Financial Planning
Social Security: Shoring Up America’s Safety Net
Ever since a legal secretary named Ida May Fuller received the first Social Security retirement check in 1940, Americans have been counting on Social Security to provide much- needed retirement income. For many older Americans, Social Security is their main source of guaranteed retirement income — income that continues throughout their lifetimes and is indexed […]
How Can You Avoid Falling for the Social Security Imposter Scam?
The scam generally starts like this. You answer a call or retrieve a voicemail message that tells you to “press 1” to speak to a government “support representative” for help in reactivating your Social Security number. The number on your caller ID looks real, so you respond. The “agent” you reach tells you that your […]
What Are the Warning Signs of Financial Scams Targeting Older Individuals?
If you or someone you know has been targeted by a scam artist who is trying to steal money or personal information, you’re not alone. According to the Senate Special Committee on Aging, older Americans lose an estimated $2.9 billion annually to fraud and exploitation, a number that is probably substantially underreported. 1
Most scams start […]
How Safe Are Your Revenue Bonds?
In case you didn’t know, the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico is in financial hardship. The country issued about $120 billion in municipal bonds and now cannot pay the interest let alone the principal. The bonds were easy to sell because yields on Puerto Rico bonds are tax-free for federal and state income […]
How Long Could it Take to Double Your Money?
If you’re saving for college, retirement, or a large purchase, it can be useful to quickly calculate how an anticipated annual rate of return will affect your money over time. To find out, you can use a mathematical concept known as the Rule of 72. This rule can give you a close approximation of how […]
What’s the Real Return On Your Investments?
As an investor, you probably pay attention to nominal return, which is the percentage increase or decrease in the value of an investment over a given period of time, usually expressed as an annual return. However, to estimate actual income or growth potential in order to target financial goals — for example, a certain level of retirement […]
Financial Advice for Recent College Graduates
You’ve put in the hard work as a college student and finally received your diploma. Now you’re ready to head out on your own. And though you may not have given much thought to your financial future when you were in college, you have new financial challenges and goals to consider. Fortunately, there are some […]
Charitable Giving After Tax Reform
Tax reform changes to the standard deduction and itemized deductions may affect your ability to obtain an income tax benefit from charitable giving. Projecting how you’ll be affected by these changes while there’s still time to take action is important.
Income tax benefit of charitable giving
If you itemize deductions on your federal income tax return, you […]
Ten Travel Saving Tips
Exploring the world sounds fun and exciting, but it can be expensive to travel. However, there are ways to experience the trip of your dreams on a budget. Follow these money-saving tips when planning your next vacation to help make it more affordable.
1. Join a frequent flyer program. It will probably take time to accumulate […]
What We Owe
Tick. Tick. Tick. That is the sound of the potential debt bomb ticking inside American households. At the end of last year, Americans between the ages of 18 to 29 amassed over $1 trillion dollars in debt. Nearly 40% of it was student loan debt. That is the highest for that age group since 2007.
The […]
