Spring Cleaning
When it comes to spring cleaning, the hardest part is to get started…but with a plan in place your financial closet refresher will get you on your way to a stimulating rest of the year. Your spring cleaning financial plan can be as simple as these three steps:
Use Your Budget to “Increase Your Paycheck”
I recently celebrated another birthday. I was disappointed when I remembered that, while my toys have gotten more expensive, they do not bring me even a fraction of the excitement a new set of Legos did when I was 6. But upon reflecting on some of the financial changes I’ve experience over …
Understanding the Fiduciary Duties of a Trustee
If you have been named as Trustee or Successor Trustee of another’s Irrevocable Trust, you may be wondering what exactly the role entails. For Successor Trustees, your duties will not begin until the current Trustee is no longer able or willing to perform in that capacity.
The Future of Energy Stocks
Published by Jake Bleicher The price of oil has been cut in half since June when West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was selling at $107 per barrel. The excitement has provided ample fodder for industry analysts and media journalists to speculate about future prices. Some of the leading soothsaye …
Gun Trusts: A Way to Avoid Unknown and Unintended Risks
America leads the world in gun ownership per capita with 90 guns existing per 100 residents. According to the Pew Research Center, 40% of individuals age 65+ own at least one gun. Some of the guns that are owned are classified as “Title II Firearms” and are regulated by the National Firearm …
What Should I Do With My Old 401(k)?
Your first step should be to talk to Human Resources at your old job, as well as your new job, to get individual information on what each plan allows. Once you know what you can and cannot do, you can follow one of the following steps.
529 Plans
Published by Mark Lookabill 529 plans were just recently brought back into headline news with President Obama’s State of the Union Address. During the State of the Union, the President expressed his desire to start taxing withdrawals from 529 plans.
The Too-Good-To-Be-True Dividend
Published by Brett Carson We’ve all heard the saying, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” That’s how I feel about high yielding investments in this ultra-low rate environment. Just recently, my father asked me to look into a stock that was trading at nearly a 19% dividend yield t …
Applying for College Financial Aid
Published by Beth Schanou Now that January has arrived, those with college aged students are faced with the task of completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA data gives a student access to financial aid and many states and colleges (public and private) use …
If It Walks Like a Duck and Talks Like a Duck, It Might Be a Bargain
Published by Rob Furlong A couple weeks ago, Heisman trophy winner Marcus Mariota led his team, the University of Oregon Ducks, to the National Championship game. During his three years as the team’s starting quarterback, he has accumulated impressive stats culminating in a senior year wher …
Qualified vs. Non-Qualified – I Don’t Get It?!
Published by Teresa Milner If you’ve ever engaged in a conversation about retirement and you heard the terminology of qualified vs. non-qualified but you had no clue what that meant – know you’re not alone! The following is a basic explanation of the difference: