Resources
Valuable resources for you, including calculators, articles, and more.
To Buy or Not to Buy?
There are many factors involved in deciding to be a homeowner. If you’re planning to buy a home, you probably have good reasons for your decision. It may be that you share the feeling that…
Tax Planning for Investments
Don’t overlook the tax consequences when figuring the return on your investments. Taxes are a vital part of any investment decision. But remember that taxes are only a part of an overall investment strategy. Financial…
Taxes
You can legitimately reduce the tax you owe by planning ahead. The most effective way to pay the least tax that you are legally obligated to pay is to make financial decisions with an eye…
Taking the First Steps
When you buy shares of stock, choose a mutual fund, or inherit things of value that either provide income or that you can sell for a profit, you’re an investor. If you continue to invest…
Social Security Benefits: When to Begin
If you qualify for Social Security because you paid into the system for at least 40 quarters — the equivalent of ten years — or you’re married to someone who qualifies, you’re eligible to begin…
Portfolio Building
Variety isn’t just the spice of an investor’s life. It’s an essential ingredient. As logical as it might seem to look for the perfect stock, bond, or mutual fund and make it your investment of…
Pillars of Investment Success
If you concentrate on the principles, you’ll have the elements of an investment strategy. As you make individual investment decisions, you’ll want to ask where each investment fits in your overall asset allocation and diversification…
Perspectives on Investing
The more you know about investing, the more confident you’ll be about making decisions. None of the factors that define you—your age, marital status, education, or occupation—limits what you can learn about investing or the…
Managing Your Cash Flow
You can’t guarantee that retirement will be smooth sailing, but you can be prepared to weather the challenges. Retirement generally has surprises—some welcome and others you could do without. The least welcome are often the…
Managing Withdrawals
Somewhere between a withdrawal that’s too large and one that’s too small is one that’s just right. Before you start taking withdrawals from your tax-deferred accounts, you need a plan for how much to take…
Making a Financial Plan
A financial plan is a working document that can be as flexible or as focused as you want it to be. Whether you work with an adviser to create a plan, use computer-based software, tap…
Investing in Stocks
The stock market has its ups and downs, but it can be worth the ride. When you invest in a stock, you’re buying part of a publicly traded company. That piece, also known as your…