anyone, but it can be especially hard for women, who face a number of financial headwinds.
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The Financial Independence/Retire Early, or FIRE, movement is an investment practice and lifestyle that focuses on saving aggressively and spending frugally so individuals can move toward financial freedom and perhaps even retire decades ahead of schedule.
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Cybercrime is on the rise everywhere. In fact, global losses due to cybercrime climbed from $600 billion in 2018 to $1 trillion in 2020. That’s enough to make anyone concerned about the security of their financial accounts.
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As you’re finishing up your 2021 tax return, you may be thinking your tax work is done until next spring. But getting a jump-start on next year’s taxes can help you get organized, saving you time and money when April 2023 rolls around.
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Sudden ups and downs in the stock market can be hard to ignore. It’s common to get the urge to sell when you see your investments lose value — or to buy when the market is surging. But predicting the effects of short-term market movements like these is nearly impossible. As a result, employees are in a good position to negotiate for higher salaries and workplace benefits with new or prospective employers.
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It’s a job seeker’s market. The Great Resignation, which began in April 2021, has seen Americans leave their jobs by the millions, often in search of greener pastures. It has also produced a labor crunch, often leaving employers desperate to fill positions across industries. As a result, employees are in a good position to negotiate for higher salaries and workplace benefits with new or prospective employers.
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Over the past year, investors have become increasingly worried about how inflation might impact their portfolios. One measure of inflation, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), climbed to 7.5 percent in January, its highest level in four decades. Supply chain issues, government stimulus, and increased consumer demand have contributed to higher prices for goods and services.
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A company that wants to supplement its employees' salary with equity compensation can do so in a variety of ways. The most popular is the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Besides offering employees a potentially valuable ownership stake in the company, ESOPs can play an important role in succession planning and confer tax advantages to employers.
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Income investing is a strategy that seeks to provide investors with passive income from the assets they hold. This strategy may be attractive to people working toward financial independence or who need a predictable stream of income in retirement. Investors looking to embark on an income investment strategy may consider adding dividend stocks, bonds, and real estate to their portfolios.
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The start of a new year is a great time for introspection and evaluating the areas of your life you want to improve. When setting New Year’s resolutions, individuals often think about their career or physical health, but financial wellness is just as important. It’s no surprise then that January is Financial Wellness Month.
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In an attempt to control inflation, the Federal Reserve has signaled its intention to raise the federal funds rate (currently set at zero) three times in 2022. This will effectively raise interest rates in general, making it more expensive to borrow money.
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Financial planning is not a set-it-and-forget-it activity. Rather, financial plans are everevolving based on your changing life circumstances. Your goals and priorities may shift as your career evolves and big changes like marriage, having a child, or getting a new job may warrant adjustments to your long-term plan.
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Building a strategy is a big effort. It requires considering your goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Once that’s settled, you’ll have to choose investments that match these criteria. And this is only the beginning. Strategies require reviewing and performance evaluation to ensure that the assets you own are still working together to help you reach your financial goals.
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The holiday season is a popular time to reflect on the past year and donate to causes you care about. Donations not only aid people and organizations in need; they also confer a potential tax benefit to the giver. Recent changes to the tax code resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have also incentivized charitable giving, leading to an increase in donations.
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Your 401(k) is a tax-advantaged retirement account built to help you save more for retirement. Contributions can lower your taxable income, and money inside your 401(k) grows taxdeferred. Withdrawals are subject to income tax. To encourage people to keep money in their 401(k)s until retirement, the IRS may charge a 10% early withdrawal penalty on withdrawals made before age 59 ½.
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Risk is an inherent part of investing. After all, no one can control the losses or gains of a particular asset, sector, or the market as a whole. But you can take steps to manage your risk by diversifying your portfolio. Here’s a look at what diversification is, why it matters, and how to do it.
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As part of your compensation package, your company might offer you stock options to supplement your salary. While they can be a valuable form of compensation, they also leave you with plenty of decisions to make about how and when to use them. It’s important to understand the ins and outs of stock options to get the most out of them and get ahead of any potential tax consequences.
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Every year, the Child Tax Credit reduces the tax liability of American parents. If it lowers their
tax burden below zero, it can even put money in their pockets. The credit's size increased
following the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. And now, thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act
of 2021, it's even bigger—and slightly more complicated—for the 2021 tax year. Here’s what
you need to know.
