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Historically, one of the best ways to fight the effects of inflation has been to utilize growth-oriented investments.

There are techniques that can enable older homeowners to use their property to finance their lifestyle.

A sound cash management program uses a disciplined approach: accounting, analysis, allocation, and adjustment.

Short-term cash management instruments can help you establish a sound cash management program.

Here are some smart ways to refinance your home.

Shifting some debt to a home equity loan, which typically allows interest payments to be tax deductible, could have its advantages.

Money market funds can be a highly liquid and effective cash management tool.

A living trust can help control the distribution of your estate upon death.

Careful estate planning is still one of the most important ways to manage and protect your assets for your heirs.

Wills and trusts allow you to spell out how you would like your property distributed, but they also go beyond that.

Sole ownership, joint tenancy, tenancy in common, and community property have special benefits for property owners.

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of different gifting strategies available for planned giving.

One estate planning strategy that families with closely held businesses could consider is the family limited partnership.

The labels growth and value reflect different approaches that can be used when making investment decisions.

Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.

Starting to invest early for college and remaining consistent can help investors reach their goals.

Both fixed and variable annuities could be appropriate options for an individual interested in purchasing an annuity.

An important element to successful investing is to manage investment risk while maintaining the potential for growth.

Before investing in stocks, it is important to understand some of the basics and the risks involved in owning stocks.

It is important to understand how dividends (taxable payments to shareholders) fit with your long-term goals.

The difference between purchasing an individual stock versus shares in a mutual fund to potentially earn dividends.

ETFs have unique attributes and attempt to track all types of indexes, industries, or commodities.

Bonds are issued by many entities and share many characteristics, each type of bond has certain benefits and risks.

If you start saving for retirement sooner, the more money you are likely to accumulate and possibly retire sooner.

Living benefits can help protect variable annuity owners from running out of money in retirement.

If you leave a job or retire, you should consider your options regarding your employer retirement plan assets.

Many realize it’s important to save for retirement, but knowing exactly how much to save is another issue altogether.

The Social Security Administration’s retirement estimator gives estimates of your future benefits based on your actual Social Security earnings record.

If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might consider a traditional IRA.

401(k) employer-sponsored retirement plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.

There are a variety of retirement planning options that could help meet your needs. Here are some of the most popular.

Qualified Roth IRA distributions in retirement are free of federal income tax and aren’t included in gross income.

Greater demand is being placed on the Social Security system as the baby boom generation has begun to retire.

A Roth 401(k) is funded with after-tax money, and allows for tax- and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings if requirements are met.

Some of the pros and cons of whole life insurance.

As a business owner, a disability can create an economic hardship putting both your personal finances and business at risk.

Term life insurance differs from permanent forms of life insurance in that it offers temporary protection.

When selecting a life insurance policy, examine all your options, as well as the positives and negatives of each type.

Variable life insurance gives you the control to allocate your account value among a variety of investment options.

Several factors could undermine the financial security provided by the proceeds of your life insurance policy.

The odds of needing long-term care increase as you age. Prior planning can help protect you from financial ruin.

If you have a family who relies on your income, it is important to have life insurance protection.

While stable, CDs can create an income tax bill. Fixed annuities and municipal bonds can offer tax advantages.

For the grantor, there are a few potential tax benefits that can come with setting up a charitable trust.

IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to annual contribution limits set by the federal government.

Many traditional tax-advantaged investment strategies have gone away, but there are still some alternatives.

Capital gains are profits realized from the sale of assets; a tax is triggered only when an asset is sold, not held.

Required minimum distribution is the annual amount that must be withdrawn from a qualified retirement plan/account.

Tax-deferred retirement account withdrawals before age 59½ generally trigger a 10% federal tax penalty.