The Unique Advantages of Health Savings Accounts
These tax-advantaged savings accounts can help you cover your health care expenses A health savings account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged savings account that allows individuals with high-deductible health plans to set money aside for medical expenses. These accounts offer unique tax benefits and can even be savings tools for retirement. What is a health savings […]
A Beginner’s Guide to Alternative Investments
Alternatives are investment options beyond the typical stocks, bonds and cash found in most portfolios. They can be tangible assets like precious metals, or they could be financial assets like private equity or hedge funds. Alternatives tend to be riskier than traditional assets, which means investors usually have to meet certain criteria to access them. […]
Automated Investing vs. Human Guidance
When you’re looking for help managing your investment portfolio, you have a decision to make: Should you work with a financial advisor or a robo-advisor? A financial advisor is a professional specializing in financial planning, wealth management and other personal finance services. On the other hand, a robo-advisor is a digital platform that uses algorithms […]
Breaking Down IRAs
Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are a type of tax-advantaged account that can help you boost your retirement savings. The most common IRAs you’ll choose from are traditional and Roth IRAs. Both are designed for long-term growth, but there are some key differences, including how your contributions are taxed and when you can withdraw funds. Here […]
Breaking Down Socially Responsible Investing
Many investors want more out of their investments than just a good return. They want to know that the companies they invest in are ethical and responsible — that they build environmentally sustainable business models, advance a social good and operate in a transparent, ethical way. To identify these companies, socially responsible investors can use […]
What You Need to Know About Investing During an Election
Elections can move the market, but that doesn’t mean you should change your approach Like any big news event, U.S. presidential elections can cause ripples and even waves in the stock market. In November 2016, for example, Donald Trump’s victory sent Dow Jones Industrial Average futures plunging 900 points on election night, as investors reacted […]
Preparing for Healthcare Costs in Retirement
For many Americans, navigating the maze of health insurance options—from employer-based plans to individual policies—can be dizzying. Much of that changes at 65. That’s when individuals generally are eligible for Medicare, which covers routine health care expenses such as visits to doctors and prescription drugs. But the program doesn’t cover everything. Here is a breakdown […]
6 Steps to Protecting Your Wealth During Divorce
A divorce is one of the most difficult transitions you can go through. When you add uncertainty about money, that transition can get even more stressful. Here are six steps to help keep your finances intact during—and after—a divorce: Step 1. Assess your finances and make a budget As divorce proceedings get underway, take stock […]
Why Do Stocks Keep Rallying?
The contradiction is real. People can be forgiven for not celebrating in the streets at each new Nasdaq all-time high. As one novelist said recently “we will not wake up, after confinement, in a new world; it will be the same, only a little worse.” That same old world is one of extreme inequality on […]
Five Rules of Long-Term Investing
These best practices can help you stay invested during the market’s ups and down The COVID-19 pandemic helped put an end to the longest bull market in history. The stock market plunged, and many investors were tempted to pull their money out of the market to avoid additional losses. But periods of uncertainty offer a […]