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Probate is the process of proving the validity of a will and supervising the administration of an estate, usually in the probate court. State law governs the proceedings in the probate court,…

You’ve been doing the right thing financially for many years, saving for your child’s education and your own retirement. Yet now, as both goals loom in the years ahead, you may wonder…

It's easy to confuse Medicare and Medicaid, because they have similar names and are both government programs that pay for health care. But there are important differences between the programs. Medicare is…

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), credit report errors more than doubled during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, the CFPB found that many pandemic protections which were designed to help…

Is the Russia-Ukraine War a Threat to the Global Economy? Before Russia stunned the world by invading Ukraine, it was widely believed that the economic ties formed through globalization would help promote…

After dropping the benchmark federal funds rate to a range of 0%–0.25% early in the pandemic, the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has begun raising the rate aggressively in…

The COVID-19 economic crisis tested the mettle of all Americans, particularly working mothers. Research shows that the pandemic’s impacts on women have been far-reaching and potentially long-lasting. Now that the U.S. economy…

529 plans are a favored way to save for college due to the tax benefits and other advantages they offer when funds are used to pay a beneficiary’s qualified college expenses. Up…

Fall is the time when many high school seniors narrow their college lists and start applying to colleges. One question that is often front and center on the minds of families is…

Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system, which means today’s workers are paying taxes for the benefits received by today’s retirees. However, demographic trends such as lower birth rates, higher retirement rates, and…

The average FICO® credit score in the United States reached a record high of 711 in 2020, despite the financial challenges of the pandemic. In fact : contrary to what might be…

In 2020, 31% of U.S. workers with employer-sponsored health insurance had a high-deductible health plan (HDHP), up from 24% in 2015.1 These plans are also available outside the workplace through private insurers…

Your plan for drawing down retirement assets could be just as important as your approach to accumulating retirement savings. Experts recommend various methods, such as the so-called 4% rule : withdrawing 4%…

You may have purchased life insurance years ago and never gave it a second thought. Or perhaps you don’t have life insurance at all and now you need it. When your life…

On September 30, 2021, Congress averted a potential federal government shutdown by passing a last-minute bill to fund government operations through December 3, 2021.1 Two weeks later, another measure raised the debt…

A will is an essential legal document that describes how your estate should be distributed upon your death. It is the basis for the probate process and can serve as a guide…

Cash balance plans are defined benefit plans that share some key characteristics with 401(k) plans, which makes them flexible and appealing to a growing cadre of small employers. In fact, there was…

The opportunity to acquire company stock : inside or outside a workplace retirement plan : can be a lucrative employee benefit. Your compensation may include stock options or bonuses paid in company…