It is said that annuities aren’t bought, they’re sold. That means, not many people go shopping with the intention of buying an annuity. Rather, a financial representative brings different annuity options to the table, to help a client build a plan for their financial future. Annuities have a place in financial planning, especially when there’s
Early withdrawals from retirement accounts are not only costly, but they can also disrupt your financial future. Think about the long-term consequences before you tap your 401(k) for an emergency expense. Your 401(k) account is designed to help you build a nest egg for retirement, but you may tap it for other purposes. If you’re
It’s time to take stock of your spending habits and create a budget. Seeing the numbers in front of you can help you understand your financial situation and figure out where you can economize. Millennials face some unique financial stressors that are quite different from those that previous generations encountered. The fallout from the Great
Are you on track to meet your goals? As you save for retirement, it helps to have an occasional “reality check”—a moment where you stand back and look at your progress. Here are two guidelines to keep in mind when you do. Look at your savings as a percentage of your household income at certain
A few astute moves could help promote a better after-tax return. As you weigh risk vs. return, you may risk taking an eye off taxes. A focus on tax efficiency could help you improve the effective yield from your portfolio. You can try to cut or delay taxes linked to investing. Consider placing the most
They face a heightened retirement savings challenge. How critical is it for women to build retirement savings? At least as critical as it is for men, perhaps more so because of two factors. Women have a longer life expectancy than men. That fact alone underlines the need for comparatively greater retirement savings. One Aon Hewitt
Keeping an eye on your financial health during a divorce is essential. This article outlines some important topics to consider how divorce may affect your finances. Divorce can be a complicated and challenging process in which details are easily overlooked. Protecting your financial health during this time is crucial, and no one should enter this
If you’re facing unemployment or concerned about the possibility of upcoming layoffs, there are some small, proactive steps you can take now to help make this difficult time more manageable. Build Your Network. It’s estimated that over 80% of open positions are filled through networking.1 The easiest time to build your network is while you
There are many choices for repaying student loans. This checklist can help you weigh them. Actively managing your debt is an important step, and your student debt may be one of the biggest financial obligations you have. There are many strategies that could help you manage student loans efficiently. Here is a checklist. Choose a
Attempting to pinpoint market highs and lows may result in lower returns for investors. “Market timing” is the strategy of trying to predict when stock prices will rise and fall and attempting to buy low and sell high. While this seems to make sense in theory, it’s extremely difficult to pull off successfully. Trying to