You’re suddenly rich. Now what? What’s the plan when you have a windfall? Through luck, inheritance, talent, or legal decisions, some people receive “sudden wealth” – a lump sum of money that is at least several times their annual income. Sometimes people think that the money will solve all of their problems. But if they [...]

Here’s a move that might prove useful for you and your spouse. Are you wondering how to make the most of your pension? If you’re thinking about which income option to take, maybe it’s time to think outside the box. Here’s why. When most retiring public service employees meet with a pension administrator and look [...]

Why are retirement plans often created assuming a 4% withdrawal rate? When retirement planners try to estimate just how much money a couple or individual should take out of their savings annually, their model scenarios often assume a 4% annual withdrawal rate. Why is 4% used so frequently? Was that percentage plucked out of thin [...]

A new perception has taken hold: “an independent financial advisor” is better. Times have changed – and so have financial advisors. Today, people don’t want financial advice from a salesman. Instead, they want a relationship with a financial professional who is candid, trustworthy and thoroughly educated, who provides personalized financial consulting for each client. That [...]

Two-thirds of us have no financial plan. 64% of Americans have no financial strategy at all. That’s right – no plan whatsoever to build wealth or keep it. That finding comes from the 2009 National Consumer Survey on Personal Finance conducted by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (The survey collected data from [...]