April

• HOT TOPIC: International Investing: The Diverging Fortunes of China and Japan

  Investing Internationally can help increase portfolio diversification and provide access to opportunities that may differ from those in the United States.

• Beware of These Life Insurance Beneficiary Mistakes

  Naming a life insurance policy’s beneficiaries should be a relatively simple task, but there are some situations that can lead to unintended and adverse consequences.

• Individual Bonds vs. Bond Funds: What’s the Difference?

  Individual bonds and bond funds can both provide an income stream, but there are important differences. This article provides an overview of these two types of investments.

• What’s Required of the Executor of an Estate?

  Being named as the executor of an estate is generally an honor but settling an estate can be a difficult and time-consuming job. This article provides an overview of typical executor responsibilities.

• How a Family Limited Partnership Can Power an Estate Plan

  A family limited partnership is a legal agreement that enables business owners and their heirs to address succession, estate, and tax planning needs, all at once.

• Fixed Annuities: Retirement Income for Now or Later

  Purchasing a fixed annuity shifts the risk for future investment returns to the insurance company and could help create a pension-like income stream for retirement.

March

• HOT TOPIC: Can Productivity Keep Driving the U.S. Economy?

  This article looks at the importance of productivity to the U.S. economy, possible contributing factors to the recent surge, and the prospects for an extended period of strong productivity growth.

• Key Retirement and Tax Numbers for 2024

  This article presents the IRS’ cost-of-living adjustments for 2024 that affect contribution limits for retirement plans and various tax deduction, exclusion, exemption, and threshold amounts.

• How Savers and Spenders Can Meet in the Middle

  Couples who have opposite philosophies regarding saving and spending often have trouble finding common ground. This article offers some tips to learn to work with financial differences.

• The Federal Reserve’s Key Meeting Dates in 2024

  This article outlines the Federal Reserve’s three main objectives and provides the meeting schedule of the Federal Open Market Committee.

• Roth 401(k) News: Is It Time to Rethink How You Save for Retirement?

  High-income participants will not be allowed to make pre-tax catch-up contributions to a traditional 401(k) or similar plan starting in 2026, but they will be able to contribute to a workplace Roth.

• Can Your Personality Influence Your Portfolio? New Research Points to Yes

  The findings of two recent academic studies may offer insight into how investors can make more fruitful financial decisions.

February

• HOT TOPIC: Tax Season News and Survival Tips

  Taxpayers may want to be aware of important updates as they prepare to file their 2023 federal returns. This article includes information, filing tips, and last-minute opportunities for tax savings.

• A New Year, A New Opportunity to Save with a 529 Plan

  This article explains how a 529 plan can help a family save for college, including recent changes that have made these plans more flexible.

• Don’t Forget About Credit When Planning for Retirement

  Credit may not be at the top of the list when it comes to retirement, but good credit can make a big difference for retirees. This article looks at some key factors that lenders consider.

• Do You Have These Key Estate Planning Documents?

  This article provides an overview of four estate planning documents that almost everyone should have: a durable power of attorney, a medical directive, a will, and a letter of instruction.

• Debit or Credit — What’s the Difference?

  This article explains why it may be better to use a credit card for certain transactions, as long as the bill is paid on time to avoid interest charges.

• Small Businesses Could Face Borrowing Challenges

  Despite tougher lending conditions and higher interest costs, many people who need capital for business purposes may need to borrow money. This article discusses some common financing options.

January

• HOT TOPIC: SECURE 2.0 Provides New Retirement Savings Options in 2024

  The SECURE 2.0 Act made wide-ranging changes to U.S. tax laws related to retirement savings. This article provides an overview of some important provisions that take effect in 2024.

• Understanding Life Insurance

  Life insurance can help replace much-needed income after the death of a provider. With the wide variety of policies available, it’s important to understand the basic types of coverage.

• Will You Work Beyond Traditional Retirement Age?

  Does your income strategy beyond traditional retirement age include receiving a paycheck? This article looks at the advantages and disadvantages of working later in life.

