A little knowledge. A clearer perspective.

Financial Aid For College Students

Even if you have not been able to save all the money you will need for college, several alternatives exist to assist you in making up the…

An Introduction To Budgeting

Budgeting is the systematic allocation of one's limited resources (income) to a potentially unlimited number of needs and wants (expenses.) Budgeting your income, though…

Health Insurance - How It Works

Without health insurance, a single illness can cause serious, and often irrevocable, financial…

The Basics Of Homeowners Insurance

Your home and the things in it generally represent the largest asset your family will ever have. For this reason it is very important to have your home and its contents…

What Is Permanent Life Insurance

Once you have determined that you need life insurance, and calculated how much coverage you require, you will have to choose between several types of life insurance.…

Deferred Compensation

In addition to providing qualified plans to employees, many business owners implement nonqualified alternatives in order to supplement retirement benefits. These…

Living Expenses In Retirement

In order to plan realistically for the future you need to have a clear understanding of what money you need when you retire. This will include the cost of living and…

Roth IRA Conversion Review

If you have existing retirement assets in a traditional IRA, you may want to consider converting those assets to a Roth IRA. Possible benefits of converting include…

Business

Choosing A Business Continuation Plan

The death of a major shareholder in a closely-held corporation can seriously interrupt continuity and profitability of the business. Surviving shareholders must struggle…

Business

Implementing A Cafeteria Plan

Internal Revenue Code 125 allows an employer to implement an employee benefit plan which allows employees to select the benefit programs they…

Creating A College Funding Strategy

Saving for college isn't easy, but the earlier you start the better off you'll be. For example, if you save $60 a month for 17 years earning 8% per year, you will have…

Finding Scholarship Opportunities

Over 85% of the nation's schools offer various types of scholarship, granting money to college students based on a host of criteria such as academic merit, financial…

Investment Alternatives For Funding College

College should be considered a lifetime investment rather than just a four-year expense. It requires financial planning and personal sacrifices. The earlier you start…

The Increasing Cost Of Education

A college education is an investment that pays off. According to The College Board's annual report, Trends in College Pricing, median annual income for bachelor's degree…

Mortgage Basics

Many home buyers search for a home they want, then apply for a mortgage and hope for the best. A better approach is to find out how much mortgage you can qualify for,…

Structuring The Terms Of Your Loan

Often it is necessary to borrow money in order to make large purchases like cars, home improvements, college expenses and emergency purchases. Fortunately, our financial…

A Living Will

You may recall that during the final weeks of his life, former President Richard Nixon refused "heroic measures" and received only palliative (comfort-easing) care at…

A Will That Meets Your Needs

A will is a legal document that transfers what you own to your beneficiaries upon your death. It also names an executor to carry out the terms of your will and a…

Charitable Remainder Trusts

A Charitable Remainder Trust normally is used as a strategy for converting highly appreciated assets into income producing assets, without income tax liability. The…

Life Cycle Planning

Financial planning means something different to everyone. For some, it's about getting by on their paycheck, for others it's about watching the stock market each…

The Time Value Of Money

One well-known fact of economic life is that a dollar received today is worth more than a dollar received a year from…

Year End Financial Planning

The best financial decisions are made with the benefit of time, thoughtful consideration and trusted professional advice. As tax time once again approaches, there are…

Your Personal Financial Statements

Personal financial statements are the roadmap that guides us from where we are today, to where we want to be tomorrow. They also provide fixed points of reference from…

Determining Your Life Insurance Coverage Needs

Like auto insurance coverage, it is sometimes difficult to see the true value of life insurance coverage until you actually need it. In the meantime, the only way you…

Private Mortgage Insurance

If you purchased your home paying less than 20% down, chances are you had to purchase “mortgage insurance” in order to qualify for your loan. A mortgage insurance policy…

What Is Term Life Insurance

Once you have determined that you need life insurance, and calculated how much coverage you require, you will have to choose between several types of life insurance…

Keeping Your Plan In Balance

No matter what type of investor you are, it is important to keep your plan on track. Revisit your asset allocation periodically (every year or two, depending on market…

Using Mutual Funds In Your Portfolio

If you want to invest in the stock market but don’t have a large enough portfolio to achieve the diversity you want through individual stock purchases, mutual funds may…

What Is A Qualified Annuity

Many employers allow their employees to contribute to an annuity program. This becomes an investment option in a salary reduction retirement plan. Under this plan your…

Calculating Social Security

Social Security was originally introduced in 1935 in the aftermath of the Great Depression. It was intended to provide a safety net of income to retired and disabled…

Minimum Retirement Plan Distributions

Most qualified retirement plans offer significant tax benefits for those willing to follow a few IRS specified rules. The government wants to make these plans (401(k)s,…

Tax Qualified Plans

As a business owner, there are several reasons you might want to implement a qualified retirement plan for you and your employees. Not the least of which is that…

The Basics Of Retirement Planning

When planning your retirement, it is important to remember that money, more than any other factor, will dictate most of your retirement decisions. Your level of…

Gift Tax Fundamentals

The federal government imposes a substantial tax on gifts of money or property above certain levels. Without such a tax someone with a sizable estate could give away a…

Taxation On The Sale Of A Home

For most of us, our home represents our largest asset. Over time, the management of this asset can make a big difference in our overall financial outlook. One of the…

Business

Loss Of A Key Employee

Business owners accept without question the wisdom of insuring the firm against the loss of its property values. We take care to insure the physical assets against fire,…

Section 529 College Savings Plans

A 529 plan is a state-sponsored education savings program that allows an individual to save in a tax-deferred account to pay for a beneficiary's post-secondary education…

What Is The Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA)

One of new products that came out of the Budget Reconciliation Act of 1996 is the Coverdell ESA. The Coverdell ESA offers the potential for tax-free growth when you use…

Life After Debt

If you find yourself in trouble financially, there are usually no easy answers -- but there are many ways out for those willing to commit to changing their financial…

Understanding The Mortgage Underwriting Process

Whether you're looking for a first mortgage on a new home or a refinance on an existing loan, the interest rate you are offered will be based on the same factors; your…

Gift Giving Strategies

The federal government imposes a substantial tax on gifts of money or property above certain levels. Without such a tax someone with a sizable estate could give away a…

Selling Your Home

Once you have decided to try to sell your home, the next big decision you will face is whether you want to sell it yourself of go through a real estate broker. The…

Managing Your Assets

When you start organizing your portfolio you will want to consider how you will be spending your money after you retire. Some money will be deposited directly into your…

What Is A Variable Annuity

Variable annuities offer more choices than fixed or guaranteed annuities. Some of the things they offer that are not the same as a fixed annuity are, tax deferred…

Bridging The Gap

In years past, it was often realistic for retirees to base the majority of their retirement income on Social Security benefits and traditional employer sponsored pension…

Traditional and Roth IRAs - Which Is Right For You?

There is a wide variety of tax-advantaged ways for individuals to save for retirement. Because of their income tax benefits and because IRAs are so easily established,…

Taking The Mystery Out Of Capital Gains

Under the recently enacted Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, generating long term capital gains or acquiring dividend income could be two of your…

Tax Aspects Of Working At Home

How much of their home office expenses can be deducted is one of the most misjudged tax questions faced by home workers. The reality of home office expense deductibility…