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A health savings account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged savings account that allows individuals with high-deductible health plans to set money aside for medical expenses. These accounts offer unique tax benefits and can even be savings tools for retirement.
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You’ve spent years planning and saving for your retirement. And then, out of the blue, your employer hands you an early retirement offer that could change everything. An early retirement, or “voluntary severance,” offer is a financial incentive to resign that an employer may offer to senior employees when they need to reduce payroll costs.
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Even with careful planning and diligent saving, some parts of retirement planning are out of your control. Factors like longevity, rising medical costs and the ups and downs of the market can have an impact on your savings. But while you can’t plan for the unexpected per se, there are ways you can manage these risks and protect your retirement income. Here’s a look at four common retirement risks and how to address them.
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Alternatives are investment options beyond the typical stocks, bonds and cash found in most portfolios. They can be tangible assets like precious metals, or they could be financial assets like private equity or hedge funds.
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Climbing commodity prices, ambitious government spending packages due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic crash have resurrected a long-dormant fear: runaway inflation. But what is inflation, and is it something to worry about?
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When you’re looking for help managing your investment portfolio, you have a decision to make: Should you work with a financial advisor or a robo-advisor? A financial advisor is a professional specializing in financial planning, wealth management and other personal finance services.
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Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are a type of tax-advantaged account that can help you boost your retirement savings. The most common IRAs you’ll choose from are traditional and Roth IRAs.
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Many investors want more out of their investments than just a good return. They want to know that the companies they invest in are ethical and responsible — that they build environmentally sustainable business models, advance a social good and operate in a transparent, ethical way. To identify these companies, socially responsible investors can use a set of criteria known as ESG.
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Communication about money is often fraught for couples, and bringing the topic up with your partner can be challenging. But discussing financial concerns, goals and habits is key to a strong relationship. And open communication about these topics can help you and your partner work as a team toward common financial goals.
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Baby boomers in the U.S. are set to bequeath $68 trillion in wealth by 2043, as part of the Great Wealth Transfer. Much of that will be left to Generation X and millennial heirs. If you expect to receive an inheritance, planning ahead for how you will use the wealth and account for any taxes will help you make the most of your windfall.
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Learning how to properly manage money is a crucial life skill that can take years to develop. For teens who may be earning an income for the first time, there can be a steep learning curve when it comes to financial literacy, but laying the foundation for this education early can help establish healthy financial habits that carry into adulthood.
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When it comes to financial planning, women are likely to face different challenges than men. For one, they earn less than men on average, and they’re more likely to work part-time jobs or take time away from their careers to raise children and care for family.
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When you’re in a traffic jam on the highway, you may find yourself trying to merge into whichever lane is moving fastest at the moment, only to find yourself falling behind drivers that stayed in one lane the whole time.
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Reducing your tax burden can help you manage your wealth and free up money to meet your financial goals and build your legacy.
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The basic premise behind life insurance is simple: You pay premiums to an insurance company, which then pays your beneficiaries a certain amount after you die.
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Charitable giving is a great way to support the causes you care about while also getting a tax break.
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With the new year in full swing, it’s a great time to take stock of your personal finances.
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When you retire, you’ll likely draw your income from several sources—such as retirement accounts, taxable investment accounts, and Social Security Benefits.
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A good succession plan creates a blueprint for ownership transfer as you exit your business.
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A wealth transfer plan guides the movement of your assets from your estate to your beneficiaries.
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Long-term care insurance helps cover the cost of assistance with daily living tasks, including bathing, dressing, eating, and mobility.
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For many Americans, navigating the maze of health insurance options—from employer-based plans to individual policies—can be dizzying.
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Elections can move the market, but that doesn’t mean you should change your approach.
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A divorce is one of the most difficult transitions you can go through.
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These best practices can help you stay invested during the market’s ups and down.
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Online banking and electronic payment options offer consumers unprecedented access to their financial accounts. Yet, this convenience comes at a price—a greater risk of identity theft.
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What would happen to your business after a fire, a massive data breach or the sudden loss of a key employee?
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Your investment portfolio is more than the sum of your account balances.
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Learning how emotions affect decisions can make you a better investor.
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Individual retirement accounts can play a valuable role in the estate planning process.
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