Financial Planning Resources

What Is Inflation and Why Should You Care About It?

Inflation occurs when there is more money circulating than there are goods and services to buy. The process is like trying to attend a sold-out concert at the last minute; there is more demand for tickets than there are tickets to go around. As a result, tickets may trade hands for far more than their stated prices. When there’s a lot of demand for goods and services, their prices usually go up. The law of supply and demand produces price inflation. Click Here to download article

One of the longest-standing debates in investing is over the relative merits of active portfolio management versus passive anagement. With an actively managed portfolio, a manager tries to beat the performance of a given benchmark index by using his or her judgment in selecting individual securities and deciding when to buy and sell them. A passively managed portfolio attempts to match that benchmark performance, and in the process, minimize expenses that can reduce an investor’s net return.  Click Here to download

An individual retirement arrangement (IRA) is a personal retirement savings plan that offers specific tax benefits. In fact, IRAs are one of the most powerful retirement savings tools available to you. Even if you’re contributing to a 401(k) or other plan at work, you should also consider investing in an IRA. Click Here to download

When you take a distribution from your company’s retirement plan – at retirement or when you change jobs – you may find yourself with a sizable sum of money. This windfall is often referred to as a lump-sum distribution. In addition to wondering what you should do with this money, you also may have concerns about taxes and investing issues that you never had to think about before, such as early withdrawal penalties and a 20% mandatory withholding. Click Here to download

When you change jobs, it can be for any number of reasons.  Regardless of what triggers a job change, however, most experts agree such an even creates a perfect opportunity to reevaluate your long-term financial plan.  After all, this is one of the few times – aside from actual retirement – that you will be faced with making decisions about what to do with the money you have been saving in your 401(k) plan.  Reviewing your situation at this transitional time cannot only help you feel better about your new job, it can get you refocused on your long-term savings plan.  Click Here to download

When a loved one dies, the details that need to be taken care of by survivors may be particularly overwhelming during such an emotional time.  This checklist is intended to be a reminder of some of the details that may need to be attended to, both immediately and afterward.  Click Here to download

There are many strategies recommended by financial advisors for investors to follow as they plot their way toward retirement.  If you are worried that your retirement investment plan is adrift, these 10 strategies could help you steer in the right direction.  Click Here to download

Many people struggle every time they open their mail or e-mail. They may ask themselves, “Is this important? Do I need this? Should I keep it? Should I throw it away?”  Click Here to download

With the average cost for one year at a private college (tuition, room, board, and other expenses) climbing to $36, 993 ($16,140 at a public in-state university), it is little wonder that many American families are concerned about their college savings. Click Here to download