Articles
79% of Americans agree they would benefit from having basic financial education and information.
Source: The 2018 Consumer Financial Literacy Survey, The National Foundation for Credit Counseling
Welcome to our research center! We've put together a library of information on important financial topics that we believe you'll find helpful.
Simply click on one of the general financial topics below and you'll find a selection of easy-to-understand information sheets about related financial concepts and strategies. This information is updated regularly to reflect the latest facts, figures, legislation, and economic trends.
Estates & Trusts
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Estate Planning
Wills and trusts allow you to spell out how you would like your property distributed, but they also go beyond that.
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Living Trusts
A living trust can help control the distribution of your estate upon death.
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Avoiding Probate
The probate process can be lengthy and complex. There are strategies you can use to help avoid the probate process.
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Charitable Giving
To retain the tax advantages associated with charitable giving, your gift must be made to a qualified organization.
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Controlling the Distribution
If you haven’t taken steps already, consider planning now for the distribution of your estate’s assets.
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Benefits of A-B Trusts
An A-B trust can be an effective way to help reduce estate taxes and preserve family assets for heirs.
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Gifting Strategies
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of different gifting strategies available for planned giving.
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Charitable Lead Trusts
Charitable lead trusts are designed for people who would like to benefit a charity now rather than later.
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Charitable Remainder Trusts
A designated income beneficiary could receive payment of a specified amount from a charitable remainder trust.
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Property Ownership
Sole ownership, joint tenancy, tenancy in common, and community property have special benefits for property owners.
Retirement
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Self-Employed Retirement Plans
Tax-deferred retirement plans for self-employed individuals have higher contribution limits than IRAs.
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Retirement Plan Distributions
When receiving money accumulated in your employer-sponsored retirement plan, you have two options: lump sum or annuity.
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Traditional IRAs
If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might consider a traditional IRA.
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401(k) Plans
401(k) employer-sponsored retirement plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.
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Managing Retirement Plans
Employer-sponsored retirement plans are more important than ever, but managing the assets can be confusing.
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Save Now or Save Later
If you start saving for retirement sooner, the more money you are likely to accumulate and possibly retire sooner.
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Roth IRAs
Qualified Roth IRA distributions in retirement are free of federal income tax and aren’t included in gross income.
Tax Planning
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Tax Deductions
Changes to the tax code have left a few key deductions for itemizers, like medical, dental and some business expenses.
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Tax-Advantaged Alternatives
While stable, CDs can create quite an income tax bill. Fixed annuities and municipal bonds can offer tax advantages.
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Tax-Free Investments
It’s important to understand tax-exempt vehicles when establishing a comprehensive tax planning strategy.
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Mutual Fund Profits
Want to keep more of your mutual fund profits? You may be interested in strategies to help lower your tax liability.
Investing
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Dividends
It is important to understand how dividends (taxable payments to shareholders) fit with your long-term goals.
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Exchange-Traded Funds
ETFs have unique attributes and attempt to track all types of indexes, industries, or commodities.
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Growth Stocks vs. Value Stocks
The labels “growth” and “value” reflect different approaches that can be used when making investment decisions.
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Mutual Fund Taxes
Mutual fund taxes can be cumbersome, but there are ways to help mitigate the amount of taxes you may owe.
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Stock
Before investing in stocks, it is important to understand some of the basics and the risks involved in owning stocks.
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Zero-Coupon Bonds
Zero-coupon bonds represent a type of bond that does not pay interest during the life of the bond.
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Types of Bonds
Bonds are issued by many entities and share many characteristics, each type of bond has certain benefits and risks.
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Bonds
A bond is simply evidence of a debt from a government entity or a corporation and represents a long-term IOU.
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Stock Indexes
Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.
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Mutual Funds vs. Stocks
The difference between purchasing an individual stock versus shares in a mutual fund to potentially earn dividends.
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Mutual Funds
A mutual fund is a collection of stocks, bonds, and other securities with certain benefits and risks.
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Closed-End Funds
With closed-end funds, investors pool their money together to purchase a professionally managed portfolio of stocks and/or bonds.
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Investment Risks
Understanding different types of investment risk can help investors manage their money more effectively.
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Asset Classes
There are five broad asset classes that you should take into consideration when constructing your investment portfolio.
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Asset Allocation
Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.
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Dollar-Cost Averaging
Dollar-cost averaging involves investing a set amount of money on a regular basis, regardless of market conditions.
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529 Plans
529 plans are tax-advantaged college savings plans that generally allow people of any income level to contribute.
Cash Management
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Cash Management Basics
A sound cash management program uses a disciplined approach: accounting, analysis, allocation, and adjustment.
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Doubling Your Money
Before making investment decisions, it is helpful to determine the real rate of return on the investment.
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Biweekly Mortgages
Biweekly mortgage payments can have a dramatic effect on the amount of interest homeowners have to pay.
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Reverse Mortgages
There are techniques that can enable older homeowners to use their property to finance their lifestyle.
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College Financial Aid
It's important to understand the options, such as financial aid grant programs, when having to pay for college.
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Home Equity Loans
Shifting some debt to a home equity loan, which typically allows interest payments to be tax deductible, could have its advantages.
Risk Management
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Business Owner Policies
A business owner policy is an insurance package that assembles the basic coverages required by a business owner in one bundle.
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Life Insurance for Business Owners
Company-owned life insurance is one way to help protect a business from financial problems caused by the death of a key employee.
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Last-Survivor Life Insurance
Couples who want to help protect their legacy from estate taxes could consider last-survivor life insurance.
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Protecting Your Home
Since your home is one of your greatest assets, you should make sure it is adequately protected. That's where homeowners insurance enters the picture.
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Types of Health Coverage
There are three basic types of medical insurance plans: fee-for-service, managed care, and high-deductible health plan.
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HMOs and PPOs
Selecting health insurance is often one of the most important decisions you will make. Do you know the different types?
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Evaluating Insurance Companies
Using a financially sound insurance company is an important part of ensuring your family’s financial security.
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Long-Term Care Costs
The odds of needing long-term care increase as you age. Prior planning can help protect you from financial ruin.
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Medicare Coverage
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for those persons age 65 and over. But what does it cover?
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Types of Life Insurance
When selecting a life insurance policy, examine all your options, as well as the positives and negatives of each type.