Monday, 28 November 2011 20:39
by
Jacki
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]
Sunday, 30 January 2011 19:33
by
Jacki
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]
Wednesday, 10 November 2010 22:44
by
Jacki
Most of us work hard throughout our lives, and hope that what we’ve earned continues to provide benefits after we’re gone. Whether you want to help your children or grandchildren, or whether you’d like to see your hard-earned savings help a cause that’s important to you, you’ll be more likely to achieve those goals if you take some time to plan. [More]
Tuesday, 29 September 2009 16:06
by
Andy
There is a lot of conflicting information about living trusts. Some experts say you must have one to keep your estate out of probate court. Other experts say there is no benefit whatsoever to having a living trust. I did a little research and will try to list some advantages and disadvantages of living trusts so you can consider what is best for you. [More]
Thursday, 13 August 2009 15:43
by
Andy
People devote several hours to planning their retirement. They seek expert advice and watch the performance of their investments regularly but when it comes to naming a beneficiary, it is often done as an afterthought. If you don’t take into consideration this very important step of correctly naming a beneficiary(s): your wishes may go unheeded, your family may suffer because of difficult decisions that might need to be made, taxes that could have been avoid may reduce the value of your estate or your estate could very likely end up in court. [More]
Tuesday, 10 March 2009 15:18
by
Andy
After working hard to build up your retirement savings through your IRA, company plans and other investment options don’t let decisions made 40 years ago impact your estate plan. The naming of a beneficiary is probably the most important component of estate planning that is overlooked the most. [More]