You may have a teen in your family who holds down a part-time job or works full-time during the summer. You can help your child lay the groundwork for future retirement security early on by encouraging your child to open an individual retirement account (IRA). You may, or may not, get some resistance, especially if […]
Rules for Borrowing From Your IRA
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are designed to help you save for retirement, and they come with a set of rules and regulations to encourage long-term savings. While it’s generally not recommended to dip into your IRA before retirement, there are certain circumstances where you can borrow from your IRA without incurring penalties or taxes. However, […]
Does Your Risk Tolerance Need a Realignment?
Market volatility. A change in your time horizon. Different goals. All these things can affect the amount of risk you feel comfortable taking with your investments. Your ability to tolerate risk influences the investment choices you make and may have a significant impact on your success in achieving your financial objectives. Periodically revisiting your risk […]
Take Stock of Stock Mutual Funds
When you have long-term financial goals, such as helping pay for a child’s college education or funding your retirement, including stock investments in your portfolio provides opportunities for potential growth. But should you invest in individual stocks or stock mutual funds?1 What’s the Difference? When you invest in individual stocks, you are buying a small […]
Refinancing a Mortgage — What Is Deductible?
Many homeowners are looking at the historically low interest rates on home mortgages and are refinancing their mortgages before rates start creeping back up. If you recently refinanced your mortgage or are considering doing so, you’ll want to understand the general tax rules for deducting the costs associated with refinancing. Interest Assuming you refinance debt […]
Help if You Want It: Lessons From Your Account Statement
An account statement can provide investors with a wealth of information about their investments. How closely do you look at your brokerage account statement? Your statement can tell you a lot about your investments. The following key elements of your statement contain important information that can help you assess the health of your portfolio. Account […]