Retirement & Financial Planning Report

Multisector bond funds offer downside protection because they hold U.S. government, junk, and foreign government bonds. Over time, the high …More

The costs of a long-term care (LTC) policy increase gradually as you approach age 60 but “skyrocket” soon thereafter, according …More

Studying historic data, investment pros have come up with a method of tapping a retirement portfolio: (1) In the first …More

Once parent’s have gotten older and beyond the young children stage it may be tempting to cash out of a …More

You may be surprised to see what your Social Security payments are really worth. Get an estimate of your Social …More

Nursing home costs are extremely expensive — but you haven’t seen anything yet. The national average recently was about $110 …More

Not all mutual funds fit neatly into specific categories. Morningstar considers “value funds” to be those that hold stocks with …More

Under a relatively new “Buy Direct” program, you can purchase treasury securities with a toll-free phone call (800-943-6864) or at …More

If you have assets you want to pass on to your children, free of gift and estate tax, consider a …More

If your elderly parents are beginning to show signs of mental deterioration, make certain that their financial documents are in …More

If you’re a condo owner you’re a homeowner so you need a homeowner’s insurance policy. However, you need to make …More

Obviously, a long stay in a nursing home can potentially bankrupt you. That’s especially true for married couples, if one …More

If you decide you want to make lifetime gifts to your kids, what should you give away? Here’s the recommended …More

If you run a part-time business out of your home now that you’ve retired? If so, new rules may help …More

Studying historic data, investment pros have come up with a method of tapping a retirement portfolio: (1) In the first …More

If you want to diversify internationally, buy stocks directly, and avoid the hassles of trading foreign stocks, you can invest …More

Becoming infirm isn’t that uncommon as we grow older. So, we need to do some prudent planning for such a …More

Contributions to state qualified tuition plans (see above) are considered gifts so they count toward to $10,000 annual gift tax …More

Most states now offer “qualified tuition plans,” which are tax-deferred investment accounts. If such accounts are opened for your grandchildren, …More

If you’re interested in closed-end muni funds (see above), be aware that some sell short-term preferred shares and use the …More

If you’re investing in municipal bonds or a municipal bond fund for income, consider a “closed-end” muni fund instead. Such …More

If you baby sit for your grandchildren, ask to be paid in cash, at the going rate. Sound callous? Read …More

In tax year 2000, you can leave any amount to your spouse and up to $675,000 to other heirs — …More

If you had to predict the dominant trends of the next 10 or 20 years, a few choices seem clearly …More

Homeowner’s insurance policies are becoming more conservative. Instead of paying whatever it takes to replace a destroyed home, most policies …More

When you calculate your life insurance needs, you may have to consider your aging parents as well as your spouse …More

Indexing has become an increasingly popular investment strategy in recent years. If you invest in an index fund you’ll get …More

When you retire you’ll stop receiving a paycheck and begin collecting a pension or annuity, and you and/or your spouse …More

A common estate planning strategy is to create a trust and have the trustee buy life insurance on the trust …More

If you have to sacrifice your retirement savings to fund a college education for the kids, you may be making …More