Ask the Experts
Our resident financial experts provide in-depth analysis on personal finance matters.
Can Early Retirement Reduce the Cost of Taxes?
It’s smart for you to be thinking about the impact of taxes on your retirement assets. Taxes can make up a significant cost of investing. And at least for wealthier Americans, income and investment-related taxes which are at historic lows are scheduled to increase.... Continue reading »
Pay Off Mortgage Debt with Retirement Savings?
Ideally, your mortgage would be paid off upon retirement simply because your income is likely to drop, you’ll have less flexibility to boost your employment income if necessary, and to avoid the stress of mortgage payments. But life can get in the way of such... Continue reading »
Why Co-Signing is a Bad Idea
I am sorry to hear about what happened. You were trying to help a loved one and it worked against you. Unfortunately, this story is not uncommon. Many financial professionals advise against ever co-signing a loan, except possibly in the case of parents trying to help a... Continue reading »
Will my Social Security Benefits be Reduced?
The Social Security Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) is just one example of how financial planning for a public sector worker can differ from his or her private sector counterpart. The WEP effectively reduces your Social Security benefits if you worked for an... Continue reading »
Say it in Your Will
It is estimated that only 30 percent of Americans have a will, and most of those are 50 or older. Maybe it’s easy to understand why younger people don’t go to the trouble: who wants to think about their own death? And if you don’t have a lot of money anyway, why... Continue reading »
What Are Bubbles?
Financial bubbles have always been part of investing. Here are a few more bubbles for your list: the South Sea Bubble in 1720, the British Railway Bubble in the 1840s, the Florida Real Estate Bubble in 1926, and far too many more to list. A financial bubble occurs when there... Continue reading »
