Perspectives on Prosperity
Join us for Perspectives For Prosperity every last Tuesday of the month.... Read More
Famous People Who Died Without Proper Planning
The importance of proper estate planning cannot be overstated, regardless of the size of your estate or the stage of life you're in. Nevertheless, it's surprising how many American adults haven't put a plan in place.... Read More
2022 Year-End Tax Tips
Here are some things to consider as you weigh potential tax moves between now and the end of the year.... Read More
Retirement Legislation Awaits Further Action
Legislation that could benefit people with individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and workplace retirement plans is currently moving through Congress. The Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022 has passed almost unanimously in the House. A similar bill (with some differences), the Enhancing American Retirement Now Act, has been drafted in the Senate but will have to wait until Congress is back in session in November for further consideration. If the Senate passes its bill, the House and the Senate would need to reconcile the two bills, and then each would vote on the reconciled bill.... Read More
Charitable Giving Remained Flat in 2021
Americans donated $484.85 billion to charity in 2021, a 4% increase over 2020's record amount. Adjusted for inflation, however, the growth was a relatively flat -0.7%. For the fourth year in a row, contributions by individuals comprised less than 70% of the total amount. "Megagifts" of $450 million or more comprised about 5% of the nearly $327 billion given by individuals.... Read More
Medicare Open Enrollment Is Here: How Are Costs Changing for 2023?
Medicare's Open Enrollment Period — which runs from October 15 through December 7 — is your annual opportunity to switch your current Medicare health and prescription drug plans to ones that better suit your needs. Just in time for Open Enrollment, 2023 Medicare premiums, deductibles, and other costs have been announced, and surprisingly, some of these costs are lower than they were last year.... Read More
Quarterly Market Review: July-September 2022
The ramifications of stamping down rising inflation dominated the markets in the third quarter. Investors weighed the balance between an aggressive government policy aimed at curbing price pressures against the possibility of those very policies leading to an economic recession.... Read More
4 Health Insurance Options for Young Adults
Young adults have more access to health insurance coverage than ever before.1However, despite these gains, they also have some of the highest uninsured rates of any age group in the United States. 2 Having adequate health insurance is critical, even if you are young and healthy.... Read More
FAFSA for 2023-2024 School Year Opens on October 1
The FAFSA for the 2023-2024 school year opens on October 1, 2022. Here are some tips for filing it.... Read More
Passive, Active, or Both?
Index funds, which try to match the performance of a particular market index, have drawn increasing interest from investors, but traditional actively managed funds still hold more assets (see chart). There is ongoing discussion in the financial media about which approach is most effective, but there may be good reasons to hold both in a well-diversified portfolio. Here are some pros and cons to consider.... Read More
How Much LIfe Insurance Do You Need?
Throughout your life, your financial needs will change and life insurance can help you meet some of those needs. But how much life insurance do you need? There are a number of approaches to help determine how much life insurance you should have. Here are three of those methods.... Read More
The Cost of Borrowing
In April 2022, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage surpassed 5% for the first time since April 2010, and it was still above 5% in August. With higher rates, it's more important than ever to understand how interest increases the total cost of a mortgage.... Read More
Prepare Now for Future Emergencies
September is National Preparedness Month, part of an effort by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to raise public awareness and inspire disaster readiness. Most communities could be impacted by some type of natural disaster, whether it's a wildfire, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, or flood.... Read More
Adjusting to Life Financially after a Divorce
In addition to the emotional impact a divorce can have, it's important to be aware of how your financial position will be impacted. Now, more than ever, you need to make sure that your finances are on the right track. You will then be able to put the past behind you and set in place the building blocks that can be the foundation for your new financial future.... Read More
How Are 401(k) Plan Participants Investing Their Money?
Created in 1996, National 401(k) Day has historically been celebrated on the Friday following Labor Day to shine a spotlight on this important employee benefit. Since the late 1990s, plans have evolved substantially, and most participants can now choose from a diverse variety of investments. The chart below shows how 401(k) and profit-sharing funds were invested in 2020.... Read More
Market Month: August 2022
Get a recap of what happened in the markets in August 2022... Read More
New Cancellation for Federal Student Loans and Delayed Repayment to 2023
Federal student loan repayment was originally halted in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. The new plan extends the payment moratorium through the end of the year, offers partial debt cancellation, and includes proposed updates to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and a new income-based repayment plan.... Read More
Asset Protection in Estate Planning
You're beginning to accumulate substantial wealth, but you worry about protecting it from future potential creditors. Whether your concern is for your personal assets or your business, various tools exist to keep your property safe from tax collectors, accident victims, health-care providers, credit card issuers, business creditors, and creditors of others.... Read More
Is the U.S. Economy in a Recession?
Considering the high level of public concern, it may be helpful to look at how a recession is officially determined and some current indicators that suggest strength or weakness in the U.S. economy.... Read More
Inflation Reduction Act: What You Should Know
The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law on August 16, 2022, includes health-care and energy-related provisions, a new corporate alternative minimum tax, and an excise tax on certain corporate stock buybacks. Additional funding is also provided to the IRS.... Read More
