The Right Beneficiary
Here’s a simple financial question: who is the beneficiary of your IRA? How about your 401(k), life insurance policy, or annuity? You may be able to answer such a question quickly and easily. Or you may be saying, “You know … I’m not totally sure.” Whatever your answer, it is smart to periodically review your beneficiary designations
Putting Your Tax Refund to Work
According to a TD Ameritrade poll, 47% of U.S. taxpayers expect a refund this year. What do they plan to do with the money? The answers may surprise you...
The Latest (non-hype) on Social Security
Social Security, the sequester, the long-term shortfall, COLA, taxation and more. Here is the latest...
A Roth IRA's Many Benefits
The key argument for going Roth can be summed up in a sentence: Paying taxes on your retirement contributions today is better than paying taxes on your retirement savings tomorrow.
Social Security Says Goodbye to Paper Checks
In March, Social Security will stop mailing checks to all but a small percentage of retirees. About 5 million seniors still get their benefits in the form of a check - and if you are one of them, what alternatives do you have for the future?
Moving Into a Nursing Home Facility
At some point, someone you love may make the transition from living at home to residing at an assisted living or nursing home facility. When should that transition occur, and what factors must be considered along the way? And what don’t these facilities tell you about?
Special Needs Trusts
If you have a child with special needs or care for an adult relative who is mentally or physically challenged, you face long-run financial demands. In all probability, federal and state assistance won’t help you meet all of them.
Who Needs Estate Planning?
You have an estate. It doesn't matter how limited (or unlimited) your means may be, and it doesn't matter if you own a mansion or a motor home.
Ways to Save for College
The Department of Education projects that by 2030, the tuition cost of obtaining a four-year degree at a public university will surpass $200,000. Staggering? Indeed, but college is plenty expensive already. In 2012, tuition averaged $15,100 a year at public colleges and $32,900 a year at private colleges.
Interest Rates & Bonds
The Federal Reserve has said that it will do what it can to keep interest rates low, but these efforts cannot stem the tide forever; it’s inevitable, at some point, that interest rates will rise and diminish bond prices. The only question is: when and how much?
Budgeting in Retirement
You won’t be able to withdraw an unlimited amount of money in retirement, so a retirement budget is a necessity. Some retirees forego one, only to regret it later.
Building an Emergency Fund
We all define “emergencies” differently, but we are not immune to them. How can we plan to stay afloat financially when they occur?
Is Now the Time to Refinance?
Mortgage rates are still low. The earliest numbers from 2013 have remained lower than they were this time last year, leading a number of homeowners to consider (and re-consider) their options.
IRA Rollovers for Lump-Sum Pension Payouts
If you are taking a lump sum pension payout from your former employer, what is the next step for that money? It will be integral to your retirement; how can you make it work harder for you?
The Charitable IRA Rollover Returns for 2013
Religious institutions, schools, hospitals and other non-profit organizations are welcoming the return of the charitable IRA rollover – an opportunity that lets a traditional IRA owner aged 70½ or older donate up to $100,000 to charity with a tax perk attached.
The Debt Ceiling Dilemma
In late December, the U.S. technically reached its debt ceiling of approximately $16.4 trillion, with the federal government taking what Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner called “extraordinary measures” to avert a default. Even as House GOP leaders announced plans Friday to approve a three-month increase in the federal debt limit, tension remains - and that tension could provoke a debt ceiling battle on Capitol Hill reminiscent of the impasse of 2011 later this year.
IRA Contribution Limits Rise for 2013
In 2013, you can contribute up to $5,500 to your Roth or traditional IRA. If you will be 50 or older by the end of 2013, your contribution limit is actually $6,500 this year thanks to the IRS’s “catch-up” provision. The new limits represent a $500 increase from 2012 levels
IRA Deadlines are Approaching
Many of us associate April with taxes. We should also associate it with IRAs, for April is the month with the deadlines for IRA contributions and mandatory IRA withdrawals.
Bad Money Habits to Break in 2013
Many people fall into the same financial behavior patterns year after year. If you sometimes succumb to these financial tendencies, the New Year is as good an occasion as any to alter your behavior.