Prepare Now for a Year-End Investment Review
October 9, 2014  | By Kevin Smith

Getting organized for your year-end investment review with your financial professional may help make the review process more efficient. Here are some suggestions for making your meeting as productive as possible. Decide what you want to know One of the…Read More

Leaving Assets to Your Heirs: Income Tax Considerations
October 9, 2014  | By Kevin Smith

An inheritance is generally worth only what your heirs get to keep after taxes are paid. So when it comes to leaving a legacy, not all property is created equal–at least as far as federal income tax is concerned. When…Read More

Retiring and Relocating? Don’t Neglect State Taxes!
October 9, 2014  | By Kevin Smith

If you’re retired, or about to retire, you may be thinking about relocating to a state that has low tax rates or provides special tax benefits to retirees. Here’s a survey that may jump-start your search for a tax-friendly state…Read More

Deadline Approaching for Undoing a 2013 Roth IRA Conversion
October 1, 2014  | By Kevin Smith

If you converted a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA in 2013 and your Roth IRA has sustained losses, you may want to consider whether it makes sense to undo (recharacterize) your conversion. You have until October 15, 2014, to…Read More

What does a -1.62% decline in the S&P on September 25th tell you?
September 26, 2014  | By Kevin Smith

It seems that whenever the daily price change of the stock market exceeds plus or minus 1%, the news headlines provide us with an indication that we should panic or rejoice. As you can see in the chart of daily…Read More

What do insurance companies invest in?
September 24, 2014  | By Kevin Smith

It is important to keep in mind what insurance companies are actually investing in when considering the features of annuities and cash value life insurance contracts. According to a paper published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in April…Read More

Are you ready to retire?
September 19, 2014  | By Kevin Smith

Here are some questions to ask yourself when deciding whether or not you are ready to retire. Is your nest egg adequate? It’s obvious, but the earlier you retire, the less time you’ll have to save, and the more years…Read More

What factors could negatively impact my credit report?
September 18, 2014  | By Kevin Smith

Having a good credit report is important when it comes to personal finance, because most lenders use credit reports to evaluate the creditworthiness of a potential borrower. Borrowers with good credit are presumed to be more creditworthy and may find…Read More

10 Basic Tax To-Dos for the Rest of 2014
September 3, 2014  | By Kevin Smith

Here are 10 things to consider as you weigh potential tax moves between now and the end of the year. 1. Make time to plan Effective planning requires that you have a good understanding of your current tax situation, as…Read More

Some Things to Consider about Gifts to Children
September 3, 2014  | By Kevin Smith

If you make significant gifts to your children or someone else’s children, or if someone else makes gifts to your children, there are a number of things for you to consider. Transfers that are not taxable gifts There are a…Read More