As 2012 draws to a close, it’s important to be aware of upcoming tax changes and how to best plan for your specific situation. [More]

If even the thought of investing is scary to you, it’s best to take small steps to begin with. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you start investing your money. [More]

How many retirement accounts do you have? If you've changed jobs a few times over the years, you could have several accounts housed in different employers' plans. [More]

It may seem strange to think about saving for a college education when your child is very young, but there are two things you should consider: [More]

It’s been said that some people spend more time on choosing an automobile to purchase than they do on selecting a financial advisor. If that observation has a ring of truth to it, it may be because people are familiar with the daily driving experience and the ease of determining one’s preferences. In contrast, financial management is a task that, for most people, involves decisions and considerations that they know little about. Similarly, they are ill equipped to assess the qualifications of those who seek to provide financial services. [More]

If you’ve taken steps to protect those who depend upon you – such as obtaining life insurance, writing a will, or developing a trust – give yourself a pat on the back. If you haven’t taken those steps, you should. Having a will and/or a trust helps to ensure that your hard-earned assets are distributed properly, and life insurance can help your spouse, children, and any other dependents meet their financial needs if you can’t. [More]

A health plan is designed to protect you and your family from the known (and unknown to some level). Today health plans have become complex and difficult to understand. This makes choosing a health plan quite difficult, even when only a few options are available. [More]

One of the biggest misconceptions held by Americans is that Medicare will be there to help them if they have to move in to a nursing home someday. But the sad fact is that Medicare covers very little in the way of nursing home costs, and generally only if the reason for the stay is to receive specialized medical care. [More]

A financial plan is a document that helps you determine how you’ll achieve the goals you want from life, as well as how you’ll meet your future financial needs. A thorough financial plan looks at every aspect of how finances affect you and your family, covering issues such as retirement, education, housing, medical needs, insurance and luxuries. It examines your present situation, spells out your needs, and decides what steps will allow you to meet those needs. A good financial plan also gives you benchmarks to use as targets, so you’ll be able to tell how much progress you’ve made. [More]