CitiGroup’s Rescue

It was simply too big to fail in federal eyes.

A huge relief, a big jump for the market. The federal government rescued another financial titan Monday, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 396.97 in response, capping off the best two-day percentage gain for the DJIA since October 1987 and the biggest two-day point [...]

Recessions, depressions, deflation, inflation

A quick primer on the characteristics of each.

Recession, depression, inflation, deflation … these words get kicked around quite a bit, but many people still have only a hazy idea of what they mean. So now, a brief look at each term.
Recession. A recession is confirmed by negative gross domestic product (GDP) [...]

COLLEGE FUNDING OPTIONS

Several ways to save for tuition and/or expenses.

How do families meet college costs today? They save early and often. You should too. Here are some college savings vehicles to consider.
529 plans. These state-sponsored college savings plans let you put away up to $12,000 per year for your child’s college costs without having to [...]

THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF IRAs

There are many varieties of this popular savings vehicle.

What don’t you know? Many Americans know about Roth and traditional IRAs … but there are also many other types of IRAs. Here’s a quick look at several basic classes of IRAs, as well as some variations and additional information.

Traditional IRA.
(2008/2009 contribution [...]

AN IRA GIFT CAN REDUCE YOUR TAXES

The IRA charitable rollover is back for 2008 and 2009.

A time to “do well by doing good.” If you dislike taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from your IRA or want to improve your tax situation, you might want to explore an IRA charitable rollover. It is back, as a bonus of the Emergency [...]

THE ABCs OF SHORT SALES

In real estate, what are “short sales” and who needs them?

It’s an all-too-common scenario … Changes in the financial climate can leave even the most responsible homeowners struggling to keep mortgage payments current. When and if that happens, there is more than one way to proceed.

First things first. If you’re faced [...]

LET’s TALK ABOUT CAPITAL GAINS

In a down market, things are a little different –
and some investors might qualify for a tax break.

For seasoned investors, the end of the year equals loss-harvesting time. The classic tactic works like this:

You sell some losers to offset some winners, i.e., you sell some [...]

You’re financially independent and you know it. Now what?

ADVANCED ESTATE PLANNING

Think you’re all set? If you’ve made wise decisions with your money, set aside plenty and feel like you’re ready to retire … you’re one step ahead of many Americans. If you’ve planned your estate (arranged how your money and assets will transfer after your lifetime), then you’re even further [...]

The APPEAL OF Structured Products

Why they attract high net worth investors who want
to participate in the stock market with very little risk.

What is a structured product? An investment vehicle specifically designed to manage risk.
A structured product is a note with 10 years or less until maturity, usually linked to an underlying stock index or multiple [...]

THE NEW LIVING BENEFITS IN VARIABLE ANNUITIES

These popular investments now have even more to offer.

GMIBs. GMWBs. GMABs. GLWBs. What do these acronyms mean? If you own a variable annuity (or think you might want to own one), they stand for a new class of living benefits that make these investments even more attractive.

Guarantees for a new [...]