The opportunity to acquire company stock — inside or outside a workplace retirement plan — can be a lucrative employee benefit. But having too much of your retirement plan assets or net worth concentrated in your employer’s stock could become a problem if the company or sector hits hard times and the stock price plummets.
Answer: Generally, you should leave the construction of an investment portfolio to your professional investment advisor, especially if you are investing a significant percentage of your total wealth, or if you’re relying solely on the success of your portfolio to meet your future financial goals. However, whether you or your advisor designs your portfolio, consider
If you’re looking to save money for college, one option to consider is a 529 college savings plan. Created over 20 years ago and named after the section of the tax code that governs them, 529 plans offer a unique combination of features that have made them the 401(k)s of the college savings world. How
You’ve saved for your child’s college education through the years, helped your child research schools, and supervised the application process. Now, thankfully, your child is in college. But you probably can’t disappear just yet–there are still bills to pay. Maybe you underestimated exactly how much financial aid would cover. Or perhaps you knew all along
If your financial plan for 2017 didn’t work out the way you wanted it to, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, ask yourself the following questions to determine what you can learn from reflecting on your financial situation in the last year. Did you meet your financial goals and expectations for 2017? Perhaps you started the
Selecting beneficiaries for retirement benefits is different from choosing beneficiaries for other assets such as life insurance. With retirement benefits, you need to know the impact of income tax and estate tax laws in order to select the right beneficiaries. Although taxes shouldn’t be the sole determining factor in naming your beneficiaries, ignoring the impact
Your Social Security Statement provides important information about your Social Security record and future benefits. For several years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) mailed these statements every five years to people starting at age 25, but due to budgetary concerns, the SSA has stopped mailing Social Security Statements to individuals under age 60. Workers age
Women in the workforce generally earn less than men. While the gender pay gap is narrowing, it is still significant. The difference in wages, coupled with other factors, can lead to a shortfall in retirement savings for women. Statistically speaking Generally, women work fewer years and contribute less toward their retirement than men, resulting in
Incapacity means that you are either mentally or physically unable to take care of yourself or your day-to-day affairs. Incapacity can result from serious physical injury, mental or physical illness, advancing age, and alcohol or drug abuse. Incapacity can strike anyone at anytime Even with today’s medical miracles, it’s a real possibility that you or
How much do you know about market basics? Put your investing IQ to the test with this quiz on stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Questions 1. What does it mean to buy stock in a company? a. The investor loans money to the company b. The investor becomes a part owner of the company c.
