When planning for retirement, it’s important to consider a wide variety of factors. One of the most important is health and its associated costs. Thinking about your future health and the rising cost of health care can help you better plan for retirement in terms of both your finances and overall well-being. This quiz can
Chances are, you probably have your Social Security number memorized, so you may not have had to use your card in a while. However, there are times when you may be required to show your actual card, such as when you start a new job or need to access certain government services. Fortunately, replacing a
If you need to renew your driver’s license, you may want to get a REAL ID. The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacts the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the federal government set minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards. Beginning October 1, 2020, residents of every state and territory
An individual retirement arrangement (IRA) is a personal retirement savings plan that offers specific tax benefits. In fact, IRAs are one of the most powerful retirement savings tools available to you. Even if you’re contributing to a 401(k) or other plan at work, you might also consider investing in an IRA. What types of IRAs
How can insurance be used in other planning strategies? Insurance has many uses in addition to what you probably think of as its traditional purpose. Life insurance is often the cornerstone of estate plans. You can use life insurance as a savings tool for your children’s education, for your own retirement, even for gifts to
The National Retail Federation (NRF) and Proper Insights & Analytics recently released a survey detailing back-to-school spending for the 2019 school year. The survey looks at how American families plan to shop for clothing, supplies, and other items for the school year. Record spending expected for 2019 As students prepare to go back to school
When saving for retirement, you’re probably aware of the benefits of using tax-preferred accounts such as 401(k)s and IRAs. But you may not be aware of another type of tax-preferred account that may prove very useful, not only during your working years but also in retirement: the health savings account (HSA). HSA in a nutshell
How can you lower the costs of owning a vehicle? Vehicle expenses can take a big bite out of your budget. According to a AAA report, the average annual total cost of owning and operating a new vehicle in 2018 was $8,849. Fortunately, you may be able to save money by reducing three costs. Depreciation:
Why do so many people never obtain the financial independence that they desire? Often it’s because they just don’t take that first step — getting started. Besides procrastination, other excuses people make are that investing is too risky, too complicated, too time consuming, and only for the rich. The fact is, there’s nothing complicated about
In the final quarter of 2018, interest rate and growth fears, along with geopolitical events, sparked volatility in the financial markets and reversed many of the outsize stock gains notched earlier in the year. The S&P 500 posted a loss of about 6.2% for 2018. After falling into bear market territory, defined as a drop
