Articles

Retirement

• What Is a SEP IRA?

  A SEP IRA is a type of plan under which the employer contributes (up to a certain limit) to an employee’s IRA.

• What Is an IRA Rollover?

  If you leave a job or retire, you should consider your options regarding your employer retirement plan assets.

• What Is a Roth 401(k)?

  A Roth 401(k) is funded with after-tax money, and allows for tax- and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings if requirements are met.

• What Is a Profit-Sharing Plan?

  Profit-sharing plans give employees a share in the profits of a company and can help to fund their retirements.

• What Is a Money Purchase Pension Plan?

  A money purchase plan is a retirement plan where employer contributions are based on a fixed percentage of compensation.

• What Is a 403(b) Plan?

  A 403(b) plan is a tax-deferred retirement savings plan that can only be offered by a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity.

• How Should I Manage My Retirement Plan?

  Employer-sponsored retirement plans are more important than ever, but managing the assets can be confusing.

Tax Planning

• What Is the Capital Gain Tax?

  Capital gains are profits realized from the sale of assets; a tax is triggered only when an asset is sold, not held.

• What Is the Estate Tax?

  Everything you own, whatever the form of ownership, is subject to federal, and possibly state, estate taxes.

• What Is the Gift Tax?

  The federal gift tax applies to gifts of property or money while the donor is living.

• How Much Money Can I Put Into My IRA or Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan?

  IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to annual contribution limits set by the federal government.

• What Is a Required Minimum Distribution?

  Required minimum distribution is the annual amount that must be withdrawn from a qualified retirement plan/account.

• When Must Taxes Be Paid on IRA and Employer-Sponsored Retirement Funds?

  With traditional IRAs and most employer-sponsored retirement plans, taxes are not payable until funds are withdrawn.

• What Happens If I Withdraw Money from My Tax-Deferred Investments Before Age 59½

  Tax-deferred retirement account withdrawals before age 59½ generally triggers a 10% federal income tax penalty.

• What Tax Deductions Are Still Available to Me?

  Changes to the tax code have left a few key deductions for itemizers, like medical, dental and some business expenses.

Investing

• How Are Annuities Taxed?

  One attractive feature of an annuity is tax-deferral but qualified and non-qualified annuities are taxed differently.

• What Is a Bond Ladder?

  A bond ladder is a strategy involving the purchase of bonds that have staggered maturity dates.

• How Are Common and Preferred Stocks Different?

  It's important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of common stock versus preferred stock.

• What Are Dividends?

  It is important to understand how dividends (taxable payments to shareholders) fit with your long-term goals.

• What Is an Exchange-Traded Fund?

  ETFs have unique attributes and attempt to track all types of indexes, industries, or commodities.

• How Are Growth and Value Stocks Different?

  The labels growth and value reflect different approaches that can be used when making investment decisions.

• What Is Stock?

  Before investing in stocks, it is important to understand some of the basics and the risks involved in owning stocks.

• What Is a Bond?

  A bond is simply evidence of a debt from a government entity or a corporation and represents a long-term IOU.

• What Is a Stock Index?

  Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.

• What Are the Different Classes of Assets?

  There are five broad asset classes that you should take into consideration when constructing your investment portfolio.

• What Is Asset Allocation?

  Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.

• What College Investment Options Do I Have?

  Starting to invest early for college and remaining consistent can help investors reach their goals.

• What Is Dollar-Cost Averaging?

  Dollar-cost averaging involves investing a set amount of money on a regular basis, regardless of market conditions.

Cash Management

• How Long Will It Take to Double My Money?

  Before making investment decisions, it is helpful to determine the real rate of return on the investment.

• How Can I Better Manage My Short-Term Cash?

  There are numerous investment alternatives available to help provide liquidity.

• What Advantages Does a Biweekly Mortgage Offer?

  Biweekly mortgage payments can have a dramatic effect on the amount of interest homeowners have to pay.

Risk Management

• Do I Need a Business Owner Policy?

  A business owner policy is an insurance package that assembles the basic coverages required by a business owner in one bundle.