Perspectives on Life – Penn Mutual

Raising the Bar on the Advice Standard

By Tim Donahue | May 15, 2018

Whether or not the SEC decides to implement changes to the advice standard, financial advisers must realize that their traditional value proposition has been turned on its head. Advisers once built their business around commissions and product sales, giving advice away for free, but financial transactions have become a commodity. The value of the client-adviser relationship is now in the advice.

Financial Planning for Families with Love Ones with Special Needs

By Pat Bergmaier | May 8, 2018

Financial planning for families with special needs children can be challenging because “special needs” means special on every level. There is no cookie-cutter solution that can guide people in the journey.

Be Prepared Before Starting Your Own Business

By John Caserta | May 1, 2018

There comes a point when many people wonder whether they should strike out on their own and start their own business. Approximately 14 percent of working-age people in the U.S. are entrepreneurs. But while the siren song of entrepreneurship may sound sweet to those laboring at the oars as wage-earning employees, careful planning is needed to ensure you don’t end up dashed upon the rocks.

Teaching Young Adults to be Wise Spenders

By Carolyn Humphrey | April 24, 2018

When it comes to financial literacy, it’s critical to start early by teaching young children to become early savers. It is equally important to follow through during their teenage years, into college and young adulthood. Here are five ways to raise financially responsible young adults.

Catching Up on Retirement in Your 40s and 50s

By Jim Knox | April 17, 2018

Sometime in your 40s or 50s, you realize that the years are passing by in a flash and retirement isn’t as far into the future as you once thought. So, if you haven’t been saving all these years, what can you do to catch up on retirement savings when you are in your 40s and 50s?

5 Ways to Balance College and Retirement Savings

By Penn Mutual | April 10, 2018

Saving for one goal doesn’t have to mean sacrificing the other. Try these strategies to help you prioritize and balance college and retirement savings.

Become a Living Organ Donor, the Greatest of All Gifts

By Martin Skaates | April 4, 2018

I’m the recipient of a kidney from a living donor. Without question, living organ donation is the greatest gift one person can give to another.

Get Income Protection Now, Before Tragedy Strikes

By Sara Faitelson | March 27, 2018

When my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, the news was devastating. Having life insurance in place before tragedy struck our family gave my dad peace of mind, to know that if something happened to her, he had enough money to keep the house going and hire somebody to take care of my brother who has special needs so that he could continue working.

Deferred Compensation Remains a Good Choice for Highly Compensated Employees

By J. Clifford Dixon | March 20, 2018

Deferred compensation is an often-overlooked way of sheltering income from taxes. It’s not right for everyone, but it has one big advantage: There is no limit to how much income can be deferred.

A Strategy for Optimizing Your Retirement Income

By Walter Young | March 14, 2018

“Save for retirement.” We’ve all heard the message of how important it is to save for retirement. But for all the talk about socking money away, there’s seldom any discussion of how to use that money in retirement so that it can last your entire life.