Please Leave Home Without It
Concerns over identity theft continue to grow, especially with the news of data breaches at major companies and financial institutions. Unfortunately, you have little control over when a company is hacked, but you do have control over your own actions. Ten Things to Leave at Home Social Security Card – A Social Security card may […]
The Half Million Dollar Baby
Password Protection Strategies
We all know that the more complicated a password is, the better. They should include a mixture of numbers, punctuation marks, symbols, and uppercase and lowercase letters. But are these precautions enough to keep your digital information safe? Twitter, Yahoo, and LinkedIn have all fallen prey to online attackers who have stolen entire databases full […]
Budget Check Up: Tax Time Is the Right Time
Every year, about 140 million households file their federal tax returns. For many, the process involves digging through shoe boxes or manila folders full of receipts; gathering mortgage, retirement, and investment account statements; and relying on computer software to take advantage of every tax break the code permits.1 It seems a shame not to make the […]
Four Steps to Valuing an Estate
Determining the value of an estate is a fundamental first step in estate management and a critical requirement for settling a decedent’s estate.1 How to Assess the Value of an Estate Select the date of calculation. Because values move up and down, you need to set a specific date for a valuation. For a living […]
Four Reasons Millennials Need an Estate Strategy
You’re young, have little in savings, and might not have anyone relying on you, financially. So, why do you need to think about estate management?1 Here are four great reasons: Estate Strategies: They’re Not Just for the Elderly You need a will. You may ask yourself why a will is important if you don’t have […]
Understanding Marginal Income Tax Brackets
By any measure, the tax code is huge. It is over 2,000 pages long, and even longer with footnotes.1 And almost weekly, the Internal Revenue Service publishes a 20- to 50-page bulletin about various aspects of the tax code.2 Fortunately, it’s not necessary to wade through these massive libraries to get a basic understanding of […]
A Meal for All Generations
Helpful Retirement Strategies for Women
Preparing for retirement can look a little different for women than it does for men. Although stereotypes are changing, women are still more likely to serve as caretakers than men are, meaning they may accumulate less income and benefits due to their time absent from the workforce. One study estimates that 66% of caregivers are […]
Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President
In January, the White House released its 508-page book, “Economic Report of the President (2023).” If you haven’t yet made time to peruse this weighty tome, don’t beat yourself up. Most people don’t take the time to read the report—still others don’t even know it exists.1 What is the “Economic Report of the President,” and […]