When people think about financial planning, they tend to think of retirement funds, investing, and saving for the future. However, another key component of your finances is to understand your current cash flow. After all, your retirement savings won't grow very quickly if your current financial situation prevents you from putting away enough money. Many [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: We all know that we need to plan for retirement, and yet many people tend to procrastinate for years. It could be that financial issues seem too challenging to tackle, or it may be a busy schedule that prevents us from paying attention to this pressing needs. Those might just be excuses, [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: At this time of year, many of us start to think about giving money to charitable organizations. Perhaps you prefer a charity that provides toys to less fortunate children, or a shelter that helps the hungry and homeless enjoy a holiday meal. Whatever you prefer, it's a smart move to make [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Rather than deciding upon how much money you need during retirement, one of the key aspects to financial planning revolves around deciding how long you will need it. This can be problematic for some people, because it requires a bit of guesswork. In other words, it's difficult to put a price [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Retirement often brings about new confusion in regard to federal taxes. Now that your income comes from retirement account distributions instead of a paycheck, you might be unclear on which tax deductions are still available to you. To add to the headache, Congress is always changing the tax code. It can be [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Home ownership is a central part of the American Dream, and many soon-to-be retirees hope to have their homes paid off before they stop working. One of the drawbacks to owning a home, however, is the length of time it takes to finally pay for one. Most people opt for 30 year [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Bond ladder may sound like a funny name, but it's actually a pretty simple investment strategy. The basic idea behind bond ladders is that the investor protects himself against changes in interest rates by purchasing bonds which have staggered maturity dates. The bonds mature at intervals, rather than all at once. How [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: For many families, saving for college and paying off the subsequent loans has an enormous impact on retirement timing. While it is always a great idea to pay off large debts like college loans before retiring, you shouldn't assume that your children will automatically have a lot of educational expenses. There are [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: As you manage your retirement funds – whether you're already retired or just preparing for that stage of your life – one of the many aspects of your financial activity you should continue to manage is your credit score. You already know that credit scores are important, but just how important are [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Consumer needs are always changing, and most industries know they have to change their products to keep up with demand. This is certainly true in the case of life insurance. If traditional life insurance products don't appear to meet your needs, there may be other options that are better suited to [...]