Retirement

North Carolina has a long track record for managing one of the best public pension plans in the U.S. Moody’s Investors Services recently reported that North Carolina has one of the top pension plans in the nation when looking at its Adjusted Net Pension Liability. And CEM Benchmarking ranked North Carolina’s pension system as the

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Estate planning is an often overlooked topic during the financial planning process. Discussing estate planning with others can be uncomfortable and easily avoided, yet this is an important part of financial planning. Every adult with at least a modest net worth or who is in the

The tax advantages of a health savings account (HSA) are unique, even better than any IRA or 401(k) plan. As a result, an HSA is like a “super IRA,” and you should contribute as much as you can afford, subject to IRS limits on HSA contributions. Let’s dig into the details and reasons. Who’s Eligible

Recently, a North Dakota woman was charged with killing her boyfriend to get his inheritance. The man was expected to inherit $30 million, and officials believe her plan was to make a claim that she was his common-law wife so she could get the money from his estate. Whether the man had a will is

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Blue chip stocks have long been popular for investors of all wealth and ages. This article will explain blue-chip stocks and list five top picks for the upcoming year. Blue-Chip Stocks Explained Definition Blue chip stocks refer to shares of well-established, financially robust companies with a

Time is running out. You need to develop and execute a two-year plan to avoid the major tax increases that are likely to come. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, enacted in 2017, reduced income and estate taxes significantly. But to comply with congressional budgeting law, many of the law’s provisions automatically expire at the

AI is a new frontier and can be potentially extremely helpful in healthcare. Assembling all known information to solve a problem could benefit many. But there is a dark side to AI, which many have predicted. When it comes to health insurance and denials of care to patients, AI has already triggered a class action

The SECURE Act 2.0, enacted at the end of 2022, created a new type of qualified charitable distribution (QCD) that generally is being called the Legacy IRA. As I’ve said before, QCDs are the best way for most people age 70½ or older to make charitable contributions. When you’re 70½ or older, instead of writing

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin As 2023 winds down to a close, our attention as investors turns to the coming year. What investment vehicles, in which sectors, are going to serve us best in 2024? While none of us have a crystal ball that will reliably show us the future, we

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Investing in a 401(k) plan is one of the most effective options an investor has to plan for retirement. Tax-deferred growth and relatively high contribution limits enable individuals to amass a more substantial nest egg over their working years. Employer matching contributions, where applicable, represent an

Real family gatherings might not look like a gauzy image on a greeting card. Let’s face it: there is conflict in lots of families, ramped up when they gather. Can you do anything about that tightness in your belly at the thought of who’s coming for dinner? We think so, based on hearing from many

The approaching holidays present a golden opportunity to help you gain valuable insights that will help you better plan your retirement. And it’s a win-win—you can also engage with relatives and friends whom you might not know very well and avoid those awkward silences. The ice breaker: Ask them thought-provoking questions about their views on

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Dividend stocks are a core part of many retirement portfolios. But dividend investing is at a unique point in market history, with T-bills yielding 5%. That raises the bar for “high-yield” stocks, since stocks can fall heavily in price. In this article, I toe the line

One of the most common questions when people hear I am a financial planner is some version of “Do you think I am on track for retirement?” The reality is most people could be saving more, but keep reading as we share the average retirement savings by age. Hopefully, this will give you a sense

The SECURE Act 2.0, enacted in late 2022, changed more than 90 rules about IRAs and other qualified retirement plans. The changes are phased in over several years. Here are some key changes that take effect in 2024 or took effect in 2023. For the first time, excess funds in a 529 education savings plan

Has the premium for your Medicare Part D prescription drug policy increased for 2024? Mine has. I recently received notice that my monthly premium would increase by more than 21%, from $28.40 in 2023 to $34.50 in 2024. This increase came on top of a large increase from 2022 to 2023. With increases occurring in

There are few things I love more than sitting down with a bunch of other smart, intentional people and swapping thoughts on how we can do even better at this crazy thing called life. I recently had the pleasure of trading ideas (and a few gibes) with Stacking Benjamins Joe Saul-Sehy, Afford Anything’s Paula Pant,

It’s time to assess your IRA plans and be sure to take before the end of the year the actions that can increase your financial independence. Many actions must be completed before December 31 or the opportunity to reap their benefits for this year is lost. In many cases you want to initiate the actions

The estate of the late actor, James Caan, who appeared in The Godfather and many other films and television shows, lost a recent Tax Court case that has lessons for other taxpayers. The case involved two of Caan’s IRAs. The IRAs owned interests in a hedge fund. The tax code allows IRAs to own non-publicly

Deciding when to retire is one of the most important decisions facing workers in their 50s and 60s. Your decision will significantly influence your financial security, health, and life satisfaction for the rest of your life. It’s a serious decision that only you can make—nobody else can tell you the best age at which you