Newsletters
Will you outlive your retirement income? Are your financial expectations for the coming year realistic?
Our financial newsletters are designed to provide helpful information on a wide variety of financial topics. Simply click on one of the newsletter topics below to read the article in its entirety.
April
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HOT TOPIC: International Investing: The Diverging Fortunes of China and Japan
Investing Internationally can help increase portfolio diversification and provide access to opportunities that may differ from those in the United States.
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Beware of These Life Insurance Beneficiary Mistakes
Naming a life insurance policy’s beneficiaries should be a relatively simple task, but there are some situations that can lead to unintended and adverse consequences.
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Individual Bonds vs. Bond Funds: What’s the Difference?
Individual bonds and bond funds can both provide an income stream, but there are important differences. This article provides an overview of these two types of investments.
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What’s Required of the Executor of an Estate?
Being named as the executor of an estate is generally an honor but settling an estate can be a difficult and time-consuming job. This article provides an overview of typical executor responsibilities.
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How a Family Limited Partnership Can Power an Estate Plan
A family limited partnership is a legal agreement that enables business owners and their heirs to address succession, estate, and tax planning needs, all at once.
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Fixed Annuities: Retirement Income for Now or Later
Purchasing a fixed annuity shifts the risk for future investment returns to the insurance company and could help create a pension-like income stream for retirement.
March
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HOT TOPIC: Can Productivity Keep Driving the U.S. Economy?
This article looks at the importance of productivity to the U.S. economy, possible contributing factors to the recent surge, and the prospects for an extended period of strong productivity growth.
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Key Retirement and Tax Numbers for 2024
This article presents the IRS’ cost-of-living adjustments for 2024 that affect contribution limits for retirement plans and various tax deduction, exclusion, exemption, and threshold amounts.
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How Savers and Spenders Can Meet in the Middle
Couples who have opposite philosophies regarding saving and spending often have trouble finding common ground. This article offers some tips to learn to work with financial differences.
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The Federal Reserve’s Key Meeting Dates in 2024
This article outlines the Federal Reserve’s three main objectives and provides the meeting schedule of the Federal Open Market Committee.
February
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HOT TOPIC: Tax Season News and Survival Tips
Taxpayers may want to be aware of important updates as they prepare to file their 2023 federal returns. This article includes information, filing tips, and last-minute opportunities for tax savings.
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A New Year, A New Opportunity to Save with a 529 Plan
This article explains how a 529 plan can help a family save for college, including recent changes that have made these plans more flexible.
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Don’t Forget About Credit When Planning for Retirement
Credit may not be at the top of the list when it comes to retirement, but good credit can make a big difference for retirees. This article looks at some key factors that lenders consider.
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Do You Have These Key Estate Planning Documents?
This article provides an overview of four estate planning documents that almost everyone should have: a durable power of attorney, a medical directive, a will, and a letter of instruction.
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Debit or Credit — What’s the Difference?
This article explains why it may be better to use a credit card for certain transactions, as long as the bill is paid on time to avoid interest charges.
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Small Businesses Could Face Borrowing Challenges
Despite tougher lending conditions and higher interest costs, many people who need capital for business purposes may need to borrow money. This article discusses some common financing options.
January
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Understanding Life Insurance
Life insurance can help replace much-needed income after the death of a provider. With the wide variety of policies available, it’s important to understand the basic types of coverage.
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Setting a Retirement Savings Goal
Only 51% of workers or their spouses have tried to estimate the savings they would need to live comfortably in retirement. This article offers a simple worksheet to help calculate a savings target.
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How to Kill Your Zombie Subscriptions
With inflation cutting into consumers’ purchasing power, getting rid of a few unnecessary recurring charges could be a painless way to help balance the household budget.
December
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HOT TOPIC: A Cautiously Optimistic Economic Outlook for 2024
The U.S. economy grew in the third quarter of 2023, despite high interest rates and unsettling geopolitical conflict. This article discusses market conditions and economic forecasts for 2024.
November
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You’ve Received an Inheritance, Now What?
Receiving an inheritance might promote spending without planning, but it’s not wise to make hasty decisions. This article provides suggestions that could help manage an inheritance.
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Tax-Loss Harvesting Offers Chance at Silver Lining
Stock market downturns can be rough on a portfolio’s bottom line, but selling losing investments may offer the potential to reduce an investor’s tax liability.
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Breaking Down Clean Vehicle Tax Credits for Business Owners
Business owners may be able to claim one of two new federal tax credits to help offset the cost to purchase certain clean vehicles.
October
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Time to Bulk Up Your Emergency Fund
A financial crisis can strike when least expected, so it’s important to have a sufficient emergency fund. This article offers some suggestions to help increase a fund before it’s needed.
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New FAFSA Favors Grandparent College Giving
Changes to the 2024–2025 Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) allow grandparents to help with college expenses without affecting financial aid eligibility based on the FAFSA.
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Enriching a Teen with a Roth IRA
A teen with a part-time job can contribute to a Roth IRA, which is a flexible way to accumulate funds for college, retirement, and other long-term needs.
September
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Coming in 2024: New 529 Plan-to-Roth IRA Rollover Option
The SECURE 2.0 Act includes two new provisions related to college savings and funding. Learn more in this article.
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New RMD Rules Give Retirement Savings More Time to Grow
This article explains the rules for required minimum distribution from tax-deferred retirement accounts with an emphasis on the new provisions of the SECURE 2.0 Act.
August
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Home Energy Tax Credits
There are two separate federal tax credits available for home installation of certain energy efficient or clean energy property. Learn more.
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It’s Your Money: Why Not Get Your Withholding Right?
Did you owe money at tax time or receive a large refund? This article discusses the types of situations in which taxpayers should consider adjusting their withholding.
July
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Why Buy Life Insurance During Unsettled Economic Times?
This article looks at four good reasons why life insurance can be especially helpful in a challenging economy.
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Child Care Is a Budget Buster: Take Advantage of These Tax Breaks
A tax credit and/or dependent-care flexible spending account might help offset some of the costs paid for a nanny, babysitter, day care, preschool, or day camp.
June
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HOT TOPIC: Will Artificial Intelligence Upend the American Workforce?
This article discusses the race between tech companies to monetize AI and how widespread adoption might affect workers, the economy, and society in general.