If your employer offers health insurance benefits, one of your options may be a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) with eligibility for a health savings account (HSA). These plans offer potential savings by encouraging you to make cost-effective choices in your medical spending. If you do not have employer-sponsored health coverage, you can choose from a […]
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Four Key Objectives of a Sound Retirement Plan
A sound retirement plan should be based on your particular circumstances. No one strategy is suitable for everyone. Once you’re retired, your income plan should strive to address four basic objectives: earn a reasonable rate of return, manage the risk of loss, maintain a source of sustainable and predictable income, and reduce the impact of […]
All Eyes on the Earnings Picture
Publicly traded companies are required to disclose their financial performance to regulators and shareholders on a quarterly basis. News organizations and investors pay close attention to these reports because they tend to impact stock prices, with strong earnings driving share prices up, and vice versa. In the first quarter of 2023, the earnings of companies […]
New Life for Your Old Insurance Policy
Life insurance can serve many valuable purposes. However, later in life — when your children have grown, you’ve retired, or you’ve paid off your mortgage — you may think you no longer need to keep your coverage, or perhaps your coverage has become too expensive. You might be tempted to abandon the policy or surrender […]
Time to Bulk Up Your Emergency Fund
A financial crisis — such as a job loss or medical emergency — can strike when you least expect it. It is important to be prepared by having a financial safety net in place — not having one could prove to be financially devastating. But bulking up your emergency fund isn’t always easy, especially during […]
Clean Vehicle Tax Credits: New vs. Qualified Commercial
Federal tax credits may be available to help offset your cost to purchase certain clean vehicles (including electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles). The new clean vehicle tax credit can be either a personal or a general business tax credit, depending on whether the vehicle is used in a trade or business. If the […]
REITs, Rates, and Income
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) can offer a consistent income stream that is typically higher than Treasury yields and other stock dividends (see chart). A qualified REIT must pay at least 90% of its taxable income each year as shareholder dividends, and unlike many companies, REITs generally do not retain earnings, which is why they […]
Coming in 2024: New 529 Plan-to-Roth IRA Rollover Option
In December 2022, Congress passed the SECURE 2.0 Act. It introduced two new rules relating to 529 plans and student debt that will take effect in 2024. The first provision allows for tax- and penalty-free rollovers from a 529 plan to a Roth IRA. The second provision allows student loan payments made by employees to […]
Put Your Money Where Your Values Are
Financial worries are often cited as a major source of stress. For example, a 2021 study found that even before the pandemic and subsequent economic downturn, a majority of Americans said they felt stressed or anxious about their finances.1 Similarly, in 2022, research revealed that more than seven out of 10 financial planning clients experienced financial […]
Should You Organize Your Business as an LLC?
There’s a certain amount of risk that comes with owning a business. Accidents can happen no matter how well a company is run, and a lawsuit could be devastating if the business is found to be at fault. A limited liability company (LLC) is a business structure that offers many of the same legal protections […]