PREPLANNING YOUR FUNERAL SAVES (10/01/04)--
LOVED ONES STRESS AND MONEY
Planning our own funeral is a task few of us wish to tackle. Yet funerals can be a major expense for many families, and advance planning can save your estate money and your loved ones a lot of emotional stress.
Click here for the complete article.SHOULD YOU STAY IN YOUR OLD 401(k) (10/01/04)--
OR ROLL IT OVER INTO AN IRA?
Every year millions of workers who are either retiring or changing jobs struggle with a difficult decision regarding their old employer's 401(k) or similar defined-contribution retirement plan.
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BANK LOAN FUNDS A HEDGE AMID RISING INTEREST RATES (09/01/04)--
With short-term interest rates on the rise, fixed-income investors are scratching for alternatives to bonds and bond mutual funds, which generally lose money when interest rates climb. One alternative, suggest some financial planners, is bank loan mutual funds.
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WINNING THE LOTTERY OR A PENSION: ONE LUMP OR MANY? (01/21/02)-- (08/01/04)--
A Massachusetts woman recently won one of the largest lottery jackpots ever: $294 million. Like most lottery winners, she took her winnings in a single-check lump sum. But is taking the lump sum always the best choice?
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CHOOSING BEST SMALL-BUSINESS STRUCTURE
TOUGHER CHOICE THESE DAYS (07/01/04)--
Small-business owners have more factors and choices to consider than they once did when choosing the best business structure for their company. Yet many owners casually pick off the shelf "what everybody else is doing" instead of what's best for them, caution financial planners.
Click here for the complete article.SHOULD YOU BUY OR LEASE A VEHICLE? (01/06/03)--
Americans love their cars, and automobiles typically rank as one of the highest expenses in a family’s budget. That’s why many financial planners help their clients make automobile decisions.
Click here for the complete article.WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER 529 PLAN FUNDS (01/06/03)--
It seemed like a good idea at the time. You began stashing away money in a 529 college savings plan for your children’s education and have built up a nice little account. But now you learn that your children won’t be using some or even any of the funds. What happens to the unused funds?
Click here for the complete article.UNMARRIED COUPLES SHOULD CONSIDER (01/04/03)--
LIVING-TOGETHER DOCUMENTS
Many unmarried couples living together should have several written legal documents to serve as a proxy in place of a marriage contract and to help minimize potential financial disputes or complications in the event of a breakup or death, say CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals.
Click here for the complete article.COLLEGE SAVING STRATEGIES FOR RETIREES (01/03/03)--
Saving for college isn’t just for kids anymore. Or grandkids, for that matter. It’s also for retirees.
While most people don’t move when they retire, some move to retirement communities and an increasing number are retiring in college towns. They like the intellectual stimulation, the cultural offerings and the often excellent medical facilities. A greater percentage of baby boomers are expected to move when they retire, and college campuses are expected to be a strong draw for them. And they won’t just be moving to college towns, they’ll be attending classes—in some cases, earning degrees. That means that just as they saved money for college for their children, they’ll need to save money for their own education.
Click here for the complete article.SHOULD YOU CONSIDER A MEDICAL SAVINGS ACCOUNT? (01/03/03)--
As medical insurance premiums continue to climb, qualified workers may want to take a second look at a federal pilot program called medical savings accounts. Congress has extended this controversial program, also called the Archer MSA, through 2003.
Click here for the complete article.WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN INHERITING WEALTH (01/02/03)--
Inheriting wealth is not all that it’s cracked up to be.
Click here for the complete article.PRE-PAID TUITION PLANS DESERVE A SECOND LOOK (08/08/02)--
In recent years, state-sponsored prepaid tuition plans have played second cousin to their younger and wildly popular 529 savings plans. While nearly every state offers a 529 plan, fewer than 20 offer prepaid plans. But with college tuition increasing in leaps and bounds, and the stock market in a slump, prepaid plans are looking attractive to families wanting a solid-returning, lower-risk college savings vehicle.
Click here for the complete article.THE BENEFITS OF PLANNED CHARITABLE GIVING (07/01/02)--
Although many affluent families and individuals give generously to charity, the vast majority of them don't give in a planned way, and that hurts both the donors and ultimately the charities, say charitable giving experts.
Click here for the complete article.WHY DO YOU NEED A FINANCIAL PLANNER? (05/23/02)--
Business is good these days for financial planners. Do-it-yourself investors, burned by the declining stock market, are turning to planners for investment advice. Families shaken by the terrorist attacks of September 11, the faltering economy and the Enron scandal are engaging planners to put their financial houses in order.
Click here for the complete article.NEW RULES AFFECT EXECUTIVES' USE OF SPLIT-DOLLAR ARRANGEMENTS (09/04/01)--
Business owners and highly compensated executives have long used split-dollar life insurance arrangements with their employer as a form of compensation. Because of the rise in the use of equity split dollar, the Internal Revenue Service issued a notice (2001-10) early in 2001 that provides interim guidance regarding the tax treatment of this popular compensation vehicle.
Click here for the complete article.FINANCIAL PLANNING TOOLS FOR DISABLED ADULTS (01/03/01)--
At least 54 million Americans are physically or mentally disabled, half of them severely disabled, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For most of them, disability creates tremendous financial uncertainty because of associated expenses and, in the case of adults, often the simultaneous loss of income. Although the disability may remain a permanent feature of one's life, financial uncertainty usually can be alleviated with proper financial planning.
Click here for the complete article.FINANCIAL PLANNING ISSUES FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN TWO STATES (07/31/00)--
Do you live in two different states? Are you a "snowbird" who heads south to warmer climates in the winter? Do you own a vacation home in another state? Living in two different states raises numerous complex financial issues that should be addressed by careful planning.
Click here for the complete article.ONE LUMP OR MANY? (01/21/02)--
CONSIDER PENSION PAYOUT OPTIONS CAREFULLY
The U.S. Treasury Department recently proposed rules to make it easier for employees to decide which payout option is better for them: a lump sum or an annuity. But the rules, if formally adopted, won’t take effect for another year, so workers retiring before then should take matters in their own hands.
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