Moving your money to a smaller, better bank has become a trend. You can attribute it to poor service at the larger institutions, the promise of higher interest rates or more flexible business lending standards elsewhere, or even the Occupy movement. So what do you look for when you are shopping for a bank or a credit union? First, let’s detail the differences between the two.

By a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court has upheld the core of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. The law’s most controversial provision will stand – the mandate requiring every American citizen to buy individual health insurance coverage. The ruling carries profound implications for individuals, businesses and households.

President Obama’s health care law has held up in the Supreme Court. So what impact might this have on the stock market, businesses, and investors in the coming months?

Sometimes you will hear a “buzz” about this or that investment class, and recently there has been considerable “buzz” surrounding dividend stocks. With today’s rock-bottom interest rates, it is easy to understand why.

Understanding who won… and who lost during this Great Recession can enable us to better prepare for what’s next. Let’s first look at who got clobbered by the recession that began in 2008:

Every eighth American aged 65 and older has Alzheimer’s disease, and 43% of Americans aged 85 and older have it, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Consider those percentages in light of the Social Security Administration’s estimate that about 25% of today’s 65-year-olds will live past age 90. These shocking statistics have serious implications for family wealth.

The big question: how much is too much? In the first few years of retirement, some couples really “live it up” … and some of them risk spending down their retirement savings. Their portfolios aren’t earning enough to make back the income they’re withdrawing. Some new retirees end up withdrawing as much as 7-10% of their retirement assets annually. A bull market tends to encourage this kind of exuberance. But what happens when the bulls don’t run? What if your portfolio only returns 1-2% this year? Can you see the potential problem? Ultimately, the answer is...

Do you wish you had more money these days? You aren’t alone. Many retirees find that their income streams are insufficient. Right now, interest rates are at rock bottom – and it appears they will stay there for the near future. With the federal funds rate near 0%, some of the classic conservative retirement investments – such as money market funds and CDs – aren’t even earning returns to keep up with 2%-3% inflation.1,2 Today, a little adjustment to your portfolio might lead to a better yield.

Do you have an IRA or a 401(k)? You probably do. You may have both of these retirement savings accounts in your portfolio, or accounts that are similar. While IRAs and 401(k)s are commonplace, many IRA owners and 401(k) plan participants have a hard time answering a common question. They aren’t sure who they have named as the account beneficiary.