How Insurance Deductibles Work
An insurance deductible is the amount you, the insured, pay before any claim is paid by your insurance carrier. Depending upon the type of insurance, a policy may set the amount of deductible, or offer you the
Who Is Your Trusted Contact?
Investment firms have a client service feature that may be a benefit to certain investors. They will ask you whether you would like to provide the name and information of a trusted contact.1 You do not have
Your Emergency Fund: How Much Is Enough?
Have you ever had one of those months? The water heater stops heating, the dishwasher stops washing, and your family ends up on a first-name basis with the nurse at urgent care. Then, as you’re driving to
All Muni Bonds Are Not Created Equal
The city of Detroit emerged from bankruptcy in 2014. Still, its previous inability to pay investors left some questioning their long-held assumption about the relative safety of municipal bonds. Without question, in the wake of Detroit's troubles,
Catch-Up Contributions
A recent survey found that 28% of workers are very confident about having enough money to live comfortably through their retirement years. At the same time, 27% are not confident.1 In 2001 congress passed a law that
A Look at Diversification
Ancient Chinese merchants were said to have developed a unique way to manage their risk. They would divide their shipments among several different vessels. That way, if one ship were to sink or be attacked by pirates,
Should You Borrow from Your 401(k)?
The average household with revolving credit card debt had a balance of $7,876 as of March 2023. For the average household carrying credit card debt, this will equate to an annual interest of $1,380. With the average
Stop Wasting Money
Benjamin Franklin once said, “a penny saved is a penny earned.” One way to find the money to meet your spending or saving needs is to examine your current spending habits and consider eliminating money wasters. Top
Five Most Overlooked Tax Deductions
Who among us wants to pay the IRS more taxes than we have to? While few may raise their hands, Americans regularly overpay because they fail to take tax deductions for which they are eligible. Let's take
Year-End Charitable Gifting and You
Are you making charitable donations at year's end? If so, you should know about some of the financial "fine print" involved, as the right moves could potentially bring more of a benefit to both you and your
