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Forty-three percent of Americans spent more time planning their most recent vacation than planning for their retirement.1
Will you outlive your retirement income? How much liability insurance should you have? Should you add stocks to your portfolio? Are your financial expectations for the coming year realistic?
Our financial newsletters are designed to provide helpful information on a wide variety of financial topics. Simply click on one of the newsletter topics below to read the article in its entirety.
Before implementing any strategy discussed herein, you should consult with your own financial, tax, and/or legal advisors to determine its applicability in light of your own situation.
Most insurance policies and annuity contracts contain exclusions, limitations, reductions of benefits, surrender charges and terms for keeping them in force. Your representative can provide you with costs and complete details.
The information contained in this article is not intended to (and cannot) be used by anyone to avoid IRS penalties. These articles supports the promotion and marketing of this [life insurance, annuity, long term care, disability, pension, etc. You should seek advice based on your particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.
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June
Save the Date
There are several key retirement milestones tied to specific birthdays or ages. This quiz asks readers to identify several.
Is It Ever OK to Make Early Withdrawals?
There are few ways to sabotage your retirement goals more effectively than tapping your retirement assets before you reach age 59½.
Get to Know Your Beneficiaries
It's a good idea to review your beneficiary designations on a regular basis to help ensure there is no debate over who will inherit your retirement assets and receive your life insurance benefits.
Investor Emotions and Where to Find Them
Anyone who has watched the stock market for any length of time knows it is subject to two key investor emotions: greed and fear.
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May
Protection for a Price
Variable annuities give contract holders the ability to purchase guarantees to help protect against downside risks.
The Return of the Initial Public Offering
After a drought of initial public offerings over the past few years, the IPO market finally began to perk up in the second quarter of 2009.
A Potential Income Source for the Risk-Averse
Although no financial instrument is entirely without risk, the guarantees offered by a fixed annuity can help address the concerns of even the most risk-averse investors.
Test Your College Funding Knowledge
If you want to help your children or grandchildren accumulate enough money to afford college, a good first step is to become familiar with 529 plans and the Coverdell Education Savings Account.
The Problem with Investment Gains
Believe it or not, a significant investment gain, especially one from an unexpected source, can pose a risk to your progress toward long-term goals if it's not handled properly.
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April
Getting Something for Giving
Charitable trusts may help your charity of choice while also providing you with potential tax benefits.
An Average Way to Invest
Dollar-cost averaging might help investors make the most of a highly volatile period.
Interest Rates: Be Ready for Anything
There is a strategy to help bondholders limit the risk of continued low rates and put them in a position to benefit if the rates go higher.
Shelter Your Retirement Lifestyle
An umbrella liability insurance policy takes effect in the event that the limits of your primary insurance policies are exhausted.
A Graceful Departure
An exit strategy is important for any business owner who plans to leave the company he or she has nurtured and built.
Quick Facts - April 2010
Information about Retirement, Long Term Care and the Mature Markets
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March
Pursuing Both Growth and Value
Maintaining a balance of growth and value investments may help investors add a new dimension of diversification to their portfolios.
Don't Let a Disability Cripple Your Family's Finances
One way to help protect against the financial ruin that a disability can bring is through disability income insurance.
Working for Social Security
There's nothing wrong with wanting to work in retirement, but if you decide to earn some extra income, make sure you understand how it will affect your Social Security benefits.
A Simple Way to Help Your Family
A letter of instructions, while not a legal document, can help your family cope during a difficult period by providing information that has no place in a will.
Most Recoveries Are Announced Months After They Begin
Because it can take so long for the National Bureau of Economic Research to determine when a recession began or ended, people who delay financial decisions until they are certain a recession is over are at a disadvantage because they may be operating on old information.
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February
Are You Making These Cash Mistakes?
With interest rates at historic lows, what should you do with the money you save?
Patching the Alternative Minimum Tax
The future of the AMT is uncertain, yet it is important to consider the possible effects of the AMT on your tax situation.
Tips for Healthy Life Insurance
If you are about to retire or have recently entered retirement, it's a good time to consider whether your current life insurance policy meets your needs.
Don't Forget the World
If your portfolio doesn't include some global equities, it may be missing a key dimension.
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January
The Benefits of Social Security
Take this quiz to assess how much you know about Social Security benefits.
Love and Marriage and Retirement
More than 80% of married couples 45 to 72 say they don't agree on when they should retire, what their retirement lifestyle should look like, or whether they will work in retirement.
Beware the Better-Than-Average Effect
Economists have found that, on average, people tend to believe that their own lives are improving at a faster rate than most everyone else's.
When Tea Leaves Won't Do
Economic indicators can be a good source of clues about trends, but it takes experience and skill to interpret their meaning.
