News

Back to School Bonus: Interest Rates Drop on Federal Student Loans

Families with students heading off to college this fall take note: The interest rates on all newly-issued federal loans have been reduced for the coming academic year — but those reductions are much more pronounced for student borrowers than for their parents.1 For instance, the interest rate on Stafford subsidized and unsubsidized loans for undergraduates…

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Millennials: On Investing and Retirement

Move over Baby Boomers. These days all eyes are on Millennials, those young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 who are now America’s largest living generation.1 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Millennials in the United States number more than 75 million — and the group continues to expand as young immigrants enter…

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Will Debt Hinder Your Retirement Outlook?


The number of Americans in or nearing retirement who are still holding significant mortgage, auto, even student loan debt has been rising in recent years. According to recent data released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the average 65-year-old borrower has 47% more mortgage debt and 29% more auto debt than 65-year-olds had…

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Planning 2016: New Realities, New Expectations

Financial resolutions often fall prey to the same procrastination that hinders personal aspirations. Yet current volatility in the financial markets along with other unsettling factors such as the impending presidential election and widespread geopolitical unrest may have led investors to pause, rethink their financial situations, and set new expectations for the future. Resolutions typically fall…

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Budget Deal Curbs Social Security Claiming Options 


On Monday, November 2, 2015 President Obama signed into law H.R. 1314, the “Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015.” One significant byproduct of the legislation is the elimination and/or curbing of two Social Security filing strategies that two-income married couples may have been using — or counting on — to increase their lifetime Social Security payouts.…

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Three Year-end Tax Reduction Tips

Even though April 15 now seems a distant deadline for filing your 2015 tax returns, in order to take advantage of some of the biggest tax reduction strategies, you have to act before the end of this year. Without further ado, here are three “go-to” maneuvers that you may want to execute by December 31.…

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How Might Rising Interest Rates Affect Your Stock Investments?

The Federal Reserve’s actions can have a marked influence on the economy and financial markets. For instance, some market analysts believe that the Fed’s massive, multi-year bond-buying program coupled with a record-setting period of near-zero interest rates fueled the six-year bull market for stocks. Now investors are awaiting news of when — and by how…

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Few Cost of Living Adjustments for Retirement and Health Plans for 2016

The IRS has released the cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) affecting dollar limitations for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), defined contribution and other retirement-related items for tax year 2016. In general, most limits will remain unchanged for 2016 because the increase in the cost-of-living index did not meet the threshold that would trigger their adjustment. The table below…

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When Changing Jobs, It Pays to Keep Track of Your 401(k)

Americans are on the move, not only in their leisure pursuits, but in their jobs as well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 38% of U.S. workers change jobs every year. If your employment situation changes, do you know what your choices are for managing the money in your 401(k) account? Generally, workers…

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