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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 Steps to Take Now to Make Filing Your Income Taxes Easier 11/17/2015 07:00pm • In mid-April, shortly after the income tax filing deadline for millions of Americans, we encouraged readers to begin planning for their 2015 return. Here's another timely reminder, and this one is especially worth heeding: Steps you take between now and the end of the year can dramatically reduce y 6 Terms to Know Before Opening a 529 College Savings Account 11/17/2015 07:00pm • Investors choosing to open a 529 college savings plan portfolio are given options with sometimes confounding names, like "choice-based" tracks or "enrollment-based tracks ." They need to choose a plan with a low "expense ratio" and pay attention to "front end loads." And that's assuming they've go Last-minute winter break trip ideas for every budget 11/17/2015 07:15am • With winter fast approaching, a time when cooler temperatures and seasonal discounts tempt us to skip town for a relaxing escape, chances are if you're not clamoring for a warm, sunny getaway, you're yearning to go on a more far-flung adventure. But while finding a reason to take a recess around the An Unconventional Retirement on Panama's Pacific Coast 11/16/2015 07:00pm • Peg Fairbairn's 30-year tenure teaching in Texas' public schools was winding down. She was coming face-to-face with retirement and beginning to panic. Fairbairn's partner, April Hess, was still working as an accountant, but didn't want to be for much longer. The pair dreamed of retirement, but had Nontraditional Ways to Find Funding When Banks Won't Help 11/16/2015 07:00pm • A woman approached me a few weeks ago with a question about how to get approved for a credit card with a subprime credit score. This woman, we'll call her Allie, had a short-term cash flow problem. She'd soon earn income working for a volunteer organization, but she needed $1,500 to relocate for her How retirement benefits will change in 2016 11/15/2015 07:00pm • Retirement savers will get the option to participate in a new type of retirement account next year, the myRA. There will also be fewer Social Security claiming options for married couples and a small Medicare premium increase for some beneficiaries. Here are some of the important ways retirement ben