Retirement & Financial Planning Report

Many charities offer charitable gift annuities (CGAs). With these arrangements, you donate assets to charity in return for a stream …More

Don’t assume that paying your bills on time is enough to guarantee good credit. These common errors can depress your …More

The biggest mistake property owners make is failing to properly screen renters. That can be a minefield, though, because of …More

If you’re a landlord, being able to call for skilled help is vital. You should have a list of contractors …More

A savvy asset allocation for college funding might include: Bonds: Buy bond funds inside a 529 college savings plan, where …More

Large charitable gifts may not be fully deductible. Generally, you cannot take an upfront deduction that exceeds 50 percent of …More

Currently, the federal estate tax exemption is $2 million. That’s the amount of assets a decedent can leave to heirs, …More

Increasingly, your credit score is being used for purposes other than approving loan requests. You score might be used to …More

When will you be able to retire? One school of thought holds that you should wait until your investment portfolio …More

When you buy investment real estate with borrowed money, ask for the debt to be “qualified non-recourse.” The property (not …More

A modest Roth IRA contribution, if made early and invested well, will eventually be worth much more than a large …More

Although prices have come down a bit lately, the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Total Return Index has gained around 13 percent …More

Joint ownership comes in three varieties: Joint tenancy with the right of survivorship. As the name suggests, if one co-owner …More

Proceed carefully before investing in mutual funds near year-end. You might wind up paying taxes on a return of your …More

Selling a stock at a loss can offer tax advantages. The loss may offset a capital gain or might be …More

Investors may wish to buy stocks on margin. If the stocks go up in price, the leverage will increase your …More

When you take out a mortgage, you can protect yourself from unexpected and unnecessary closing costs: * Research lenders’ fees …More

The family limited partnership (FLP) has emerged as a prime estate planning tool. An FLP is a limited partnership made …More

The family limited partnership (FLP) has emerged as a prime estate planning tool. An FLP is a limited partnership made …More

Tax-favored 529 plans come in two varieties: College savings plans allow you to put your money into investment accounts. You …More

Landlords have to make a crucial choice. You can: Manage the property yourself. This may involve extensive time and effort …More

Auction rate securities can be used as an alternative to cash. These are floating rate securities, meaning that rates move …More

Some people who buy investment property think they’ll enjoy positive cash flow right away. That probably won’t be the case …More

Among the various types of insurance policies sold online, auto insurance may be the most suitable for Internet purchases. Auto …More

If you own investment property, you have a triple chance to make a profit: You can collect monthly rent from …More

You don’t have to die to produce cash from your life insurance policy. If you have a cash value policy, …More

If you are charitably inclined, one tactic to consider is to give away your house but retain the right to …More

If you are helping to support an elderly parent, aunt, uncle, etc, see if you can claim that person as …More

After at least two years of living in a house, you’re entitled to exclude up to $250,000 worth of capital …More

If you have a life insurance policy you no longer want, one option is to donate it to charity. For …More