Financial Test Q&A: Investment Questions
Financial Test Questions and Answers Investment Questions When interest rates rise, the value of bonds: a. rise b. fall c. stay the same b) The market values of bonds…
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Is a Roth IRA Conversion Right For You?
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are part of a financially secure retirement for many people. Regular IRAs became popular in the 1980s and the Roth IRA was created in the late…
Read More Are You Laddering Your CD Maturities?
Shorter-term certificates offer more flexibility, but usually with lower rates. You could get higher rates with longer-term maturities, but what happens if rates go up even more? Choosing a combination of maturities can combine the best of both…
When Should You Consider Starting to Take Social Security Retirement Benefits?
The answer to that question is not necessarily simple. There are several factors to consider: What is your age? Do you plan to continue to work? How badly do you…
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Financial Test Q&A: General Questions
Financial Test Questions and Answers General Questions The inflation rate for the past 10 years has averaged: a. less than 3% b. about 5% c. about 7% d. about 10%…
Read More Financial Test Q&A: Retirement Questions
The average monthly Social Security retirement benefit for a retired couple is: a. about $900 b. about $1000 c. about $1400 d. more than $2000 d) In 2020, at…
Read More Financial Test Q&A: Income Tax and Estate Planning
Financial Test Questions and Answers Income Tax and Estate Planning Questions What is a living trust? a) A document that dictates life preserving wishes b) A trust established to…
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Does Your Adjustable Rate Mortgage Still Make Sense?
Adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) became very popular a few years ago (especially 2002 to 2005) because ARM interest rates, and resulting monthly payments, were significantly less than those found with…
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What Does “Probate” Mean?
The term “probate” is associated with estate planning and describes the legal process by which a decedent’s will is processed by a special court. An executor of the estate is…
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How Does Inflation Impact Your Finances?
For the past several years, inflation has been under control. The overall rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index has been averaging less than 3% in recent…
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How Long Will My Money Last?
Most financial and retirement planning efforts focus on analyzing how much money you will need at retirement or want to accumulate by a particular date. If you save enough on…
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Does Debt Consolidation Make Sense?
If you are like most Americans, your mail box is filled with offers for credit cards, mortgage refinancing and home equity loans. Many of those offers stress the benefits of…
Read More IRA or Roth IRA?
Individual Retirement Accounts can be part of the foundation of a financially secure retirement. For many years, millions of individuals have made annual contributions to IRAs or used them to…
Read More Do IRA and 401(k) Contributions Still Make Sense?
In almost every case, the answer is a resounding YES. Planning for a financially secure retirement is most often ranked as the number one reason why people save and invest. Social…
Read More How Well Are Your Stock Investments Doing?
Answering this simple question can be one of the most important things you do to help you reach your financial objectives. Unfortunately, getting the “right” and complete answer may not…
Read More What is a “yield curve” and what does it mean?
The term “yield curve” is often used in discussions of interest rates. At the simplest level, it is just a line on a graph that connects points reflecting current interest…
Read More Which Should You Do? – Contribute to an IRA or Participate in a 401(k) Plan
Ideally you should do both if you can afford it. Having enough funds to afford the retirement lifestyle you desire is an important goal for many. IRAs and 401(k)…
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Should You Worry About Credit Identity Theft?
Yes. A recent story in the news indicated that identity theft has become the most common financial crime faced by individuals. Con artists have become more brazen and more creative…
Read More Can $6,00 IRA Contributions Really Add Up?
A wise person once said that humans tend to over-estimate what they can accomplish in the short-term and under-estimate what they can accomplish in the long-term. This holds very true…
Read More Can I Ever Lose Money With a U. S. Government Bond?
With any type of bond or fixed income investment, there are two types of risk to consider – default risk and interest rate risk. With U. S. Government bonds, there…
Read More How Are Mutual Fund Investments Taxed?
Mutual funds offer many benefits such as diversification, professional management and convenient purchase options. However, the income tax issues associated with mutual funds can be confusing. Generally, owning equities through…
Read More How Should I Measure the Performance of My Portfolio?
Gauging the results of your investments should be part of your total investment strategy. If you are doing well, keep doing what you are doing. If your results are not…
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What Is The Best Way To Save For College?
What Is The Best Way To Save For College? Save often. Start early. Earn good returns on your savings. Take advantage of any tax saving strategies that may be…
Read More Should You Borrow From Your 401(k) Plan?
Most 401(k) retirement plans allow participants to borrow from their accounts within the retirement plan. This source of funds can be helpful if you need money, but is not always…
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Should you refinance your home mortgage?
Housing costs are one of the largest components of most household budgets. With interest rates changing so frequently, you should periodically determine whether refinancing at current interest rates would save…
Read More How Much Can I Expect to Receive From Social Security During Retirement?
The Social Security System has become a visible political as well as financial issue. The system was started in the 1930s to provide a secure source retirement income and other…
Read More Understanding Tax Brackets
Situation I was thinking about income taxes and am a bit confused. The accountant said that my husband and I paid about 17% in tax but said that we were…
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