Blog Posts

For most people the difficult decision is not “if” they need life insurance, but “how much” life coverage they need.

Being financially literate in today’s economic climate is more important than ever. Understanding finances can help you make better money management decisions, budget your money properly, adequately save for college, and be financially prepared for retirement. While it may sound daunting, financial literacy starts with a budget. Today, only one third of Americans have a budget that they actively use when making financial decisions, although 75% of Americans believe you should have a budget.

An increasing number of people are starting to understand that their real risk exposure is not in the costs associated with repairing or replacing their car or home, rather it is in the far more costly liability risk. Yet, most people drastically underestimate their personal liability risks.

It seems remarkable that more than one in seven drivers in the United States is uninsured. But with the slumping economy, that number is expected to increase. And that doesn’t account for the millions more who can only afford to buy the minimum liability coverage that is required by state law.

Creating a financial plan may seem overwhelming to those that have never completed one, but taking the first steps to creating a plan is much easier than you may think. Even if you plan on hiring a professional financial planner down the road, creating a rudimentary plan can go a long way towards sharpening your goals, making your meeting with a financial planner much more useful when it does occur.

If you’re not sure where to start, just follow these easy steps.

Most nonprofit organizations today offer a variety of planned giving options that supporters can take advantage of. If you’re committed to supporting an organization into perpetuity, planned giving provides you with the option to do so.

While consulting with your tax or financial advisor is recommended before making any planned giving decisions, it can be helpful to gain some understand about the various options that are available, and which of these options are more likely to suit your own particular financial needs and personal philanthropic philosophy.

Critics of whole life insurance point to the higher premiums these plans require and the inflexibility of the payment schedule.

With the average life expectancy surpassing age 85, the number of people who will require some sort of assistance performing daily living functions can be expected to increase dramatically. Already one in three people age 65 and older will receive care in a nursing home or through a home caregiver. After age 74, there’s a 50% chance of needing assisted care.

Green, clean energy has reached new heights in America. There are more hybrids than ever on the streets (Americans bought their four millionth hybrid car in early 2016), wind turbines out above the cornfields, solar panels on roofs, and even that new convenience store down the street is LEED certified.

For some a car is simply a means of getting from point A to point B. For others it’s a status symbol. Cars are a hobby, a passion, for some and necessity for others, but whatever the level affinity toward automobiles there comes a time where just about everyone needs to start shopping for a new (or used) one. But, don’t run down to the local dealership just yet.