The annuity industry must have studied the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears because, after recognizing that investors weren’t very keen on low fixed yields or the vicious volatility of the stock market, they came up with a product, that for most people, would seem to be just right – Indexed Annuities. Often described as a blend of fixed and variable annuity, it really is an asset class unto itself. Essentially, it is a...
If you’ve ever played the Game of Life board game, it becomes clear that compressed into the colorful path there are various stages of life. Each stage holds its own major financial challenges as well as prospective profits in addition to surprises (new baby!) and forks in the road. In the real world game of life, much is the same, but with sound financial planning throughout the different stages of life, you can have much...
If you haven’t reviewed your insurance coverage in a while, you might be surprised with how many ways you can save costs. Here are three tips for lowering your insurance costs while improving your coverage in the coming year. Is Your Deductible Costing or Saving You Money? Buying auto insurance doesn’t have to be a complicated issue, but if you’re not paying attention, some of the seemingly small decisions that need to be made in...
When people warn you that having kids is expensive, it’s no joke. From diapers to food, braces to sports activities the costs add up quick. For a middle-income family in the U.S. raising a child up until age 18, costs an estimated average of $245,340 (or $304,480, adjusted for projected inflation), according to the 2013 “Cost of Raising a Child” report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Of course, this number fluctuates dependent on where...
Think back to those early days in life when it seemed like everything in the candy aisle was free if you begged your parents hard enough. Not a fleeting thought was given to the expenses of a vacation or the copay costs at the doctor. There’s something beautifully unburdened in the way which children experience the world: recklessly present and innocently ambivalent. Teaching your children lessons about money from a young age won’t crush that...
The annual meeting is rescheduled to sometime later this quarter and the family reunion is sometime next summer, but like certain holidays and your birthday you know you can always count on a few specific dates. It’s reassuring. One such day is Tax Day, AKA April 15. Yet, unlike a birthday this looming deadline tends to sneak up on you in the least enjoyable way. And even if Tax Day is hardwired into your brain...
It is no secret that the typical American is working long hours with little respite compared to other countries with large economies. Full-time employees report an average work week of 47 hours and four out of 10 American workers say they work over 50 hours a week. Americans work an average of 34.4 hours a week, according to data sourced from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which is longer than the work...
After the shock and joy immediately following the baby’s birth then all the other emotions set in as you mentally fast forward through the sudden expenses to be expected in the future...one of the biggest being the cost of education. Now, more than ever, a bachelor’s or a trade degree is essential for a future. As your baby grows and makes its way past Kindergarten graduation, to the awkward middle school years, high school sports...
An increasing number of people are starting to understand that their real risk exposure is not in the costs associated with repairing or replacing their car or home, rather it is in the far more costly liability risk. Yet, most people drastically underestimate their personal liability risks. In addition, the claims associated with personal injuries occurring on ones property can far exceed the repair and replacement claims made as a result of covered perils. The...
No one could have foreseen the convergence of two of the most consequential economic events in our history – the mass migration of the Baby Boom generation into their final life stage and the tectonic shift of a declining global economy. Unhinged stock market volatility, rising health care costs and historically low interest rates on savings have caused millions of pre-retirees to rethink their plans and their vision, especially as they consider the prospect of...
As the saying goes there are two things that are inevitable: death and taxes. And, out of those two sure things, you can only really plan for your taxes. It should be no surprise when tax season surely and steadily rolls around again, yet every year there are plenty of individuals who file for a tax extension (in 2014 there were approximately 12 million Americans who did so). Whether you’re one of the 36.8 percent...
Here’s a thought: retirement doesn’t mean the end. It doesn’t mean an end of self-importance or purpose, it just means a new chapter—a paradigm shift of what life is beyond long days and meetings and bosses. Unless you own your own business, and even then, you are not your business. You’re not solely defined by the question, “What do you do?” But, it doesn’t mean you should stop defining the answer for such an inquiry...
