financial planning: Planning for Big Purchases During Retirement - 02/28/12 03:08 AM

Retirement is the ultimate reward for a hard work and smart financial planning during your working years. However, it may not be a comfortable and stress-free time if you have not ensured yourself enough money for big-ticket purchases and other unexpected expenses (on top of everyday expenses) during retirement.
Financial planner Jeff Rose offers his tips in today’s Equifax Finance Blog on how to prepare your retirement strategy to include big purchases and other expenses during retirement.
Rose points out three keys for a stress-free retirement:
1. Have a 401(k) or similar retirement savings plan.
2. Invest in mutual funds.
3. … (2 comments)

financial planning: Are You Paying Too Much for Insurance? - 02/15/12 09:24 AM

When was the last time you reviewed your insurance policy? It may have been a while, since it’s probably one of the last things you want to do once your work week is over. But it can offer you great peace of mind to know you, your family and your business are properly covered. If it has been a while, you may be missing out on saving money by changing to a new or updated policy.
Today’s Equifax Finance Blog post by insurance agent Linda Rey offers good advice for reviewing your policy.
Take inventory of your life. Do you have … (0 comments)

financial planning: What are the 10 things you should ask a financial planner? - 03/15/11 05:35 AM
When interviewing a potential financial planner it is alright to be a little tough (remember these people are handling your money and investments).
Retirement expert Roger Wohlner shares the top ten things you should be asking when hiring a potential financial planner:

1. Will my assets be held at an independent third-party custodian?Will I receive account statements directly from them?
 
2. Do you have experience working with clients whose situation and advice needs are similar to ours?
 
3. How do you communicate with your clients?
 
4. How are you compensated? Do you receive any compensation based on … (2 comments)

financial planning: Procrastination Ruins New Year's Financial Resolutions - 01/20/11 04:38 AM
Do you know the history behind the tradition of New Year's resolutions? I read on my colleague Linda Rey's blog today that New Year’s Day was established to honor Janus, the god of Roman mythology who, with his two faces, looked back on past events as well as forward into the future. The Romans made resolutions that had mostly a moral flavor. 
Today, all resolutions have good intentions, but sometimes they don’t last far into the future. Have you been dragging your feet on your New Year's resolutions? It's only the end of the first month of the year, but already people have … (1 comments)

financial planning: Roll Over Your 401(k) to an IRA and Take Control of Your Retirement Planning - 01/11/11 01:57 AM
With record unemployment rates, many employees are confronting the decision of how to handle the funds in their 401(k) plan when they leave their present employment. It's a tough spot to be in. You've been saving for years for a retirement that may look very different than you thought it would. 
The solution for most people, according to retirement expert Dan Solin, is to roll over your 401(k) into an IRA. Of course, this isn't a no-brainer. When it comes to creditors, 401(k)s offer better protection, while the protection afforded by IRAs varies by state. Still, he says, rolling over your 401(k) … (1 comments)

financial planning: My New Year's Financial Resolutions - 01/07/11 02:02 AM
Once the New Year begins, it’s all about the ghost of credit card bills to come. And they’ll be showing up in your mailbox in the next couple of weeks.
It feels so good to give, but after the holidays are over, it’s time to rein in your spending and set some new financial goals. I always make some New Year’s financial resolutions, and then at the end of the year I look back to make sure I’m on track with my spending, saving, and charitable giving.Here are the two financial resolutions I make every year: save more and spend less. … (1 comments)

financial planning: Checklist for Buying Funeral Insurance - 12/16/10 04:23 AM
According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the average funeral cost is now $6,560. Do you have that kind of cash available? If you don’t have life insurance to pay for final expenses, insurance earmarked for a funeral or burial can help direct the money according to your wishes.It's not a fun subject to consider, but insurance expert Linda Rey explains that funeral insurance can make a big difference at a very difficult time for a family. State laws allow funeral home directors to sell pre-need insurance to those who want to plan their funerals. The funeral director writes the policy, files … (1 comments)

financial planning: Tax Withholding Roulette: Plan Now to Save Money for April 18 - 12/15/10 01:04 AM
I recently heard about a man who’s been claiming “married with nine exemptions” all year. He needed the cash. He just submitted a change to single with 0 exemptions at the beginning of November to catch up. Is that a good idea? Uh….No!
Tax expert Eva Rosenberg explains why tax withholding roulette isn't such a good idea in the long run. Rosenberg says most companies require about ten to fifteen days to change your withholding status. The change you submit in November won’t become effective until December. Perhaps one or two payroll checks will reflect the higher withholding—not the four checks you … (2 comments)

financial planning: Maximize Your IRA Benefits With An Inherited IRA - 12/14/10 12:37 AM
Whenever people start to talk about IRAs and estate planning, you can almost see the numbness come over an audience. I can understand why confronting your own mortality comes well behind the name of the latest contestant to be kicked off Dancing with the Stars on the interest scale.But one aspect of IRAs is genuinely exciting, because it permits you to take a humdrum, modest IRA and turn it into a huge windfall for your heirs. It’s very easy to achieve this goal. Just leave an IRA to a beneficiary of your choice.This advice comes from Dan Solin, author of The Smartest … (2 comments)

 
Ilyce Glink, Best-selling author, award-winning TV/radio host. (Think Glink Media)

Ilyce Glink

Best-selling author, award-winning TV/radio host.

Chicago, IL

More about me…

Think Glink Media

Office: (847) 242-0550



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