Articles of Interest

Baby boomers entering their “second acts” should think about these matters.

The recent stock market volatility, the bear market, the ever-growing inflation rate, and ongoing supply issues have taken a severe toll on the American psyche. For some, it has forever altered how they perceive and manage risk.
Understanding your risk tolerance is considered one of the most important elements of investing.

Family businesses have been at the core of America’s wealth creation for centuries. Founders take a leap of faith to launch their business, often risking everything they have and spending their waking hours hoping to realize their vision. Some will achieve success, but with success comes a new host of challenges, like balancing the demands of family life and business needs.

Your 20s are often seen as a true coming of age when financial responsibility opens up the possibility of turning your dreams into reality. You’re settling into life after university, paying off debts, and starting to really define who you are as a person. But with bills, rent, keeping up social appearances, and other pressures, financial planning is often pushed to the side.

If you are approaching your seventies, get ready for required minimum distributions. You may soon have to take RMDs, as they are called, from one or more of your retirement accounts. 

Here are the facts about applying for SSDI and SSDI benefits.

For many families, finances are rarely discussed in detail, even as children mature into adulthood. But as your parents age, especially if they live into their 80s and 90s, there's a chance that they may lose their cognitive function and be less capable of managing various tasks. This can be upsetting for some parents and they may try to fight it, or deny that it’s happening.

While you may encounter some resistance, it’s important to talk to your parents about their finances and work through potential issues they may face as they age. Waiting until past due notices start piling up, or worse, your parents fall prey to a scam, can make life more difficult for everyone. Preparing now to try to prevent these problems is easier than trying to pick up the pieces after everything falls apart. Once your parents understand that you’re coming from a place of love and understanding, they will slowly come around.

Here are some suggestions for preparation steps you can take right now.

As a young parent looking to the future, you may be faced with a daunting choice: do you save earnestly to secure your retirement, or save to fund your children’s education? 

It’s possible to do both, but with the cost of college education and retirement rising faster than the rate of inflation, targeting just one of those goals can be a challenge. It’s estimated that 36% of people feel that they’re falling behind on their retirement savings goals*, and if you feel similarly, you may need to assess your current goals and priorities. Here are some things to consider if you’re choosing between saving for retirement or college:

Some retirees save a great deal of money by doing so; others do not.

You want to retire, and you own a large home that is nearly or fully paid off. The kids are gone, but the upkeep costs haven’t fallen. Should you retire and keep your home? Or sell your home and retire? Maybe it’s time to downsize.

If you’ve just begun your career and started collecting a decent paycheck, retirement probably feels like it’s lightyears away. But it will get here quicker than you expect, and when it does, you’ll want to be prepared.

And if you’re in your 40s or 50s and haven’t started saving for retirement yet, it’s not too late. The most important thing is to start planning as soon as possible.