Inflation Tracker: What Costs Less – And What Remains Stubbornly Expensive
The Wall Street Journal has put together a price tracker of common items many Americans buy monthly. Click here to see prices of items that matter to you.
You Need an Emergency Fund!
Have you ever had one of those months? The water heater stops heating, the dishwasher stops washing, and your family ends up on a first-name basis with the nurse at urgent care. Then, as you're driving to work, you see smoke coming from under your hood. Bad things happen to the best of us, and sometimes it seems like they come in waves. That's when an emergency cash fund can come in handy. One survey found that nearly 25% of [...]
Wise Decisions with Retirement in Mind
Wise Decisions with Retirement in Mind Certain financial & lifestyle choices may lead you toward a better future. Some retirees succeed at realizing the life they want; others don’t. Fate aside, it isn’t merely a matter of investment decisions that makes the difference. There are certain dos and don’ts – some less apparent than others – that tend to encourage retirement happiness and comfort. Retire financially literate. Some retirees don’t know how much they don’t know. They end their careers [...]
How U.S. Savings Bonds Work
How U.S. Savings Bonds Work How to keep track of your savings bonds’ maturity dates. Did you buy U.S. Savings Bonds decades ago? Or did your parents or grandparents purchase them for you? If they’re collecting dust in a drawer, you may want to take a look at them to see if any of your bonds have matured. If your bonds have matured, that means they are no longer earning interest, and it also means you may want to consider [...]
The Need for Power of Attorney
The Need for Power of Attorney POAs and other advanced directives are becoming more important The point of the POA. A power of attorney (POA) is a legal instrument that delegates an individual’s legal authority to another person. If an individual is incapacitated, the POA assigns a trusted party to make decisions on his or her behalf. There are nondurable, springing, and durable powers of attorney. A nondurable power of attorney often comes into play in real estate transactions, or [...]