Articles
Welcome to our research center! We've put together a library of information on important financial topics that we believe you'll find helpful.
Simply click on one of the general financial topics below and you'll find a selection of easy-to-understand information sheets about related financial concepts and strategies. This information is updated regularly to reflect the latest facts, figures, legislation, and economic trends.
Estates & Trusts
-
What Key Estate Planning Tools Should I Know About?
Wills and trusts allow you to spell out how you would like your property distributed, but they also go beyond that.
-
How Can a Living Trust Help Me Control My Estate?
A living trust can help control the distribution of your estate upon death.
-
What Are the Pitfalls of Probate?
The probate process can be lengthy and complex. There are strategies you can use to help avoid the probate process.
-
How Can My Gift Benefit Me and the Charity?
To retain the tax advantages associated with charitable giving, your gift must be made to a qualified organization.
-
How Can I Control the Distribution of My Estate?
If you haven't taken steps already, consider planning now for the distribution of the assets of your estate.
-
How Will I Pay Estate Taxes?
If you believe your estate will be subject to estate taxes, consider how your heirs will pay the bill.
-
Can I Benefit from an A-B Trust?
An A-B trust can be an effective way to help reduce estate taxes and preserve family assets for heirs.
-
What Gifting Strategies Are Available to Me?
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of different gifting strategies available for planned giving.
-
How Can I Benefit from a Charitable Lead Trust?
Charitable lead trusts are designed for people who would like to benefit a charity now rather than later.
-
How Can I Benefit from a Charitable Remainder Trust?
A designated income beneficiary could receive payment of a specified amount from a charitable remainder trust.
-
Could My Family Benefit from a Family Limited Partnership?
One estate planning strategy that families with closely held businesses could consider is the family limited partnership.
-
What Is the History of the Federal Estate Tax?
Careful estate planning is still one of the most important ways to manage and protect your assets for your heirs.
Retirement
-
What Is a SEP IRA?
A SEP IRA is a type of plan under which the employer contributes (up to a certain limit) to an employee’s IRA.
-
What Is a SIMPLE?
The SIMPLE plan may appeal to small business owners as it is easy to set up, administer, and allows for a tax deduction.
-
What Is an IRA Rollover?
If you leave a job or retire, you should consider your options regarding your employer retirement plan assets.
-
What Is a Roth 401(k)?
A Roth 401(k) is funded with after-tax money, and allows for tax- and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings if requirements are met.
-
What Is a Profit-Sharing Plan?
Profit-sharing plans give employees a share in the profits of a company and can help to fund their retirements.
-
What Is a 403(b) Plan?
A 403(b) plan is a tax-deferred retirement savings plan that can only be offered by a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity.
-
Why Do People Buy Annuities?
Annuities, an insurance-based financial vehicle, can provide many benefits that retirement investors might want.
-
What Is a Self-Employed Retirement Plan?
Tax-deferred retirement plans for self-employed individuals have higher contribution limits than IRAs.
-
What Is an Indexed Annuity?
An indexed annuity may provide some upside potential and downside protection.
-
What Is a Traditional IRA?
If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might consider a traditional IRA.
-
What Is a 401(k) Plan?
401(k) employer-sponsored retirement plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.
-
How Should I Manage My Retirement Plan?
Employer-sponsored retirement plans are more important than ever, but managing the assets can be confusing.
-
Save Now or Save Later?
If you start saving for retirement sooner, the more money you are likely to accumulate and possibly retire sooner.
-
What Is a Roth IRA?
Qualified Roth IRA distributions in retirement are free of federal income tax and aren’t included in gross income.
Tax Planning
-
How Much Money Can I Put Into My IRA or Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan?
IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to annual contribution limits set by the federal government.
-
What Is a Required Minimum Distribution?
Required minimum distribution is the annual amount that must be withdrawn from a qualified retirement plan/account.
-
When Must Taxes Be Paid on IRA and Employer-Sponsored Retirement Funds?
With traditional IRAs and most employer-sponsored retirement plans, taxes are not payable until funds are withdrawn.
-
What Happens If I Withdraw Money from My Tax-Deferred Investments Before Age 59½
Tax-deferred retirement account withdrawals before age 59½ generally triggers a 10% federal income tax penalty.
-
What Is Tax Deferral?
There can be a substantial benefit to deferring taxes as long as possible.
-
How Can I Benefit from Tax-Advantaged Investments?
Many traditional tax-advantaged investment strategies have gone away, but there are still some alternatives.
-
What Tax Deductions Are Still Available to Me?
