The arrival of a newborn is a joyous occasion! Even while emotions are at their peak, though, you shouldn’t neglect the practical aspects. Several steps should be taken to protect the family’s finances, and the sooner the better. If you or someone you know is expecting, these are important factors to keep in mind: StartContinue reading →
Business owners may need capital to support growth, and the money in their IRA can be tempting. Nevertheless, the pitfalls can be steep, as illustrated in a recent Tax Court case (Thiessen v. Commissioner, 146 T.C. No. 7 [3/29/16]). Here, the court ruled that because a married couple had entered into prohibited transactions with respectContinue reading →
If you or your child are enrolling in higher education and are now facing tuition costs, you are familiar with the steep price tag. Another post this month discusses the importance of knowing what aid opportunities are available to your family in order to make the actual cost more manageable. The greater the financial aid,Continue reading →
The College Board reports that full-time students at private institutions typically paid almost $44,000 for tuition, fees, room and board during the 2015-2016 academic year. That’s the average, so costs at some private colleges and universities were well over $50,000 per year. Higher education at public schools was much less expensive, but in-state students stillContinue reading →
In April, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) made headlines with its final rule covering conflicts of interest among investment advisors. Media coverage focused on the difference between a “fiduciary” standard and a “suitability” standard. Financial advisors and investment firms have been debating this issue—often heatedly—for years, and the DOL action probably will bring aboutContinue reading →
Business owners should have an exit strategy: a plan for the time when they’re either unwilling or unable to keep running their company. Often, that planning can include a current disaster plan for relatively young business owners and a future long-term succession plan for a smooth path to retirement. Worst case scenarios No matter howContinue reading →
From virtually nowhere, exchange-traded products have grown to over $3 trillion in assets. A small portion of these products are exchange-traded notes (ETNs), but most are exchange-traded funds (ETFs): typically, pools of securities that trade like stocks. A large amount of ETF assets, in turn, are in funds that track major stock market indexes suchContinue reading →
Negative opinions are easy to find, and there’s little doubt that high-pressure sales pitches may lead to some bad decisions. Nevertheless, millions of Americans own timeshares. Surveys indicate that purchasers tend to be well educated, with comfortable incomes. Can so many capable and accomplished people all be wasting their money? The answer to this question isContinue reading →
The concern that few private sector workers can look forward to pensions after retirement has become a pivotal pressure point among retirement discussions. The traditional pension, a lifelong stream of income to a retiree and perhaps a surviving spouse, is becoming a rarity for those who are not long-term government employees. Nevertheless, millions of peopleContinue reading →
Each year, many companies—large and small—offer summer internships. The interns are frequently college students between academic years, and they usually are unpaid. Recently, such arrangements have come under fire from those contending interns should be put on the payroll. The advantages of unpaid internships are clear: Companies probably have relatively low financial obligations for theContinue reading →