Annuity Basics

An annuity is a contract between you, the purchaser or owner, and an insurance company, the annuity issuer. In its simplest form, you pay money to an annuity issuer, and the issuer pays out the principal and earnings back to you or to a named beneficiary. Life insurance companies first developed annuities to provide income to individuals during their retirement …

529 Lesson Plan: High Scores for 529 Plans

Looking for a tax-advantaged college savings vehicle that has no age restrictions and no income phaseout limits — and one you can use to pay for more than just tuition? Consider 529 savings plans, a popular way to save for higher-education expenses. Named after the section of the tax code that authorized them, 529 plans (also known as qualified tuition …

Amidst Stay-At-Home, Learn Money Mindfullness

Using money to enhance your life and the lives of those around you Money matters are complex and even scary. How you choose to approach finances mentally is key to mastering them. Financial professionals call this “money mindfulness.” And it’s a mentality that can be worked on while we’re following the current “stay-at-home” orders of our local and federal government. …

A Market Update & Our Strategy Moving Forward

As we get though the first part of May, the markets have been pretty uneventful over the past few weeks relative to the end of March and beginning of April.  In fact, pretty much everything seems uneventful compared to the end of March and beginning of April.  There have been a few large daily ups and downs, but for the …

Life Insurance at Various Life Stages

Your need for life insurance changes as your life changes. When you’re young, you typically have less need for life insurance, but that changes as you take on more responsibility and your family grows. Then, as your responsibilities once again begin to diminish, your need for life insurance may decrease. Let’s look at how your life insurance needs change throughout …

11 Ways To Help Yourself Stay Sane In A Crazy Market

Keeping your cool can be hard to do when the market goes on one of its periodic roller-coaster rides. It’s useful to have strategies in place that prepare you both financially and psychologically to handle market volatility. Here are 11 ways to help keep yourself from making hasty decisions that could have a long-term impact on your ability to achieve …

Retirement Assistance Within the CARES Act

In late March 2020, as the number of novel coronavirus cases in the U.S. surged past 100,000, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed into law.1 The CARES Act provides around $2.2 trillion in aid to businesses and individuals who have been impacted by shelter-in-place orders, government-mandated business closures, and large-scale job losses.   However, some of the …

The April 15th Tax Deadline is Now July 15th

The U.S. Department of the Treasury is delaying the April 15th deadline to file and pay taxes by 90 days, giving individuals and businesses another 3 months to file and then pay the government what they owe. What Should You Do? Putting off paying taxes until right before the deadline is human nature. In fact, according to recent statistics from …

What Is in the $2 Trillion Relief Package?

The United States has more cases of the coronavirus than any other country, and in an attempt to stop the spread of this disease, states have closed schools and businesses throughout the country. These unprecedented shutdowns have pushed many people out of work, hurt businesses, and brought much of the economy to a screeching halt. To ease the suffering, the …

Avoiding COVID-19 Scams

Scammers, fraudsters, and other criminals are taking advantage of rapidly changing data and facts associated with COVID-19, both in the workplace and in our homes. Government agencies, corporations, and news outlets continue to warn individuals to be mindful of increased fraudulent activities during these uncertain times. These scams, which can be sent via email, text message, and social media claim …