Changes to the tax code have left a few key deductions for itemizers, like medical, dental and some business expenses.
-
What Tax-Advantaged Alternatives Are Available?
While stable, CDs can create an income tax bill. Fixed annuities and municipal bonds can offer tax advantages.
-
What Is the Most Tax-Efficient Way to Take a Distribution From a Retirement Plan
Consider a trustee-to-trustee transfer to an IRA versus a lump-sum distribution from a workplace retirement plan.
-
How Can I Keep More of My Mutual Fund Profits?
Want to keep more of your mutual fund profits? You may be interested in strategies to help lower your tax liability.
Investing
-
What Is an Exchange-Traded Fund?
ETFs have unique attributes and attempt to track all types of indexes, industries, or commodities.
-
How Are Growth and Value Stocks Different?
The labels growth and value reflect different approaches that can be used when making investment decisions.
-
How Are Mutual Funds Taxed?
Mutual fund taxes can be cumbersome, but there are ways to help mitigate the amount of taxes you may owe.
-
What Is Diversification?
An important element to successful investing is to manage investment risk while maintaining the potential for growth.
-
What Types of Bonds Are Available?
Bonds are issued by many entities and share many characteristics, each type of bond has certain benefits and risks.
-
What Is a Bond?
A bond is simply evidence of a debt from a government entity or a corporation and represents a long-term IOU.
-
What Is a Stock Index?
Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.
-
How Do Mutual Funds and Stocks Differ?
The difference between purchasing an individual stock versus shares in a mutual fund to potentially earn dividends.
-
What Is a Mutual Fund?
A mutual fund is a collection of stocks, bonds, and other securities with certain benefits and risks.
-
What Is a Closed-End Fund?
With closed-end funds, investors pool their money together to purchase a professionally managed portfolio of stocks and/or bonds.
-
What Is a Mutual Fund Load?
It’s important to understand mutual fund loads, or sales charges, and exactly what they entail so you can make informed investing decisions.
-
What Is an Annuity?
An annuity is a flexible financial vehicle that can help protect against the risk of living a long time because it provides an option for a lifetime income.
-
What Is the Difference Between a Fixed Annuity and a Variable Annuity?
Both fixed and variable annuities could be appropriate options for an individual interested in purchasing an annuity.
-
What Investment Risks Should I Know About?
Understanding different types of investment risk can help investors manage their money more effectively.
-
What Are the Different Classes of Assets?
There are five broad asset classes that you should take into consideration when constructing your investment portfolio.
-
What Is Asset Allocation?
Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.
-
How Can I Save for My Child’s College Education?
There are several funding methods for a child's college education including mutual funds and Section 529 plans.
-
What Stock and Bond Investing Alternatives Do I Have?
There are other ways to invest in stocks and bonds besides owning individual shares or bonds.
-
529 Lesson Plan: High Scores for 529 Plans
529 plans are tax-advantaged savings plans that generally allow people of any income level to contribute.
Cash Management
-
What Are Some Tips for Managing My Money?
A sound cash management program uses a disciplined approach: accounting, analysis, allocation, and adjustment.
-
How Long Will It Take to Double My Money?
Before making investment decisions, it is helpful to determine the real rate of return on the investment.
-
What Cash Management Tools Are Available?
Short-term cash management instruments can help you establish a sound cash management program.
-
How Do Money Market Mutual Funds Work?
Money market funds can be a highly liquid and effective cash management tool.
-
How Can I Better Manage My Short-Term Cash?
There are numerous investment alternatives available to help provide liquidity.
-
What Are Some Smart Ways to Refinance?
Here are some smart ways to refinance your home.
-
What Savings Alternatives Are Available?
There are a number of savings alternatives that could help you earn a reasonable rate of return.
-
How Does Inflation Affect Me?
Historically, one of the best ways to fight the effects of inflation has been to utilize growth-oriented investments.
Risk Management
-
What Is Term Life Insurance?
Term life insurance differs from permanent forms of life insurance in that it offers temporary protection.
-
What Is Whole Life Insurance?
Some of the pros and cons of whole life insurance.
-
What Is Variable Life Insurance?
Variable life insurance gives you the control to allocate your account value among a variety of investment options.
-
How Can I Insure My Future?
To help you choose insurance wisely, determine how much coverage and what kind of policy is best for your situation.
-
How Can I Extend My Liability Coverage?
Consider additional liability insurance to help protect you from the potentially devastating effects of liability lawsuits.
-
Am I Prepared for Long-Term Care Expenses?
The odds of needing long-term care increase as you age. Prior planning can help protect you from financial ruin.