Articles
75% of Americans agree they would benefit from having basic financial education and information.
Source: The 2016 Consumer Financial Literacy Survey, The National Foundation for Credit Counseling
Welcome to our research center! We've put together a library of information on important financial topics that we believe you'll find helpful.
Simply click on one of the general financial topics below and you'll find a selection of easy-to-understand information sheets about related financial concepts and strategies. This information is updated regularly to reflect the latest facts, figures, legislation, and economic trends.
Estates & Trusts
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Estate Planning
Wills and trusts allow you to spell out how you would like your property distributed, but they also go beyond that.
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Living Trusts
A living trust can help control the distribution of your estate upon death.
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Avoiding Probate
The probate process can be lengthy and complex. There are strategies you can use to help avoid the probate process.
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Charitable Giving
To retain the tax advantages associated with charitable giving, your gift must be made to a qualified organization.
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Gifting Strategies
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of different gifting strategies available for planned giving.
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Charitable Lead Trusts
Charitable lead trusts are designed for people who would like to benefit a charity now rather than later.
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Charitable Remainder Trusts
A designated income beneficiary could receive payment of a specified amount from a charitable remainder trust.
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Wealth Replacement Trusts
A wealth replacement trust could be used to gift appreciated assets to a charity as well as provide for heirs.
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Family Limited Partnerships
One estate planning strategy that families with closely held businesses could consider is the family ltd partnership.
Retirement
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Self-Employed Retirement Plans
Tax-deferred retirement plans for self-employed individuals have higher contribution limits than IRAs.
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Retirement Plan Distributions
When receiving money accumulated in your employer-sponsored retiremnt plan, you have 2 options: lump sum or annuity.
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Traditional IRAs
If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might consider a traditional IRA.
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401(k) Plans
401(k) employer-sponsored retirements plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.
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Managing Retirement Plans
Employer-sponsored retirement plans are more important than ever, but managing the assets can be confusing.
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Roth IRAs
Qualified Roth IRA distributions in retirement are free of federal income tax and aren’t included in gross income.
Tax Planning
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Tax Deferral
There can be a substantial benefit to deferring taxes as long as possible.
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Tax Deductions
Changes to the tax code have left a few key deductions for itemizers, like medical, dental and some business expenses.
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Tax Strategies for Retirement Plans
Consider a trustee-to-trustee transfer to an IRA vs a lump-sum distribution from a workplace retirement plan.
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Tax-Free Investments
It’s important to understand tax-exempt vehicles when establishing a comprehensive tax planning strategy.
Investing
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Bonds
A bond is simply evidence of a debt from a government entity or a corporation and represents a long-term IOU.
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Stock Indexes
Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.
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Investment Risks
Understanding different types of investment risk can help investors manage their money more effectively.
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Asset Classes
There are 5 broad asset classes that you should take into consideration when constructing your investment portfolio.
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Asset Allocation
Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee against investment loss.
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Dollar-Cost Averaging
Dollar-cost averaging involves investing a set amount of money on a regular basis, regardless of market conditions.
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529 Plans
529 plans are a tax-advantaged college savings plans that generally allow people of any income level to contribute.
Cash Management
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Cash Management Basics
A sound cash management program uses a disciplined approach: accounting, analysis, allocation, and adjustment.
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College Financial Aid
It's important to understand the options, such as financial aid grant programs, when having to pay for college.
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Effects of Inflation
Historically, one of the best ways to fight the effects of inflation has been to utilize growth-oriented investments.
Risk Management
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Business Owner Policies
A biz owner policy is an insurance package that assembles the basic coverages required by a biz owner in one bundle.
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Life Insurance for Business Owners
Company-owned life ins is 1 way to help protect a biz from financial problems caused by the death of a key employee.
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Split-Dollar Life Insurance
Split-dollar life insurance is an arrangement to purchase and fund life insurance between two parties.
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Last-Survivor Life Insurance
Couples who want to help protect their legacy from estate taxes could consider last-survivor life insurance.
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Variable Life Insurance
Variable life insurance gives you the control to allocate your account value among a variety of investment options.
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Maximizing Your Insurance Benefits
Several factors could undermine the financial security provided by the proceeds of your life insurance policy.
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Types of Health Coverage
There are 3 basic types of medical insurance plans: fee-for-service, managed care, and high-deductible health plan.
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Long-Term Care Costs
The odds of needing long-term care increase as you age. Prior planning can help protect you from financial ruin.
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Medicare Coverage
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for those persons age 65 and over. But what does it cover?