by Jolaine Richmond | Dec 5, 2019 | Children, College
Raising kids is hard enough, so why not make things easier for yourself when it comes to saving for college? Ideally, you want a savings vehicle that doesn’t impose arbitrary income limits on eligibility; lets you contribute a little or a lot, depending on what...
by Jolaine Richmond | Nov 30, 2018 | Entrepreneur, Finances, Retirement, Small Business Owners
If you’re a small-business owner, you probably pour your heart, soul, and nearly all your money into your business. When it comes to retirement planning, do you cross your fingers and hope your business will provide the nest egg you’ll need...
by Jolaine Richmond | Nov 23, 2018 | Debt, Finances, Financial Savings, Investments
If you don’t know what happened to your money during the past year, it’s time to find out. December and January are the perfect months to look back at what you earned, saved, and spent, as W-2s, account statements, and other year-end financial...
by Jolaine Richmond | Nov 16, 2018 | Aging Parents, Estate, Family
Caring for your aging parents is something you hope you can handle when the time comes, but it’s the last thing you want to think about. Whether the time is now or somewhere down the road, there are steps that you can take to make your life (and theirs) a...
by Jolaine Richmond | Nov 2, 2018 | Children, College, Family, Planning
The College Board has released college cost data for the 2018-2019 school year in its annual Trends in College Pricing report. Here are the highlights: 4-Year Public Colleges (in-state students): Tuition and fees increased an average of 2.5% to $10,230...
by Jolaine Richmond | Oct 26, 2018 | Children, College, Financial Aid
For the 2019-2020 school year, the federal government’s financial aid form, the FAFSA, can be filed as early as October 1, 2018. It relies on current asset information and two-year-old income information from your 2017 tax return, which means you’ll...
by Jolaine Richmond | Oct 19, 2018 | Estate, Family, Planning
Tip: One key difference between a will and a living trust is when they take effect. A will takes effect when you die; a living trust takes effect when you execute it and begins to operate when you transfer assets to it. Do you have a will? A will enables...
by Jolaine Richmond | Oct 12, 2018 | Investments, Planning, Portfolio, Retirement
Until early 2018, stocks were enjoying their longest period without a five percent pullback in nearly 90 years.1,2 But in early February, that calm came to a sudden and decisive end, as the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell more than six percent during the first...
by Jolaine Richmond | Sep 21, 2018 | Estate, Heirs, Planning
Tip: One key difference between a will and a living trust is when they take effect. A will takes effect when you die; a living trust takes effect when you execute it and begins to operate when you transfer assets to it. Do you have a will? A will enables...
by Jolaine Richmond | Sep 14, 2018 | IRS, Tax Deductions, Taxes
Who among us wants to pay the IRS more taxes than we have to?¹ While few may raise their hands, Americans regularly overpay because they fail to take tax deductions for which they are eligible. Let’s take a quick look at the six most overlooked opportunities to...
