Of all the things I’m involved in at The American College of Financial Services, what excites me most is the Penn Mutual Center for Veterans Affairs. Earlier this year, the Center surpassed the $2 million scholarship milestone, but that could easily be $10 million. I believe it is time for us to take this program to the next level.
In my experience, when people say they’re planning for retirement, that simply means they’ve been putting money away every year. Don’t get me wrong – that’s an important first step – but simply saving for retirement may not count as planning for retirement.
Financial planning must be scary, given the amount of people who avoid it or try to do it on their own, unassisted. While having a 401(k) or Roth IRA, or perhaps having a 529 savings plan for college are critical components of a sound financial plan, this is only focusing on particular needs without looking at the bigger picture.
There’s such an emphasis on saving for retirement, yet no one puts much thought into the tax consequences. Without smart tax planning, taxes can be a major source of erosion on retirement income. Most of us would be thrilled to get a 6 to 8 percent return long-term on our retirement portfolios, yet the current minimum income tax rate is 10 percent, the maximum is 37 percent. Being smart about taxes can make your money go much farther in retirement.
Many people have the wrong ideas about wills, trusts, and estate plans. After all, estate planning isn’t something most people think about every day and something they may try to avoid. These misconceptions often prevent people from taking action that will save their loved ones countless headaches and difficulties.
A financial adviser’s role is very similar to a coach. Like a coach, an adviser can help you set goals, explain difficult or confusing topics and create a plan to help you achieve those goals. Here are the things I learned to look for in a coach, and I think the same ideas hold true in finding a trusted financial adviser.
Illness is one of those great unknowns of life, and healthcare and long-term nursing care are expensive, getting more so every year. Healthcare costs must be an integral part of our retirement planning. Otherwise, we’re putting all our retirement plans at risk. There are four long-term issues working against us.
Women are not finding the help they need when it comes to their money. This is especially true during times of change, like divorce, marriage, children, widowhood, retirement and everything in between. I recently sat down with Julie Parise for a video interview on the steps women can take to get greater control over their finances.
Myths and fairytales are all well and good when we’re kids, but there may be some myths about life insurance that are preventing you from taking full advantage of its many benefits.
People don’t fully understand all that life insurance can do for them while they are alive. As a result, they miss out on the numerous benefits that make up what many have discovered to be “The Miracle of Life Insurance.” Sure, life insurance is best known for its death benefit protection, but that is often where the conversation seems to end. It is now time for everyone to resume the conversation regarding life insurance.
Eileen C. McDonnell
David O’Malley
Leanne Acton
Larry Adkins
Keith Bratz
John Caserta
Raymond Caucci
Jessica Choi
Michael Clark, M.D.
Matthew Condon
Cheryl D. Creuzot
Susan Deakins
Gretchen Dinucci
Tim Donahue
Cara Drew
Greg Driscoll
Michael Dunne
Michael Durkin
Stacey Fabricant
Sara Faitelson
Ande Frazier
Frannie Gardner
Thomas Harris
Christine Hennigan
Keith Huckerby
Michael Kane
Jim Knox
Jethro Kollie
David LaBricciosa
John Laurito
Jeff Leinen
Roy Lenzo III
Dewane Lewis, Jr.
Chris Lyman
Andrew Martin
Jim Meehan
Margaret Muldoon
Danny Noles
Susan Notaras
Adam Paoli
Jay Perlman
Dave Raszeja
Helen Rennie
Mickey Rosenzweig
Allan Sternberg
Maury Stewart
Jason Wein
Walter Young