There is often confusion about what to do when a beneficiary inherits a retirement account. The answer is… it depends. There are different factors to determine the best course of action, such as the beneficiary and the age of the decedent. For purposes of this article, the term “retirement account” will be used to encompass […]
Across the board, the significant majority of personal injury lawsuits and workers’ compensation claims are resolved through settlement. The reasons for the high percentage of cases that settle are myriad. Our crowded court system and resulting delays can wear down litigants; the increase in alternative dispute resolution helps cases resolve before trial; the inherent unpredictability […]
A few months ago, I wrote about the importance of having life insurance to help provide for your family upon your death. Today I write about life insurance again, but from a different perspective: what if something unexpected happens to your child? I know that no one likes to think about this scenario, but just […]
Make Sure Your Money Goes to the Right Person after You’re Gone There is so much information available about personal finances that you could spend your entire life reading all of it and you would never reach the end. Usually personal financial topics are geared toward what to do with your investments or how to […]
Can your family survive on $250 each month? The average American has $50,000 of life insurance through work, which equals about $250 per month in income replacement. Are you that average American? Can your family survive on $250 each month? Many income earners think, “Life insurance doesn’t fit into my budget. Life insurance is expensive. […]
It seems that the volatility in the stock market has continued our roller coaster of ups and downs this past quarter. Can this continue? Well it seems that it will with the daily changes of positive and negative news in Europe. As of last week the announcement has come! The European Central Bank has decided […]
Personally, I have never been one to purchase U.S. Savings Bonds. Nor have I received any as gifts. However, I have worked with many clients that one way or the other, have many Savings Bonds. When helping these clients with their estate plan, I have learned more than I ever imagined I would about Savings […]
Minimizing and Managing Social Security Benefit Taxes This is the third and final article of a three-part series to help married couples maximize the total amount of Social Security benefits they will receive in their lifetimes. How Social Security Benefits Are Taxed The amount that benefits are taxed is determined by how much other earned […]
Maximizing Spousal and Survival Benefits This is the second article of a three-part series to help married couples maximize the total amount of Social Security benefits they will receive in their lifetimes. The Basics of Spousal Benefits Coordinating spousal benefits is one of the most complicated areas of successful Social Security benefits planning. Overlooking the […]
Calculating Your Benefits and Deciding When to Apply This is the first article of a three-part series to help married couples maximize the total amount of Social Security benefits they will receive in their lifetimes. Why focus on maximizing Social Security benefits? Doing a little thoughtful planning now will lead to more immediate income, higher […]
While many economists have said we have come out of the recession, as of late many of them may be thinking we are heading for another one. A 512-point drop does not make anybody happy, especially me. It seems that we are back to the 2008 days of extreme volatility.