• Setting a Retirement Savings Goal

  Only 51% of workers or their spouses have tried to estimate the savings they would need to live comfortably in retirement. This article offers a simple worksheet to help calculate a savings target.

• SECURE 2.0 Makes It Easier to Give and Receive

  The SECURE 2.0 Act modified the rules for qualified charitable distributions to allow funding a charitable gift annuity or charitable remainder trust from an IRA.

• How to Kill Your Zombie Subscriptions

  With inflation cutting into consumers’ purchasing power, getting rid of a few unnecessary recurring charges could be a painless way to help balance the household budget.

December

• HOT TOPIC: A Cautiously Optimistic Economic Outlook for 2024

  The U.S. economy grew in the third quarter of 2023, despite high interest rates and unsettling geopolitical conflict. This article discusses market conditions and economic forecasts for 2024.

• Much Ado About RMDs

  This article provides an overview of the changes the SECURE 2.0 Act made and a brief explanation of how to calculate required minimum distributions from tax-advantaged retirement accounts.

• Medical Debt and Your Credit Report

  This article looks at changes in the way medical debt is handled on credit reports and offers tips to avoid having unpaid medical bills impact credit.

• ISM Indexes Watch for Trouble on Both Sides of the Economy

  Two different Purchasing Managers Indexes are generally considered to be leading economic indicators that can help businesses and investors make more informed decisions.

• Why the EPA is Focusing on “Forever” Chemicals

  In March 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first federal limits for six types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in public drinking water.

• New Medicare Rules Tackle Prescription Drug Prices

  The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 included provisions intended to lower prescription drug costs for Medicare enrollees and slow drug spending by the federal government.

November

• HOT TOPIC: Can Consumers Keep Carrying the Economy?

  Consumer spending has bolstered the economy amid inflation, higher interest rates, and a cooling job market. This article looks at what may be driving spending and what might derail its momentum.

• HDHP/HSA Pairing May Help Control Medical Costs

  High-deductible health plans offer potential savings by encouraging cost-effective choices in medical spending, as well as eligibility for a health savings account with tax advantages.

• You’ve Received an Inheritance, Now What?

  Receiving an inheritance might promote spending without planning, but it’s not wise to make hasty decisions. This article provides suggestions that could help manage an inheritance.

• Bond Yields Are Up, but What Are the Risks?

  After years of low yields, bonds are offering higher yields that may be appealing to investors regardless of their risk tolerance. This article provides an overview of bond risks.

• Tax-Loss Harvesting Offers Chance at Silver Lining

  Stock market downturns can be rough on a portfolio’s bottom line, but selling losing investments may offer the potential to reduce an investor’s tax liability.

• Breaking Down Clean Vehicle Tax Credits for Business Owners

  Business owners may be able to claim one of two new federal tax credits to help offset the cost to purchase certain clean vehicles.

October

• Time to Bulk Up Your Emergency Fund

  A financial crisis can strike when least expected, so it’s important to have a sufficient emergency fund. This article offers some suggestions to help increase a fund before it’s needed.

• Four Key Objectives of a Sound Retirement Plan

  A sound retirement plan should be based on personal circumstances, and no one strategy is suitable for everyone. This article looks at four goals that a retirement strategy should address.

• Managing Medicare Out-of-Pocket Costs

  This article looks at the two different and mutually exclusive options Medicare beneficiaries have to help control retirement health-care spending: Medigap and Medicare Advantage.

September

• Social Security 101

  Social Security is complicated, and the details are often misunderstood even by those who are already receiving benefits.

August

• SECURE 2.0: Big Impact for Small Businesses

  This article discusses provisions in the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 that may be of particular interest to small business owners.

July

• SECURE 2.0 Act Expands Early Withdrawal Exceptions

  Discover exceptions to the federal income penalty for early withdrawals from tax-advantaged retirement accounts, including new exceptions added by the SECURE 2.0 Act.