Core Principle Series - Scenario #3 Beth and her father's land Beth was surprised when the attorney called her. She and her sisters had heard once that her parents had some kind of property in the southern part of the state but no one had ever been able to validate
Core Principles Series - Scenario #1 John and the lump sum of cash As we walk through each of the 10 core principles of smart investing, it will be helpful to have some real life examples of circumstances and decisions that people have made to help with our discussions. John
Ten core principles of smart investing: Principle 1: Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket Principle 2: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is Principle 3: Urgent and only available today = wrong Principle 4: Follow the money Principle 5: Buy low and sell
401(k) plans have become a widely accepted retirement savings vehicle for small businesses. According to the most recent data, an estimated 51 million U.S. workers participate in 401(k) plans that have total assets of about $3 trillion. With a 401(k) plan, employees can choose to defer a portion of their
A SIMPLE IRA plan is a savings option for employers with 100 or fewer employees. This plan allows employees to contribute a percentage of their salary each paycheck and requires employer contributions. Under SIMPLE IRA plans, employees can set aside up to $11,500 in 2012 and $12,000 in 2013 ($14,000
A SEP plan allows employers to set up SEP IRAs for themselves and each of their employees. Employers must contribute a uniform percentage of pay for each employee, although they do not have to make contributions every year. Employer contributions are limited to the lesser of 25 percent of pay
Over 60 million people today receive some form of Social Security benefits, including approximately 39 million individuals age 65 or older. (Source: Fast Facts & Figures About Social Security, 2012) But Social Security is more than just a retirement program. Its scope has expanded to include other benefits as well,
An individual retirement arrangement (IRA) is a personal savings plan that offers specific tax benefits. IRAs are one of the most powerful retirement savings tools available to you. Even if you're contributing to a 401(k) or other plan at work, you should also consider investing in an IRA.
Employer-sponsored qualified retirement plans such as 401(k)s are some of the most powerful retirement savings tools available. If your employer offers such a plan and you're not participating in it, you should be. Once you're participating in a plan, try to take full advantage of it. Understand your
What is a "stretch" IRA? The term "stretch IRA" has become a popular way to refer to an IRA (either traditional or Roth) that has provisions that make it easier to "stretch out" the time that funds can stay in the IRA after the death of the owner. A