Newsletters

Forty-three percent of Americans spent more time planning their most recent vacation than planning for their retirement.1
1 AARP, 2008

Will you outlive your retirement income?  How much liability insurance should you have? Should you add stocks to your portfolio?  Are your financial expectations for the coming year realistic?

Our financial newsletters are designed to provide helpful information on a wide variety of financial topics.  Simply click on one of the newsletter topics below to read the article in its entirety.

  • March

    HOT TOPIC: Sum of All Fears: Are Risk Aversion and Greed All in the Mind?
    Do you change your investment strategy as the markets go up and down, or do you stay the course? As difficult as it may be, staying the course is usually the more advisable approach — but research shows that you may need to defy your brain to do it.

    Pursuing Both Growth and Value
    Maintaining a balance of growth and value investments may help investors add a new dimension of diversification to their portfolios.

    Don't Let a Disability Cripple Your Family's Finances
    One way to help protect against the financial ruin that a disability can bring is through disability income insurance.

    Working for Social Security
    There's nothing wrong with wanting to work in retirement, but if you decide to earn some extra income, make sure you understand how it will affect your Social Security benefits.

    A Simple Way to Help Your Family
    A letter of instructions, while not a legal document, can help your family cope during a difficult period by providing information that has no place in a will.

    Most Recoveries Are Announced Months After They Begin
    Because it can take so long for the National Bureau of Economic Research to determine when a recession began or ended, people who delay financial decisions until they are certain a recession is over are at a disadvantage because they may be operating on old information.

  • February

    HOT TOPIC: Does the Estate Tax Have a Future?
    For the first time since 1915, the federal government has no law in place to tax large estates when they are transferred to heirs. But will Congress allow the estate tax repeal to stand?

    Are You Making These Cash Mistakes?
    With interest rates at historic lows, what should you do with the money you save?

    Patching the Alternative Minimum Tax
    The future of the AMT is uncertain, yet it is important to consider the possible effects of the AMT on your tax situation.

    Tips for Healthy Life Insurance
    If you are about to retire or have recently entered retirement, it's a good time to consider whether your current life insurance policy meets your needs.

    What Does a Fed Chairman Do?
    The Federal Reserve plays an important role in our economy, and the chairman is its most visible player. His behavior is a good source of clues about what the future may hold.

    Don't Forget the World
    If your portfolio doesn't include some global equities, it may be missing a key dimension.

  • January

    HOT TOPIC: What's Ahead for 2010?
    Economists expect the economy to grow by a respectable 3% in 2010, but they don't hold out much hope for the employment situation. What else can investors and consumers expect from the coming year?

    Are Target-Date Funds Off Target?
    Target-date funds are not for everyone, so it's important to gather all the facts.

    The Benefits of Social Security
    Take this quiz to assess how much you know about Social Security benefits.

    Love and Marriage and Retirement
    More than 80% of married couples 45 to 72 say they don't agree on when they should retire, what their retirement lifestyle should look like, or whether they will work in retirement.

    Beware the Better-Than-Average Effect
    Economists have found that, on average, people tend to believe that their own lives are improving at a faster rate than most everyone else's.

    When Tea Leaves Won't Do
    Economic indicators can be a good source of clues about trends, but it takes experience and skill to interpret their meaning.

  • December

    Hot Topic: 2010: The Year of the Roth Conversion?
    Starting in 2010, anyone, regardless of income, can convert retirement plan assets to a Roth IRA.

    An Extra Layer of Protection
    Umbrella liability insurance can help protect a family from the financial ruin that a civil liability trial could bring.

    Getting the Right Mix
    Asset allocation is the process of dividing investment dollars among asset classes that often behave differently in different market cycles.

    New Year: Check and (Re)balance
    Even if people have become jaded about making new year's resolutions, it shouldn't stop them from doing what they need to do to accomplish their financial goals.

    Mark Your Calendar
    Once we approach the end of our working years, birthdays take on a renewed importance.

    Ready or Not, You're Retired!
    In 2009, 47% of retirees left the workforce earlier than they expected.

  • November

    HOT TOPIC: Investors Flock to Bond Funds, But What Happens When Rates Rise?
    Investors are on track to invest 11 times more money in bond funds in 2009 than they will invest in stock funds. This is not surprising, considering the market volatility in 2008, but are these investors operating on false assumptions about the capabilities of bond funds?

    Home Equanimity
    The contraction of the housing market has caused many people to take a second look at the way they view their homes.

    The Measure of a Life
    One way to help mitigate the financial blow of the loss of a head of household is through life insurance.

    Playing Catch-Up with Contributions
    Something as simple as increasing your contributions to tax-advantaged retirement programs can go a long way toward helping you pursue your long-term financial goals.

    Measuring the Jobs Situation
    Many people understand that a rising jobless rate is one of the hallmarks of a shrinking economy. But the national unemployment rate does not always reveal a complete picture of the jobs outlook.

  • October

    HOT TOPIC: Moving Forward from the Credit Crisis
    On Monday, September 15, 2008, the country awoke to news that three of the nation's largest financial institutions were unable to survive without help. Now, more than a year after that fateful September day, the economy shows signs of stability.

    Estate Conservation You Can Trust
    Trusts are popular estate conservation tools that can help facilitate the smooth transfer of estate assets and maintain the family’s privacy.

    Retirement Countdown in a Down Market
    The process leading up to retirement should begin years beforehand to help protect portfolio assets in the event that the markets are affected by unfavorable economic conditions.

    Fixed Annuities May Offer Stability
    A source of guaranteed income may help remove some of the uncertainty associated with retiring when the financial markets are fluctuating.

    Get Ready for Earnings Season
    Earnings can provide a key to understanding the performance of an individual company and the behavior of the stock market in general.

  • May

    HOT TOPIC: Don't Risk an IRA Rollover Mistake
    A rising unemployment rate means more people face an important decision about what to do with the money in their former employer’s retirement plan. Fortunately, an IRA rollover can help, but only if it's done correctly.

    A Question of Identity
    Not only is identity theft costly, it can also be a major hassle that affects a person’s credit score for years. The key to preventing ID theft is awareness.

    Exchange-Traded Funds Can Be for Conservative Portfolios, Too
    If you avoided ETFs because they were predominantly composed of stocks, the growing availability of bond ETFs might warrant a second look.

    Recapping Market Capitalization
    The blurring of lines between large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap companies is an indication that it may be time to evaluate whether your portfolio holdings have shifted toward or away from your investment objectives.

  • April

    HOT TOPIC: The Fed Plans to Spend Trillion or More to Spur Growth
    For the first time in a generation, the Federal Reserve has undertaken a campaign to influence long-term interest rates, a departure from recent monetary policy that has focused almost exclusively on short-term rates.

    Never Too Old—or Too Rich—to Consider Life Insurance
    There are many possible reasons to consider owning life insurance, even if you have convinced yourself that it's no longer necessary in your situation.

    Avoid the Timing Trap
    Market timing is a risky approach that could have a significant effect on a portfolio’s long-term performance.

    Income Now or Later
    Immediate and deferred fixed annuities are insurance products that could help retirees safeguard some of their nest eggs and provide a steady income stream throughout retirement.

    Defend Your Retirement from Inflation
    Over long periods, inflation can pose a significant threat to quality of life for retirees, primarily because it reduces the purchasing power of their retirement incomes.

    Separate Your Business from Your Portfolio
    Allocating too much of your investment capital to one company — even your own — is a risky proposition.