Dealing With the Risks of Investing
Investment risk comes in many forms, and each can affect how you pursue your financial goals. The key to dealing with investment risk is learning how to manage it. This three-step process will show you...
View ArticleFocus on Fundamentals: Asset Allocation
The way you divide your investment dollars among stock, bond, and money market investments is known as asset allocation.
View ArticleWomen: Make a Financial Plan -- the Secret of Your Success
Financial planning is more than just a good idea. Research has consistently shown that people who have financial plans -- and who work with financial advisors -- save and invest far more and are nearly...
View ArticleBrush Up on Your IRA Facts
If you are opening an IRA for the first time or need a refresher course on the specifics of IRA ownership, here are some facts for your consideration.
View ArticleCalculating Taxes on Mutual Funds
For mutual fund investors, earnings come from two sources: fund distributions -- dividends or capital gains -- and the sale of fund shares.1 Income from these sources may be taxable. Fund companies...
View ArticleMillennials: The "Slow and Steady" Generation of Investors
With some $30 trillion poised to change hands over the next several decades from parents and grandparents to so-called Millennials -- those 90-million-plus Americans aged 18 to 33 -- the financial...
View ArticleOf Market Bubbles and Busts: Learn to Spot Trouble in the Making
Recent stock market conditions in China present a classic illustration of the boom/bust cycle that periodically disrupts financial markets. While bubbles and subsequent busts occur in the investment...
View ArticleMaking the Grade: Test Your Knowledge of Key College Planning Facts
The latest report on college costs published by the College Board brought some good news: The increases in tuition and fees for the 2014-2015 academic year were lower than the average annual increases...
View ArticleSame Sex Marriage Ruling Raises New Tax Issues
In a move that reinforces the rapid shift in public sentiment regarding same-sex unions, the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that all marriages -- and "the constellation of benefits" that are...
View ArticleWhen Changing Jobs, It Pays to Keep Track of Your 401(k)
Americans are on the move, not only in their leisure pursuits, but in their jobs as well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 38% of U.S. workers change jobs every year. If your...
View ArticleCoping With Market Volatility
Global market volatility ramped up last summer as worries about the tenuous state of the Chinese economy shook virtually all major financial benchmarks, indicating once again how interrelated the...
View ArticleWhen More Risk Equals Less Risk
If I asked you to name the most risky asset class, which would you pick? Emerging markets1 Commodities2 High-yield bonds3
View ArticleLarge-Cap Stocks: Why They Could Be a Building Block for Your Portfolio
Stocks and stock mutual funds are often grouped according to size, or "market cap," a term that represents the total dollar value of a company's shares.1 Market cap is calculated by multiplying a...
View ArticleShould You "Fix" Variable Rate Debt?
While investors are keeping a close watch on the Federal Reserve for indications of when it will start raising interest rates, the consensus among economists is that it will begin its credit-tightening...
View ArticleSearching for Yield in Today's Market
Income-oriented investors have had a tough go of it for the past several years. Persistently low interest rates have curtailed traditional sources of yield. Yet, by broadening their search criteria,...
View ArticleCommon Estate Planning Mistakes -- and How to Avoid Them
Estate planning can be a minefield of potential missteps, some of which could have far-reaching consequences. Many of the poor choices individuals make when planning for their own future or passing...
View Article50 Must-Know Statistics About Long-Term Care
Perhaps you've bitten the bullet and purchased long-term care insurance, or decided to pay out of pocket for long-term care. Or, if you're like many people, what to do about long-term care is just a...
View ArticleFinancial Planning Tips for Singles
Living the single life no longer is an anomaly: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 40% of households nationwide are maintained by a single person.1 Being single affects many areas of financial...
View ArticleDo Alternative Asset Classes Belong in Your Portfolio?
Alternative investments are often defined not by what they are, but by what they are not. It is this quality that could make alternatives potentially valuable diversifiers when added to a portfolio of...
View ArticleHow Might Rising Interest Rates Affect Your Stock Investments?
The Federal Reserve's actions can have a marked influence on the economy and financial markets. For instance, some market analysts believe that the Fed's massive, multi-year bond-buying program coupled...
View ArticleHome Equity Loans Versus Lines of Credit: What's the Difference?
Thinking of tapping the equity in your home to do a renovation, buy a second home, or consolidate debt? Before you decide which borrowing option is right for you, it's important to understand the main...
View ArticleThree Year-end Tax Reduction Tips
Even though April 15 now seems a distant deadline for filing your 2015 tax returns, in order to take advantage of some of the biggest tax reduction strategies, you have to act before the end of this...
View ArticleGet in the Habit -- Smart Investing Habits to Adopt This Year
Some of your New Year's resolutions may be to break a few of your bad habits and to take on some new, positive habits. If you'd like to improve your investing habits, setting up daily, monthly, and...
View ArticleThe Charitable IRA Transfer: Permanent at Last
In December 2015, President Obama signed into law the "Protecting Americans From Tax Hikes Act of 2015." This new ruling made permanent many tax breaks that had been dubbed "extenders" as taxpayers...
View ArticleTurning the Page: five Things Baby Boomers Need to Know About RMDs
The times they are a changin' for baby boomers. The generation that lived through and influenced the revolution in the retirement industry is now poised to begin withdrawing money from their...
