Real estate as an investment can be a way to diversify a portfolio and potentially serve as a hedge against inflation. Returns typically are derived from capital gains, tax credits, and/or rental and lease income.  There are many ways to invest in real estate. Direct investment typically involves the purchase, improvement, and/or rental of land […]

estimated reading time 4 minutes 58 seconds Incapacity — it’s a scenario few of us wish to consider. But what would happen if you were mentally or physically unable to take care of yourself or your day-to-day affairs? You might not be able to make sound decisions about your health or finances. You could lose […]

estimated reading time 7 minutes Caring for your aging parents is something you hope you can handle when the time comes, but rarely is it something that is planned for. Whether the time is now or somewhere in the future, there are steps that you can take now to make your life (and your parents’) […]

reading time 7 minutes 15 seconds At a time when your career is reaching a peak and you are looking ahead to your own retirement, you may find yourself in the position of having to help your children with college expenses or the financial challenges of young adulthood while simultaneously looking after the needs of […]

Estimated Read Time: 5 minutes 45 seconds If you’re a decade or so away from retirement, you’ve probably spent at least some time thinking about this significant life change. How will you manage the transition? Will you travel, take up a new sport or hobby, or spend more time with friends and family? Should you […]

Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes You probably already know how important it is to plan for retirement, but where do you begin? One of your first steps is to estimate how much income you’ll need to fund your ideal retirement. But that’s not always as easy as it sounds because retirement planning is not an […]

Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes You may have a very idealistic vision of retirement — doing all the things you never seem to have time to do now. But how do you pursue that vision? Social Security may be around when you retire, but the benefit you get from Uncle Sam may not provide enough […]

Estimated Read Time: 3 minutes One silver lining in the current bear market is that this could be an excellent time to convert assets from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Converted assets are subject to federal income tax in the year of conversion, which could rack up a substantial tax bill. However, if […]

Estimated Read Time: 5 minutes Quality Charitable Distributions, known as QCDs, are a direct transfer of funds from your retirement account to a qualified charity. QCDs allow you to donate money to a charity of your choice while also excluding the donation from taxable income. This can help lower your taxable income and may reduce […]

Estimated Read Time: 8 minutes The last thing any of us want to have to worry about this holiday season is another time-consuming task. However, year-end investment planning is one thing you can do now that will help set you up for financial success later on down the road. Not to mention, it will give […]