Blog
A Primer On Dividends
A company's profits can be reinvested or paid out to the company’s shareholders as “dividends." When looking for income-generating investments, some investors turn to dividend-yielding stocks. When a company makes a profit, that money can be put to two uses: It can be...
A Primer On Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
"I'm proud to pay taxes in the United States; the only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money."Entertainer Arthur Godfrey The irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) can be an important estate strategy tool that may accomplish a number of estate...
What Can You Buy with 529 Distributions?
Some of the biggest challenges many face when it comes to education are financial. Luckily, a 529 college saving plan can help. And they're not just for college anymore - added to the tuition eligibility are K-12, private and religious schools. These funds can also be...
How Will Working Affect Social Security Benefits?
In a recent survey, 70% of current workers stated they plan to work for pay after retiring.1 And that possibility raises an interesting question: how will working affect Social Security benefits? The answer to that question requires an understanding of three key...
Will Power
Preparing for the eventual distribution of your assets may not sound enticing. But a will puts the power in your hands. Only one-third of adults have an estate strategy document such as a will in place, which may not be entirely surprising. No one wants to be reminded...
Assess Life Insurance Needs
If your family relies on your income, it’s critical to consider having enough life insurance to provide for them after you pass away. But too often, life insurance is an overlooked aspect of personal finances. In fact, according to a 2021 study conducted by Life...
IRA Withdrawals That Escape The 10% Tax Penalty
The reason withdrawals from a Traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA) prior to age 59½ are generally subject to a 10% tax penalty is that policymakers wanted to create a disincentive to use these savings for anything other than retirement.1 Yet, policymakers...
The Business Cycle
What has upswings and downturns, troughs, peaks, and plateaus? Though such terms could easily describe a roller coaster ride, they are also commonly used to describe the business cycle. The business cycle – also known as the economic cycle – refers to fluctuations in...
How Women Can Prepare For Retirement
When our parents retired, living to 75 amounted to a nice long life, and Social Security was often supplemented by a pension. The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that today’s average 65-year-old woman will live to age 86½. Given these projections, it...
