Don't get me wrong. I'm 100% in favor of the idea of financial planning. And I have nothing but respect for the fee-only fiduciary advisers who do it right. It's just that some people view going through a traditional financial planning session with

Retirees can no longer rely on outdated rules to generate sufficient retirement income. According to the American Academy of Actuaries, a couple who both attain age 65 will have a 50% chance of having one spouse living into their 90s. That means reti

Few adults would go without auto, home, life or health insurance. But the kind of insurance that protects against the risk of running out of money in old age is still greatly underutilized. It's called a deferred income annuity or a longevity annuit

Remember back to your elementary school days when your teacher passed out the "What's Wrong with the Picture" test. Your job was to scan the page to, find those items that were either missing from or not supposed to be in the picture. It looked so

If you've never said, "I do," or live on your own and don't have any children, you probably think you don't need life insurance. Most people may not realize that life insurance can provide benefits well beyond paying for funeral expenses. You'll wan

If you've been thinking about buying a rental house, then today's story will be of special interest as it is advice from a tenant on how to be a better landlord. Motion Graphics Artist Andrew Benninghoff, 34, and his two roommates live in North Holl

"When should I take Social Security?" I may hear that question more than any other. It's often followed by a related question: "If I start taking Social Security at 62, I'll collect earlier but I'll receive a smaller amount. If I wait, I'll collect

There's no doubt that earlier this year, many retirees I met with were in panic after the government shutdown. Even worse, economists have been warning the country could sink into a full-on recession before too long. With the recent swings in the Dow

Retirement may mean that you've stopped working, but it doesn't mean that you're finished with worrying about taxes. Many people think that when they get to retirement, they'll be in a lower tax bracket. But the reality is that taxes in retirement c

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently approved a consumer-friendly package of Best Interest Rules that require brokerage firms to disclose potential conflicts of interest when giving financial guidance to consumers. The new requireme

In estate planning, giving away assets during your lifetime has traditionally been used to help lower estate taxes when you die. However, the federal estate tax exemption amount (the amount under which federal estate taxes do not apply) is currently

Millennials, such as myself, seem to be known the world over for our poor choices, efforts to alter certain cultural norms, or collusion to shutter industries single-handedly. Another bad reputation we receive involves our seemingly perpetual proble

Saving and investing for short, medium or long-term goals involves a series of trade-offs to design an appropriate asset allocation. Important to creating that asset allocation is understanding your risk tolerance and how it can evolve over time. Ri

When the stock market took a dive in 2008, plenty of people thought their portfolios were well protected against anything too dire. After all, they had carefully made sure they had a diversified lineup of investments, as nearly everyone recommended.

My grandmother used to teach us crazy songs. I have this memory of sitting in the back of her Subaru with my brother when I was just 7 or 8 years old belting out, "Nobody likes me. Everybody hates me. Guess I'll go eat worms!" Of course, crazy songs

Each autumn, the fruits of the harvest fill the shelves of local groceries and farmers markets, a colorful reminder of the many nutritional benefits of fresh produce. But growing produce offers equally sustaining, though perhaps less visible, benefit

While Hurricane Dorian continues to batter the U.S., staying safe and finding food, water, shelter and other necessities will be the top priorities for those directly affected by the storm. Eventually, however, many hurricane victims will also have t

Susan, a referral from a colleague, is a recent widow. She called and wanted to know my thoughts on using her late husband's life insurance proceeds to pay off their mortgage. On the surface this seems like a reasonable idea, however, I didn't want

Those who have been investing long-term know that the market can challenge even the most seasoned professional. Volatility, coupled with the uncertainty of what's next, can lead many to question why they invest in the market at all. Oftentimes, in

Let's face it: The stock market is infuriating. Valuations are high, global growth is slow, and President Donald Trump's trade war with China has brought elevated volatility to stocks. Meanwhile, bonds, the only sensible alternative, are at near-reco