Tue, July 22, 2008
Today I'd like to offer a simple explanation for how life insurance works. This discussion will also lay a foundation for discussing the difference between term and permanent life insurance.
The first post in this series, on the reasons someone might need life insurance, is worth reading if you're not sure whether you need life insurance. Read the full article
Tue, July 01, 2008
Everyone has heard of life insurance and most people have some; it’s not an exotic concept. Yet for the average person, buying life insurance means signing the most complex contract you'll ever enter into. This will be the first of a series of short primers on life insurance: why people need it, how it works, how much to buy, what kind to buy. Read the full article
Sat, June 28, 2008
Wall Street is licking its wounds this weekend, no doubt, after being pretty badly clawed by what is almost certainly a bear market. In the coming days you’ll see all sorts of articles offering you free advice, e.g. identifying “Bear Market Stocks You Should Buy Now,” providing lists of the mutual funds into which you should put all your money, and so forth. What should you do? Read the full article
Wed, June 25, 2008
Most middle-class parents aren't looking forward to the cost of sending their kids through college. For those of you who really want to get a head start, here's a scheme that will help maximize your college savings, albeit via rather quirky means. Read the full article
Wed, June 04, 2008
April 15 has come and gone, so the opportunity to make a 2007 IRA contribution is firmly behind us. As you think about your 2008 contributions, here's a list of IRA slip-ups that you probably want to avoid. Read the full article
Mon, May 12, 2008
An idea that seems to have gained a lot of attention through an article by financial journalist Scott Burns is worth examining. Basically, the idea is this: you retire at 62 and apply for Social Security benefits, which are reduced because you're retiring early. Then, at age 70, you withdraw from Social Security, pay back the benefits you've received, and reapply. Now you receive a much bigger Social Security check.
Read the full article
Fri, May 09, 2008
The Supreme Court is considering an appeal to Kentucky versus Davis, a lawsuit that could have an impact on the state tax treatment of both municipal bonds and some state 529 plans. Read the full article
Sat, May 03, 2008
At the time of his death in 1976, billionaire J. Paul Getty was the richest person in the world. It's said that he was once asked how much money he would need to feel that he had enough, to which he replied, “just a little bit more.â€
Many of the clients with whom I’ve worked feel that they don't have quite enough money to accomplish all their goals. On one occasion, a client who was trying to save for an ambitious goal asked me, “which would be better for me to do – reduce my spending or increase my income?â€
Read the full article
Fri, May 02, 2008
What does it actually cost if you don’t pay off your credit card balances each month? What does a credit card purchase cost if you just make the minimum payments? Read the full article
Sat, April 26, 2008
I must confess: I expected the IRS to have a hard time meeting its original schedule for delivering tax rebate checks.
Read the full article
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