View ArticleWill Debt Hinder Your Retirement Outlook?
The number of Americans in or nearing retirement who are still holding significant mortgage, auto, even student loan debt has been rising in recent years. According to recent data released by the...
View ArticleOwn a Retirement Account? Keep Your Beneficiary Designations Up to Date
Many investors have taken advantage of pretax contributions to their company's employer-sponsored retirement plan and/or make annual contributions to an IRA. If you participate in a qualified plan...
View ArticleIncome Inequality and Its Impact on Women's Retirement
Here are the facts. Generally speaking, women earn less than men, live longer than men, and often take time out of the workforce to have children and/or to care for an aging parent or sick loved one....
View ArticleIdentity Theft and Taxes
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America affecting millions of unsuspecting individuals each year. A dishonest person who has your Social Security number can use it to obtain tax...
View ArticleWhat Can a Dollar Buy? Depends on Where You Live
You know that $25,000 car you've had your eye on? In just 10 years, it could cost almost $34,000, assuming prices rise by a mere 3% per year. That's the reality of inflation, which is commonly...
View Article10 Least Tax-Friendly States for Retirees 2016
Retirees have special concerns when evaluating state tax policies. For instance, the mortgage might be paid off, but how bad are the property taxes—and how generous are the property-tax breaks for...
View Article10 Things That Will Soon Disappear Forever
Ten years ago, thousands of Blockbuster Video stores occupied buildings all over the country, renting DVDs and selling popcorn. Today, all but a handful are closed. The company’s shares once traded for...
View Article12 Ways to Go Broke in Retirement
Retirement is a major milestone that brings many life changes. One thing that doesn't change for most people: the fear of running out of money. According to the Transamerica Center for Retirement...
View Article15 Things You Should Never Buy During the Holidays
The season of giving is also the season of getting. You're likely spending lots of money purchasing gifts for friends and loved ones during the holidays. But proceed with caution: There are a number of...
View Article9 IRS Audit Red Flags for Retirees
In 2015, the Internal Revenue Service audited only 0.84% of all individual tax returns. So the odds are generally pretty low that your return will be picked for review. That said, your chances of being...
View Article23 Tax Deductions You Can't Afford to Overlook
Years ago, the fellow running the IRS told Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine that he figured millions of taxpayers overpaid their taxes every year by overlooking just one of the money-saving tax...
View ArticleTurning 30 and Getting Serious About Finances
Throughout her 20s, Nancy Corwin dreaded the day she turned the big 3-0. Then the day finally came—and went. "And it was no big deal," said Nancy. "It was really sort of a letdown after all that...
View ArticleTax Strategies for Retirees
Nothing in life is certain except death and taxes. —Benjamin Franklin. That saying still rings true roughly 300 years after the former statesman coined it. Yet, by formulating a tax-efficient...
View Article10 Worst States To Live In For Taxes
Lots of people fret about how much they have to pay Uncle Sam, but he’s not the only tax man you have to worry about: Your state can squeeze you for plenty of taxes, too. State income taxes or property...
View Article10 Kirkland Products You Should Buy at Costco
Years back, retailers got wise to the ways of store brands. You know the drill: Grocers stock their shelves with food items packaged just for them, from pasta sauces to pinto beans. For most, gone are...
View Article7 Habits of People With Excellent Credit Scores
Want to improve your credit score? Take a page from the best. People with excellent scores know that following a few basic rules is the key to success. Adopting their habits could boost your score into...
View ArticleTime-Tested Tactics to Build Your Wealth
We have doled out a lot of good advice over the 70 years we’ve been publishing Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. So in many ways it was easy to come up with 70 ideas on how to create wealth. But...
View Article17 Red Flags for IRS Auditors
Ever wonder why some tax returns are eyeballed by the Internal Revenue Service while most are ignored? Short on personnel and funding, the IRS audited only 0.70% of all individual tax returns in 2016....
View Article15 Surprising Benefits of Amazon Prime
Many of us first signed up for Amazon Prime years ago to take advantage of free two-day shipping, and stayed with it as the giant online retailer edged the annual fee toward the triple-digit mark. But...
View Article10 Cheapest US Cities to Live In
When it comes to cheap living, don't mess with Texas. The Lone Star State is home to the two most-affordable cities in America. But Texas doesn't have a monopoly on low living costs. Five other states...
View ArticleWill White House Scandals Derail the Stock Market
Investors are wondering if the stock market’s Trump bump could morph into the Trump slump as questions continue to swirl around the White House regarding its Russia connections. It’s a high-stakes...
View Article10 Best Jobs for the Future
The U.S. job market is looking good. The unemployment rate is hovering below the 5% mark, as it has been for more than a year. But not every profession is booming. "In general, it’s a very robust labor...
View ArticleOil Market’s Rally Loses Steam
Crude oil prices are treading water after the oil market rallied sharply last month. At about $47.50 per barrel, benchmark West Texas Intermediate is off slightly from a week ago because of lingering...
View ArticleCreate a Contract for Family Care
Family caregiver contracts can range from informal to complex professional contracts drawn up by lawyers. Here's what you should know to decide what's best for you.
View ArticleWhat to Do After Inheriting an IRA
Heirs must begin taking withdrawals once they inherit an IRA, but how they choose to make those distributions can have a big impact on their account balance over time.
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