Four Reasons to Love Your Roth IRA

A friend recently asked me whether she should open a Roth IRA or a Traditional IRA. In case these terms are unfamiliar to you, IRA stands for Individual Retirement Account—as opposed to a group or company-sponsored type such as a 401(k)—and comes in two main forms:...

read more

Deciding When to Retire: When Timing Becomes Critical

Deciding when to retire may not be one decision but a series of decisions and calculations. For example, you'll need to estimate not only your anticipated expenses, but also what sources of retirement income you'll have and how long you'll need your retirement savings...

read more

When to Apply for Social Security Benefits

With the demise of guaranteed pensions, and in light of the risks you face in managing your own retirement assets, maximizing Social Security becomes a critical part of retirement planning. How claiming age affects the income stream One of the most important decisions...

read more

Checklist: Is It Time for Assisted Living?

Rosalyn Carter once said: “There are only four kinds of people in the world – those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.” In light of the longer lives we now enjoy, it’s very...

read more

Test your Knowledge of Financial Basics

How well do you understand personal finance? The following brief quiz can help you gauge your knowledge of a few basics. In the answer section, you'll find details to help you learn more. TAKE THE QUIZ!

read more

Active vs. Passive Management

One of the longest-standing debates in investing is over the relative merits of active portfolio management versus passive management. With an actively managed portfolio, a manager tries to beat the performance of a given benchmark index by using his or her judgment...

read more