How To Have Difficult Conversations With People You Love
Sometimes, loving people means having hard conversations.
We're updating our original post, How to Have Difficult Conversations About Money, Long Term Care Planning, and More below with more insights and tips that you can use in many different situations - from talking about hard topics like finances and caregiving to negotiating whose house the holidays will be hosted at this year.
What Are Annuities and How Do They Work?
Annuities were developed to ensure that in exchange for a single large deposit an individual or family would receive annual payments for the rest of their lives…
IRAs, Taxes and Estate Planning 2023
One of the most commonly used retirement savings plans, after 401(k)s, are IRAs. Many folks will pass away with assets in their IRAs yet most of us don’t think of IRAs as a part of our legacy. Post updated with updated values for 2023.
Thinking About Retirement?
Being prepared for retirement, emotionally and financially, provides a solid foundation for whatever your dreams entail. We’re here to provide the resources and experience to guide you to a safer retirement. Download our retirement preparation booklet to learn more.
How Can A Single Mom Make Life Insurance Work Harder for Her?
My friend, Tara*, didn’t expect to be a single mom. She had a good job, a home of her own, and a husband she loved when she had her children. But after struggling for years…
Sometimes Time Is On Your Side: Making Your Investment Work Twice as Hard For Your Family
Trying to balance work, children and anything resembling a personal life can sometimes feel impossible. Days rush by while dreams disappear into the future. Your budget feels stretched to the limit. How is it possible to keep the household expenses paid, pay for life insurance to protect the family in case you or your spouse pass away, put money away for the kids’ college costs, and still save for retirement? If this is happening to you and your children are high school age or younger, options may be here.
A Tale of Two Small Estates: Lessons Learned
Last year brought home to me the reality of aging. My husband and I experienced five deaths of people close to us which included responsibilities for three of the estates. My mother, Joan, and a close family friend, Russell (through his wife Mary) chose me to handle their estates as Personal Representative – a role I’d never held before. Since both estates were small and had been prepared by the same local estate attorney, the comparison of how they turned out was eye opening.
Inflation Shock? Here Are Some Tips For Improving Your Retirement Income
During the current high inflation, many of us are rethinking our retirement plans and wondering if we’ll outlive our savings. If you’re still working and saving for retirement, it’s not too late to make some changes to account for higher inflation. If you find yourself in a bind with an unexpected expense or a view of the end of your retirement income, you may be able to recoup some funds.
How Can IRAs Affect Estate Planning?
Estate planning is more than wills and powers of attorney. It’s having some control over what happens to your assets when you pass on. One of the most commonly used retirement savings plans, after 401(k)s, are IRAs. Many folks will pass away with assets in their IRAs yet most of us don’t think of IRAs as a part of our legacy.
The Power of Zero: How Indexed Life and Annuity Policies Protect Your Investment
A basic principle of investing is diversification - spreading your money over a range of different types of investments so that a single catastrophic event is less likely to drain all your hard-won savings. How you diversify depends on a number of factors starting with your comfort with risk and how soon you need to withdraw from your investments.
Keep Track of These Documents In Case of Emergency
When an accident or illness turns your life upside down, knowing where to find critical documents can help ease the stress. The key is to locate and organize these documents ahead of time so you or your loved ones can easily find them.
While there are a number of documents important to have on hand in an emergency, in this case we are focusing on documents that will help pay for care, grant access to medical or financial information, help your loved ones understand your wishes or appoint someone to make medical or financial decisions.
Money To Grow On - Fund a Child’s Future
Wondering how to soften the worst financial blows to your child or grandchild while helping them build their future? All without sacrificing your retirement plans to do it? By investing $100 per month while they’re an infant in a specially designed indexed life insurance policy, you can give them a helping hand throughout their lifetime. The gift is tax-free and avoids probate.
3 Ways To Use Life Insurance For Protection From Taxes
Life Insurance isn’t just for protecting your family when a breadwinner passes away unexpectedly. When you understand the special strengths of different types of life insurance policies, you will be able to choose the right one to help you defer unnecessary taxes or even avoid them all together.
Retirement Safety Zone: Conversations with Sivea Key and Matthew Jackson
Our guest today is Matthew Jackson, President of Solid Wealth Advisors. He has appeared in Forbes Magazine, Fortune, in Money Magazine and U.S. News and World Report. He's also a bestselling author of The Retirement Dream Maker.
What Can Life Insurance Do For Me?
Most of us have a general sense that life insurance is something a responsible adult should own but how many people know what life insurance can do? In order to buy a policy that will do what you want it to do, means you need to know two things…
What Does Long Term Care Insurance Cost? How Benefit Choices Change Policy Cost
Once you decide what kind of insurance will work best for you and your family, it’s time to choose the benefits that meet your goals but fit your budget. Age and health determine which policies you can qualify for. Keep options open and cost down by purchasing a policy while you are younger and healthier.
How To Have Difficult Conversations About Money, Long Term Care Planning, and More
The holiday season is stressful enough on its own. When getting together for the holidays means having hard conversations, that stress multiplies. We’ve learned a lot from Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen about how to have those stressful conversations, and we’re excited to share our favorite tips.
Which Documents Do I Need If My Loved One Needs Care?
#9 Tip: Locate Important Documents. Find the documents that will help caregivers respect patient wishes, authorize a medical or financial decision-maker, and help pay the bills.
How Much Does Long Term Care Insurance Cost?
How Much Does Long Term Care Insurance Cost? The short answer is, “It depends.” In this blog series, you’ll learn about what affects the premium price of long term care insurance and what impacts those factors make on the benefits. The first step…
What Does Long Term Care Insurance Cover?
You have choices about what type of insurance to buy to protect yourself and your family from the costs of caregiving. Different types of plans cover long term care in different ways…