Regardless of whether you prepare your taxes yourself or use a professional's services, it's a good idea to gather the information and documentation you need well in advance of your actual tax filing date. Below, we've listed some key information you need when preparing this year's taxes.
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 determine how to prepare for your financial future.
I think it’s safe to say micro goals are the individual pieces of your long-term puzzle—which together, make your end goal more clearly laid out with each piece you complete.
Amid a backdrop of rising financial concerns, including persistent inflation and record-breaking credit card debt, U.S. employees are voicing a growing need for financial planning assistance.
In the late 1970s, researchers studying the experiences of smokers to learn why some were able to quit on their own and others needed further treatment found that people move through varying degrees of readiness when changing behavior. Initiatives that don’t match the correct stage of change will be ineffective, because the person will not be ready for it.
This year, why not resolve to make your finances a priority? With proper planning and appropriate guidance, you can begin to build financial confidence and prepare for the uncertainties of tomorrow.
The average family spends an extra $1,000 or more during the holiday season. From gifts and travel to dinners, shows, and decorations, each purchase adds up.1 How might you take full advantage of holiday cheer while avoiding the financial stress of going over budget? Here are four tips to help your budget have a happy holiday season.
There are a number of different tax planning moves you can make before December 31 to reduce your owed taxes. But how can you know which ones are available to you? Here are five year-end tax planning questions you may want to ask your financial professional soon.
Your teen is becoming more independent, but still needs plenty of advice from you. With more money to spend and more opportunities to spend it, your teen can easily get into financial trouble. So before money burns a hole in your child's pocket, teach him or her a few financial lessons.
More consumers are conducting financial transactions online and may become vulnerable to tracking, hacking, identity theft, phishing scams, and other cyberspace risks. While nothing can guarantee complete safety on the Internet, understanding how to protect your privacy can help mitigate your exposure to risk.
Life is filled with challenges: finding a job, paying for college, affording your retirement. While this may seem paradoxical, on Thanksgiving we should be thankful for frustrations and obstacles.
At one time, the typical American family looked like this: a breadwinner father who commuted a short distance to work and earned a very good living, and a stay-at-home mother who took care of the kids and family home with aplomb. Life seemed easy and manageable, with plenty of time for family meals, parent relaxation, and important life lesson discussions, and little in the way of work or technological distractions.
Tax planning can be advantageous when done during the year and well in advance of year’s end. Opportunities exist for you to mitigate tax liability, which will leave more income for you and your family.
Although you may personally handle many of your financial affairs, sometimes you may need the services of a financial professional. Financial professionals include financial planners, attorneys, securities brokers, and other specialists. Selecting the right financial professional means evaluating the services they can offer and their credentials, and finding someone whom you can rely on to give you good advice and/or service when you don't have the time or expertise to completely handle your financial affairs.
Growing old is simply one thing you can’t avoid. The goal is to enjoy your retirement years as you imagined after a lifetime of working. One aspect of growing old that young people may overlook is long-term care insurance and how expensive it can be if you need it and don’t plan for it. According to Money.com, long-term care expenses can run upwards of $9,000 per month. When you are young, the prospect of declining health 30+ years down the road isn’t at the forefront of your mind
The crude oil and natural gas industry has faced significant challenges since the COVID pandemic, including supply disruptions, price volatility, and rapid inflation. However, heavy cash flow for oil and gas companies has led to a plethora of high-paying jobs for many professionals. Below, we discuss tips and tricks that can help oil and gas professionals make the most of this industry's income flexibility while also putting away a solid nest egg for the future.
Understanding the importance of life insurance is one thing. Understanding the tax rules is quite another. As insurance products have evolved and become more sophisticated, the line separating insurance vehicles from investment vehicles has grown blurry.
No matter how much money you make, completely mastering money early on in life can help you pursue what everyone wants: a financially comfortable today and a financially secure tomorrow.
For many, autumn is the best time of year. The return of cool breezes, comforting foods, and pumpkins can be invigorating. It’s also a bookmark of sorts, especially for your finances—a perfect time to take stock of your spending after the summer’s over to see what lies ahead.
Obtaining a life insurance policy is part of being an adult. But it’s also something that you can easily neglect, especially if you obtained it earlier in adulthood. While you may have been diligent in securing your life insurance policy, failing to review or update the policy when you have significant life changes may result in too little or too much coverage.
