Financial Planning and Investing Articles

Why Maintaining Your Credit Score Becomes Even More Important During the Continuing Credit Crunch

It’s always a good idea to be vigilant about your credit score, but even if borrowing loosens up a bit in 2009, you still need to do everything necessary to keep your credit score high. Read full article

Reverse Mortgages: What You Need to Know

The number of reverse mortgages backed by the government jumped nearly 20 percent in March and April alone from the same period in 2008. At a time when seniors have seen their retirement assets depleted by market losses, tapping home equity has been a safety net. But it can be a risky one. Read full article

Medicare and Medigap: The Basics

Despite all the public discussion about health care, very few people under the age of 65 understand the basics of Medicare, the federal health program for seniors and certain disabled individuals, or Medigap, the supplemental private insurance many buy to cover the expenses not (or only partially) covered by Medicare. Read full article

Gift and Estate Taxes: The Basics

The nonstop discussion of health care reform and the economy the past several months has shifted focus away from the estate tax, which is scheduled to expire December 31, 2009. Yes, the estate tax, which historically has been as high as 77%, will be zero next year unless Congress steps in. Read full article

Your Personality and Your Money

Not all investors view the world of money in the same way. That’s why financial advisors typically start their initial client meetings with a discussion about money attitudes, goals and preferences. Some planners explore these issues through general conversation. Others ask their clients to complete one or more surveys. Many do both.

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Reviewing Your 401(k) After the Crash

A recent survey by Hewitt Associates noted that despite record losses in their retirement savings in 2008, individuals stuck with their 401(k) plans. However, more people dealt with their worry about investment conditions by shifting money into more conservative investments. In addition, a significant number of companies either eliminated or cut back significantly on matching employee 401(k) contributions.

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Investing in Bonds

Since the economic crisis began in the fall of 2007, investors moved out of the stock market and into the bond market at an unprecedented pace.  This is understandable given the domestic equities have not exactly rewarded investors over the past decade.  The bond market is perceived by many investors to have less risk and more stable returns.

This article seeks to explore ways to invest in bonds and to clarify the issues that affect bond investors.  To get started, let’s review how bonds work and how they are priced. Read full article

Investing in Gold

In times of economic weakness, political unrest, and global insecurity, investors frequently move funds into gold.  While most other investments are considered vulnerable to market loss during such periods of fear and uncertainty, gold is perceived as a safe haven – a place to park funds, wait out the storm and preserve value.

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Guaranteed Income Sources for the Conservative Investor

For conservative investors relying on their investments to provide income, the past several years have been rather frustrating.  Historically, these investors have often used certificates of deposit and savings accounts to provide the bulk of their investment income. 

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The Roth IRA - Questions and Answers

If you would like to know the basics of how the Roth IRA works, this article was written for you.

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