Blog
Beware Scams at Tax Time
Identity theft runs rampant during tax seasonHere’s what to know and how you can help protect yourself.Identity thieves often swipe your bank or credit card account numbers, birth date information or Social Security Number (SSN)...
Read MoreFinding Focus with Financial Planning: A Step-By-Step Guide
You have probably heard about financial planning and its potential benefits, but you are unsure how to apply the principles to your life. A financial plan is a collection of steps that help you to evaluate your financial condition and...
Read MoreThrive Thursday: Goal-Setting in 2023
Setting goals for a new year can feel overwhelming. We all know that resolutions don’t last, but we also feel the energy that comes with a new year of possibilities. Here’s a clearer path for setting and reaching your...
Read MoreTax Planning and Financial Planning Go Hand in Hand
With tax season coming to an end, it’s the ideal time to use this year's tax return to help update your financial plan. If you’re in the group of one in four Americans who do not already have a financial plan, it may be...
Read MoreReasons for Optimism
We wish you a happy New Year and hope you were able to close out 2022 with friends and family.The beginning of a calendar year is often the time when the previous year’s reflections transition to a new year’s hopes. Given...
Read MoreShow All
Your Financial Fresh Start: 12 Resolutions in 12 Months
Change may be difficult, especially when you try to change your financial habits. The process might be easier if you take an incremental approach. Do you want to get on top of your finances this year? Are you looking for ways to...
Read More4 Simple Ways to Give Back
As you take a moment to reflect upon all of the things that bring you comfort and joy this holiday season, consider giving back to those in need. Whether you are participating in an organized fundraiser or diving headfirst into your...
Read MoreStock Market Stocking Stuffers: How To Give Stock as a Gift
If you struggle to find a gift for the person who has everything—or want to do your holiday shopping without having to leave the house—consider giving stock as a gift. Doing so is easier than you think, and it may offer a...
Read MoreGive the Gift of a Lifetime
If you ask someone their favorite part of the holiday season, giving or receiving gifts will likely be their response nine times out of ten. Gift-giving is a huge part of the holidays—it’s why there are entire days...
Read MoreThe 12 Days of Year-End Planning
The end of the year is necessary to reflect on your financial picture, review the last 12 months, and plan for the future. With all that is involved, it can seem overwhelming. Consider breaking up the responsibilities over twelve days,...
Read MoreMake a Positive Impact This Giving Tuesday With Impact Investing
While Black Friday and Cyber Monday center on consumer deals, Giving Tuesday—the Tuesday after Thanksgiving—has a different focus. Each year, individuals and corporations are encouraged to use the day to support charities...
Read MoreAn Extra Helping of Helpful Budgeting Tips for Black Friday
Black Friday is sometimes the largest shopping holiday of the entire year. Millions of people typically shop in stores or online on Black Friday to score the top deals on must-have holiday gifts. While it may be easy to become...
Read More5 Year-End Tax Planning Questions to Ask Your Financial Professional
The average U.S. income tax rate stands at just over 13%—and if you're like many taxpayers, you're always looking for new tips and tricks to help reduce this percentage.1There are a number of different tax planning moves you can...
Read More5 Expensive Long-Term Care Planning Mistakes to Avoid
The vast majority of Americans need long-term care. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 70% of people over age 65 may need some long-term care during their lives.1 Unfortunately, planning for long-term care...
Read More5 Ways to Boost Your Business for Small Business Saturday
Shoppers spend nearly $20 billion every year on Small Business Saturday.1 If you’re not familiar with this particular holiday, it takes place in the U.S. the day after Black Friday in November, and a few days before Cyber...
Read MoreMoney Savings Tips Everyone Should Know
We've all heard this advice before: if you want to save money, you need to cut back on spending. However, it's not always so easy. Identifying senseless spending in the following areas can help you save more each month.But don't fret....
Read MoreRetirement Planning Does Not Stop in Retirement
Five easy pointers to help you plan during all of your retirement yearsIf you're retired, there's good news in that you'll probably live longer and perhaps better than your parents and grandparents did. The bad news: You'll live a...
Read MoreThe Different Stages of Financial Freedom
If you're living paycheck-to-paycheck or stuck in a job you don't love just to pay the bills, it can be easy to feel as though you're financially trapped. But financial freedom doesn't need to be elusive—with some focused and...
Read More3 Investing Lessons For Beginners You Won’t Learn In School
Twenty-one U.S. states, including Kentucky, Texas, and Virginia, require public schools to provide high school students with financial literacy courses.1 But even among the school systems that provide general financial education to...
Read MoreA Yearly Retirement Checklist
Why Not A Yearly Retirement List?Labor Day is right around the corner. The weather is starting to turn a little cooler, college football returns and the kids are back in school. For me, it's always been the kids going back to school...
Read MoreA Financial Planning Guide for Families with Disabilities
About 61 million adults in the U.S. live with a disability. Many of these disabilities are serious enough to impact a person's daily life.There may be financial benefits available to those whose disabilities leave them unable to hold...
Read MoreKeeping It Simple: The Benefits of Simplifying Your Investment Strategies
When it comes to investing, having fewer investments might help streamline your portfolio to manage stress better. Here are some benefits of a simple portfolio and some ways to help you create one.The Benefits of SimplicityUnless you...
Read MoreIn the Heat of Summer, Remember Your New Year’s Resolutions
Now is a good time to check-in and see how you're really doing:Amid the draining heat of mid-summer, do you remember your New Year's resolutions regarding your personal financial planning? How are you coming with your to-do list?Time...
Read MoreAn Introduction to Estate Planning for the Sandwich Generation
For members of the "Sandwich Generation"—those currently in their 40s and 50s who are caring for children and their parents who are over 65-years old—estate planning may seem like a low priority.After all, when you're...
Read MoreTips to Shape Up Your Fiscal Fitness this Summer
A regular program of disciplined financial practices can help you in the long-runMany people realize that the best way to stay in shape is to develop an appropriate fitness regimen and then stick with it. If you start a fitness program...
Read MoreSun, Fun, and Summer Savings: 5 Thrifty Tips for Summer Traveling
Summer is here, and it could be time to hit the road on a new adventure. If you're on a tight budget, you don't have to give up your summer vacation dreams. Here are a few tips you may be able to use to create the perfect vacation on a...
Read MoreUse Your Annuity to Pay for Long Term Care Insurance
Generally, to be considered a tax-free exchange rather than a taxable surrender, you cannot receive the annuity proceeds directly—the proceeds from the annuity must be paid directly to the long-term care insurance company. Also,...
Read MoreSummertime Reminds Us To Be Flexible
As summer heats up, it pays to take a good look at how flexible you are. When you plan for the future, you need to be adaptable. No one knows what tomorrow holds.This is certainly true in the world of work. In a few short months, we...
Read MoreThe Basics of ESG Investing
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing is on the rise throughout the world. A 2018 study from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government found that ESG investing now accounts for nearly $30 trillion, which is more...
Read More4 Economic Benefits of Homeownership
Even though housing prices throughout much of the U.S. are at or near all-time highs, there are still many distinct financial advantages to owning a home.1 From tax benefits to capital gains exclusions and guaranteed rates of return,...
Read More