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 →
The recently-signed Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 reinstates some expired tax benefits retroactively and makes them permanent. On the list is the 100% tax exclusion of the gain from sales of qualified small business stock (QSBS). Example 1: Nick Oliver creates a company in 2016 and sells all the stock in it inContinue reading →
As 2016 began, people were lining up to buy tickets for the Powerball lottery, which eventually reached a total prize of $1.58 billion. Many states have lotteries, and countless participants win prizes, albeit usually much smaller than the Powerball jackpot. Are such winnings taxable? The answer, in a word, is yes. (As an exception toContinue reading →
Going through a divorce can be a stressful experience, and some items may be overlooked. Nevertheless, if you are in this situation, it is critical to plan for future health insurance. Medical bills and health insurance premiums can be extremely expensive; any lapse in coverage might lead to a financial crisis. The fine points of payingContinue reading →