Advisors

Fizkes | Getty Images Another year of grappling with coronavirus has led to significant tax law changes for the 2021 season. While year-end tax planning is always important, recent adjustments — and the possibility of more on the horizon — may offer unique benefits along with potential pitfalls. Here are some of the biggest changes

Camille Tokerud Photography Inc. | Stone | Getty Images Your elderly mother is getting forgetful and confused. What do you do now? “Waiting until a senior’s decline is evident may already be too late,” said certified financial planner Ralph Bender, founder of Enduring Wealth Advisors in Temecula, California. When is the right time for adult

JGI/Jamie Grill | Tetra images | Getty Images Before starting any planning around money, newlyweds should take a hard look at who they are and what they want out of life, financial advisors say. “It’s important for you to sit down together and discuss your values — both as individuals, and then as a couple,”

PeopleImages.com | Getty Images Since early 2020, most of us have obviously focused our energy and attention on the global pandemic. As we emerge from this perilous time, it’s important to remember that the last 20 months have had a profound impact on charitable giving. It has been widely reported that small charities nationwide have

Simon Smith | E+ | Getty Images With U.S. markets slipping on Friday amid fears of a new Covid variant, you may be tempted to take some money off the table. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 900 points for the day, or 2.5%. The S&P 500, meanwhile, has slid 1.8%.  However, while selling

Holger Hill | fStop | Getty Images A college degree is still the ticket to better earnings and a more successful career. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics continues to support the traditional idea that college is the path to a better life, but fewer Americans seem to be buying into it these

Anuchit Sirikangwan / EyeEm | EyeEm | Getty Images You’ve experienced an incredible loss. Now it’s time to think about protecting your future. Losing a spouse could be one of the most difficult things someone will ever face. However, despite the emotional hardship, a widow can emerge from the loss stronger than ever and more

Getty Images Clients grappling with a layoff or jumping into retirement may have some tax-planning opportunities as the year winds down, top advisors say. By the third quarter of 2020, 28.6 million baby boomers reported being out of the workforce, out of an entire cohort numbering 71.8 million, according to Pew Research. That’s 3.2 million more

Peter Cade | Getty Images As the holidays approach, philanthropic investors may be eyeing year-end gifts to their favorite charity. However, there are several options to consider with varying tax benefits, according to top advisors. Nearly 90% of wealthy families gave to charity in 2020, according to a study on philanthropy from Bank of America,

sturti | E+ | Getty Images It’s a great time to quit your job. Just make sure you have another one to go to. The latest data from the ADP Worker Vitality report found that the “Great Resignation” going on in today’s labor market is still paying off handsomely for those leaving their jobs for

YinYang | E+ | Getty Images Do new college graduates need to work with a financial advisor? Based on the number of financial subjects they don’t understand, according to advisors, the answer is yes. “The first thing [new grads] don’t get is that they qualify to work with an advisor,” said Katelyn Bombardiere, certified financial

Real estate talking to couple and showing contact – wearing protective face mask FG Trade | E+ | Getty Images Around five years ago, financial advisor Michael Bisaro started getting questions from some of his clients about bitcoin. “It was a murmur in the background,” said Bisaro, president of StraightLine Group, a firm in Troy,

milanvirijevic Are financial crises occurring more frequently? There were nearly four decades between the crash of 1929 and the bear market of 1968. Fast-forward to the 21st century — only 20 years passed between three financial crises: the 2001 dot-com crash, the 2008 global financial crisis and in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic’s economic recession. What

Morsa Images | E+ | Getty Images After a year of double-digit stock market growth, investors may be looking to cash in some gains from brokerage accounts. And some filers may take profits without a tax bill, even with a six-figure income, experts say.  “A lot of people aren’t aware there’s a 0% tax rate

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images Interest in socially responsible investing skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic. To that point, environmental, social and corporate governance funds captured $51.1 billion of net new money from investors in 2020 — a record and more than double the net inflows in 2019, according to Morningstar research. So, who is

Maskot | Maskot | Getty Images It is easy to feel pessimistic — even apocalyptic — about the looming challenge of long-term care for the nearly 71 million baby boomers heading into their golden years. Consider a few numbers: There are currently 14 million people receiving some form of long-term care. That number will double

nd3000 | iStock | Getty Images There’s a growing number of unmarried couples buying homes together, and without proper planning the move may create future problems. Indeed, 9% of home buyers were unmarried in 2020, according to the National Association of Realtors. While younger millennials, ages 22 to 30 years old, represent 20% of unmarried purchasers,

vitapix | E+ | Getty Images It can be tricky figuring out how much income your retirement savings actually could deliver in your golden years. That may now become easier. As mandated in the 2019 Secure Act, 401(k) plan administrators will start providing illustrations on quarterly or annual statements showing an estimate of how much

Hispanolistic | E+ | Getty Images Remarrying can come with a renewed sense of joy — as well as financial baggage that wasn’t there the first time around. Whether your previous relationship ended due to divorce or death of your spouse, there’s a good chance you or your new partner — if not both of

vgajic | E+ | Getty Images Women get paid less than men. In fact, it’s been well documented that, worldwide, women make only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. Less well-known, and partially a result of that very pay gap, is the pension gulf between men and women. The gender gap in pensions