Advisors

SDI Productions | E+ | Getty Images Set aside your panic over post-election tax policy and focus on something you can control: your 2020 tax bill. It’s no secret that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has an extensive list of tax proposals, including higher taxes on households with more than $400,000 in income and lowering

krisanapong detraphiphat | Moment | Getty Images Health-care coverage and costs are top of mind in this election year, and one of the loudest arguments between Republicans and Democrats is the claim they will protect people with pre-existing medical conditions. What does this really mean and why is it so important for your personal finances?

Choreograph | iStock | Getty Images For the nation’s older cohort, the stakes can’t be higher when it comes to choosing health-care coverage. That’s partly because under Medicare — you’re eligible at age 65 — changing plans can be challenging in some circumstances and costly if you get your choices wrong. So whether you’re giving

FG Trade | E+ | Getty Images This fall, older savers who are feeling generous may want to consider using their individual retirement account to help fund their favorite charities. There’s an incentive for being altruistic: It could help retirees manage their Medicare premiums in 2022. People who are aged 70½ and over can make

Pascal Broze | Onoky | Getty Images Sometimes, an inheritance lands in your lap when you aren’t expecting it. Whether due to the untimely death of a loved one, or because you were a named heir and didn’t know it, the unplanned event may prompt uncertainty about how to handle the assets. Depending on what

Jamie Grill | Getty Images If you’ve nearly drained your savings due to the coronavirus pandemic but have a retirement account, it’s now easier than ever to draw it down. While taking money out of such an account before retiring is generally something financial advisors say to avoid, it may make sense for those who

Getty Images It’s no secret that many people worry whether Social Security will be there for them when they retire. And recent headlines could be stoking those fears. Last week, the Social Security Administration announced the annual cost-of-living adjustment will be 1.3% in 2021. The change will amount to just $20 more per month for

SEC chairman Jay Clayton testifies during a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee’s subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets on June 25. Brendan Smialowski-Pool/Getty Images Many investments available to mom-and-pop investors aren’t appropriate for that audience to buy, and should instead be held by sophisticated investors, the head of the SEC said

Mike Kemp | Blend Images | Getty Images Matt Becker opened his financial advisory practice, Mom and Dad Money, not long after he and his wife, Casey, had their first son, Aiden, and struggled with all the financial decisions new parents need to make. “I looked around and I didn’t see a lot of advisors

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images Young investors are more likely than older generations to seek out financial help from a computer than a human. In addition, the Covid-19 recession has led to more interest among younger people in getting financial advice. Financial advisors should take note. Millennials, a group spanning their mid-20s to late

10’000 Hours | DigitalVision | Getty Images This fall, when employees sign up for next year’s workplace benefits, they should take a close look at the offerings. Odds are they’ll be changing in 2021. The coronavirus pandemic was hard on employers and workers, forcing them to adapt on the fly amid social distancing and efforts

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images It’s now easier for older savers to continue socking money away for retirement. Just be aware that unintended consequences may follow — and they could cost you. That’s due to the Secure Act, legislation that was signed into law late last year and took effect in 2020. The measure

Virojt Changyencham | Moment | Getty Images As of mid-September, there were 26.5 million Americans on some form of unemployment assistance.  Many families and individuals have been forced to deal with unexpected health costs and uncertain education and day care situations in their communities. Many Americans are facing a grave threat of financial insecurity, having

FatCamera | E+ | Getty Images You may have recently received a new disclosure form, as mandated by federal securities regulators, from your financial advisor. Or, maybe not. And from where some experts stand, that may not be a bad thing. While a broad swath of the nation’s broker-dealers and registered investment advisors — known

Luis Alvarez | DigitalVision | Getty Images The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed more financial advisors to figure out how to meet virtually with clients. Advisory firms have had to find ways to be able to adapt through the use of virtual technologies to keep their meetings going with clients. That newfound comfort will probably change

fizkes | iStock | Getty Images As disruptive as the coronavirus pandemic has been for the U.S. economy and financial markets, the country’s top financial advisors have managed to find ways to adapt to the changing circumstances of a new normal. The community shutdowns across much of the country have profoundly changed how advisors operate and

Getty Images It’s no secret that 2020 has been an unpredictable year. And that uncertainty can cloud the decisions we make, especially when it comes to money. Consequently, investors and their financial advisors need to be on their guard for clouded decision making that could lead to regrets later. “It’s possible that the times have

Finding the right financial advisor to help with your financial needs and goals can be complicated. There are so many things to consider. Many advisors use a big assets-under-management figure as a selling-point when marketing themselves to investors. However, AUM isn’t the whole story when a potential client is determining which firm is right for

Cavan Images | Cavan | Getty Images Things may go green in four states this fall, as voters will decide on legalizing and taxing marijuana. Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota all have measures up for a vote to legalize and levy recreational marijuana. Thus far, 11 states have legalized recreational pot: Alaska, California,

Martin Seay of FPA Source: Financial Planning Association Martin Seay’s term as president of the Financial Planning Association has, to say the least, been an eventful one so far. Not only has the coronavirus pandemic changed just about everything in the advisory industry, but the Black Lives Matter movement and the nationwide protests that have