If history is a guide, this coming week nearly half of us will make resolutions seeking to improve some facet of our lives, many of which will be focused on personal finance. If one of your goals for the New Year is to get your financial life in order, here…
The Journal has consulted several local professionals with expertise in various financially related realms. We asked each for tips readers can take with them into 2015. As we enter 2015, many Americans will start to shift gears to tax season and filing their 2014 tax returns. Just make sure you are aware…
Make a detailed plan for the home's future to avoid family feuds down the road. Many memories are made in family vacation homes, and a lot of families do not want those traditions to end when a loved one passes. However, experts say you need to be careful in planning…
The secret, experts say, is to find a balance between keeping some comforting traditions and letting go of ones that obviously no longer fit. How do you manage the holidays on a retiree budget? If you are a retiree or will be retiring in the coming year or years, then…
There were five changes that occurred in 2014 that everyone planning for retirement needs to know about. The phrase "roll with the changes" may be 2014's retirement planning motto. While we could review political, economic and international, those affecting IRA planning have been especially interesting for retirees and the estate…
“For those who are single, whether they’ve always been single or they find themselves single again, there are some unique [estate-planning] issues,” says Doug Rothermich, managing director, wealth-planning strategies at TIAA-CREF. Married couples usually can see the benefit of having an estate plan, but single people mistakenly think estate planning…
Sharron Epperson, who is CNBC’s senior personal finance correspondent, stressed the importance of retirement planning in the coming year — with two products in particular. Need a financial resolution for 2015? Save as much money as you can in a Roth IRA. One of the best things you can do…
Gifting can be an estate planning tool, for you can save on future estate taxes and have the pleasure of watching your dollars work for your children or grandchildren while you are still alive. If you're tired of the standard store-bought items for gifts, you may consider a different spin…
“We’re not surprised by the fact that people don’t know a lot about retirement income planning,” says David Littell, program director at the American College. “I was surprised at how badly they did.” Could you pass a retirement literacy test? Apparently, 80 percent of Americans surveyed did not. These Americans…
Adult children have historically expected to inherit from their parents while in their 40s or 50s, yet now many aren’t doing so until their 70s or even 80s, as their parents live into their 90s or beyond. When should you expect to receive your inheritance? According to the Social Security…