Search

4 Questions to Answer Before You Retire 11/24/2015 07:00pm • It's an achievement to make it to retirement. Years of hard work pay off once you have saved enough and get to hand over a resignation letter to your boss. You say farewell, and there may be a few tears as you part ways with your former life. But there's also the excitement of finally starting the Open Enrollment: Deciding Between a PPO, HMO, EPO or POS Plan 11/23/2015 07:00pm • It's that time of year when we all seem to be mired in alphabet soup -- and not the kind you eat. Open enrollment for benefits plans is here, and that includes choosing health insurance coverage. As employers and insurers shift more of the cost to users, the annual choice gets harder, whether you Turning a Saver into a Spender in Retirement 11/23/2015 07:00pm • You spend your entire career saving so that you can stop working. Once you retire, you may be surprised to realize it's hard to change your pre-retirement mindset about the need to save money. A lifetime of saving is a positive habit, and there are emotional and psychological forces that make it fe How to Maximize Your Retirement Accounts in 2016 11/22/2015 07:00pm • Contributing to a retirement account qualifies you for tax breaks and employer contributions, both of which will grow your nest egg faster. Here's how to take full advantage of the 401(k) and individual retirement account perks you're eligible for in 2016. Max out your 401(k). Workers can contribu 5 red flags to look for on Airbnb and other vacation rental sites 11/20/2015 07:15am • With the proliferation of vacation rental sites like Airbnb, HomeAway and TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals, you've probably tried, or at least toyed with the idea of, staying in someone else's home. After all, with competitive pricing and more space and amenities than you would expect at a standard hote What Can You Expect If Your Home Is Part of a Homeowners Association? 11/19/2015 07:00pm • If you're planning to buy a home, there are countless decisions you'll have to make. How many bathrooms do you need? Do you want to live in a community that has good schools? How high are the property taxes? What's the crime rate like? And somewhere in there, you may want to ask yourself: Do I want Some Retirees Pay Higher Medicare Premiums in 2016 11/19/2015 07:00pm • Most retirees will pay Medicare Part B premiums of $104.90 per month in 2016. Medicare payments are prevented by law from increasing faster than Social Security payments. Since Social Security recipients didn't get a cost-of-living adjustment for 2016, most existing Social Security beneficiaries w 5 Steps to Retirement Planning for Entrepreneurs 11/19/2015 07:00pm • The entrepreneurship journey is exciting, but entrepreneurs don't have the luxury of pulling in the same amount of money on a bi-weekly or monthly basis. There's also no one to remind you that you should be planning for your financial future. Not knowing exactly what your monthly income will look l Coalition formed to help public fight identity theft 11/19/2015 05:54pm • WASHINGTON -- Some people are lousy at protecting their personal and financial information. That’s why a coalition of state, federal and tax industry leaders is urging the public to do more to fight identity theft. "There's nothing more anxiety producing for a taxpayer than to file a return and Why Johnson & Johnson Stock Is a Better Buy Than Pfizer 11/18/2015 07:00pm • Pfizer Inc. (ticker: PFE) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) are two of the largest health care stocks and drugmakers in the world, each with a market capitalization north of $200 billion. Both of their shares are up over the past year, both are trading in line with their peers around 16 times earning 5 Estate Planning Strategies to Keep Your Money in the Family 11/18/2015 07:00pm • If you're single, you can have up to $5.45 million in assets before your heirs have to worry about paying a penny in estate taxes.Knowing that, you might assume only the super wealthy need to worry about estate planning. However, financial planners say you'd be wrong to think planning is only necess 12 Terms Every Investor Needs to Know 11/18/2015 07:00pm • Live your investing dreams.Are you dreaming of an investment portfolio that would be the envy of the financial hot-shots on Wall Street, but don't know where to start? Granted, no one should discourage your investment dreams -- but you can't settle for mere daydreams, either. The power to launch fin FSA vs. HSA: How to Make the Best Choice During Open Enrollment 11/18/2015 07:00pm • It's open enrollment time in most workplaces, as well as for those who use the Affordable Care Act exchange, which means health care consumers are trying to make sense of the alphabet soup of the available benefits. One choice many face is how best to maximize the tax savings that come with some h 10 Money Steps to Take Before Your 70th Birthday 11/17/2015 07:00pm • Our money needs -- and demands -- are constantly shifting as we age. By the time we reach our 60s, if we've planned well, we have a sizable nest egg that will support us into our older years as we scale back or stop work altogether. That doesn't mean it's time to take a hands-off approach to money, 6 Reasons to Open a Roth IRA for Your Kids 11/17/2015 07:00pm • An extra decade or two of compounded returns may be the best financial gift any parent can give to their kids. This gift can be even more powerful if you encourage your children to open a Roth IRA, which could allow them to never pay tax on the investment gains. Both my children will open Roth IRAs