Articles

There are five broad asset classes that you should take into consideration when constructing your investment portfolio.

It’s important to understand mutual fund loads, or sales charges, and exactly what they entail so you can make informed investing decisions.

An annuity is a flexible financial vehicle that can help protect against the risk of living a long time because it provides an option for a lifetime income.

Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.

Understanding different types of investment risk can help investors manage their money more effectively.

Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.

A bond is simply evidence of a debt from a government entity or a corporation and represents a long-term IOU.

With closed-end funds, investors pool their money together to purchase a professionally managed portfolio of stocks and/or bonds.

Both fixed and variable annuities could be appropriate options for an individual interested in purchasing an annuity.

An important element to successful investing is to manage investment risk while maintaining the potential for growth.

It's important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of common stock versus preferred stock.

Dollar-cost averaging involves investing a set amount of money on a regular basis, regardless of market conditions.

A mutual fund is a collection of stocks, bonds, and other securities with certain benefits and risks.

It is important to understand how dividends (taxable payments to shareholders) fit with your long-term goals.

The difference between purchasing an individual stock versus shares in a mutual fund to potentially earn dividends.

A bond ladder is a strategy involving the purchase of bonds that have staggered maturity dates.

Bond ratings gauge a bond issuer’s financial ability to repay its promised principal and interest payments.

Bonds are issued by many entities and share many characteristics, each type of bond has certain benefits and risks.

A sound cash management program uses a disciplined approach: accounting, analysis, allocation, and adjustment.

Some of the pros and cons of whole life insurance.

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for those persons age 65 and over. But what does it cover?

Short-term cash management instruments can help you establish a sound cash management program.

Term life insurance differs from permanent forms of life insurance in that it offers temporary protection.

Consider a universal life insurance policy if you want the flexibility to change your premium or death benefit.

Variable life insurance gives you the control to allocate your account value among a variety of investment options.

Money market funds can be a highly liquid and effective cash management tool.

Living benefits can help protect variable annuity owners from running out of money in retirement.

If you leave a job or retire, you should consider your options regarding your employer retirement plan assets.

Many realize it’s important to save for retirement, but knowing exactly how much to save is another issue altogether.

If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might consider a traditional IRA.

When receiving money accumulated in your employer-sponsored retirement plan, you have two options: lump sum or annuity.

With the changing pension landscape, it is important to take charge of your own retirement security.

401(k) employer-sponsored retirement plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.

The SIMPLE plan may appeal to small business owners as it is easy to set up, administer, and allows for a tax deduction.

Tax-deferred retirement plans for self-employed individuals have higher contribution limits than IRAs.

There are a variety of retirement planning options that could help meet your needs. Here are some of the most popular.

An indexed annuity may provide some upside potential and downside protection.

Annuities, an insurance-based financial vehicle, can provide many benefits that retirement investors might want.

A Roth 401(k) is funded with after-tax money, and allows for tax- and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings if requirements are met.

A SEP IRA is a type of plan under which the employer contributes (up to a certain limit) to an employee’s IRA.

There can be a substantial benefit to deferring taxes as long as possible.

While stable, CDs can create an income tax bill. Fixed annuities and municipal bonds can offer tax advantages.

Want to keep more of your mutual fund profits? You may be interested in strategies to help lower your tax liability.

It's important to understand tax-exempt vehicles when establishing a comprehensive tax planning strategy.

A 1035 exchange allows you to exchange your life insurance policy for one from another company without tax liability.

Consider a trustee-to-trustee transfer to an IRA versus a lump-sum distribution from a workplace retirement plan.

With traditional IRAs and most employer-sponsored retirement plans, taxes are not payable until funds are withdrawn.

Changes to the tax code have left a few key deductions for itemizers, like medical, dental and some business expenses.

Many traditional tax-advantaged investment strategies have gone away, but there are still some alternatives.

Required minimum distribution is the annual amount that must be withdrawn from a qualified retirement plan/account.

Tax-deferred retirement account withdrawals before age 59½ generally trigger a 10% federal tax penalty.

The probate process can be lengthy and complex. There are strategies you can use to help avoid the probate process.

Life insurance can be used to help preserve the value of your estate for your heirs.