Blog
Articles

Our goal is to keep you, your family, and your friends up to date on everything from finance to health care. We strive to help you make the most informed financial decisions to help you achieve financial success, so you can enjoy everything life has to offer. That’s what our blog is for!

How Legal Settlements and Fees Are Taxed

How Legal Settlements and Fees Are Taxed

Let’s say you are involved in a serious auto accident. You may sue the other driver to pay for damages not covered by the insurance companies. Perhaps you even receive a large settlement. Are you on the hook for taxes on that lawsuit payout? It depends. According to the IRS, monies received for personal injuries or illness are exempt from income taxes. If you receive a settlement for mental and emotional distress, that may also be tax exempt if it is directly related to a physical injury or illness.

Balancing “Real Life” With Caregiving

Balancing “Real Life” With Caregiving

During 2020, more than 65 million American women provided unpaid care for their children, family members, and elderly relatives. It’s easy to imagine that many of them likely juggled caring for a combination of these types of dependents. If you’ve ever provided ongoing caregiving duties for a parent, partner, child, sibling or someone else, you may recognize common feelings of being overwhelmed, exhausted, out of your depth and even somewhat resentful — and then feeling guilty.

Retirement Makeover

Retirement Makeover

Many babies born today in the developed world are expected to live nearly 100 years. Given the vast changes over the past two decades in medicine, technology and the ways we work, communicate and even entertain ourselves, it’s almost hard to imagine how different life will be in 100 years.

A Shot for Economic Improvement

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the ongoing distribution of vaccines combined with the latest government stimulus is expected to jumpstart economic activity in the U.S. However, projections for sustainable growth are not equitable among various countries and business sectors. Faster and more effective vaccination deployment across the world is critical. The OECD emphasizes that global recovery is key.

What the Stimulus Could Mean for Investors

Millions of Americans have embraced the new relief money resulting from the $1.9 trillion America Rescue Plan. They’ve been able to pay for utilities and put food on the table. Those who maintained their jobs have embraced the payout as well, but for different reasons. For them, it’s not about survival, it’s about ways to spend that lovely windfall. It’s also about jumpstarting the economy right about the time people can get back out and find work.

Annuity Insights

The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) – a trade association for the retirement income industry – advocates annuities as a vehicle that can help provide retirees income, guaranteed by the insurer. The organization has been actively educating and lobbying legislators to expand annuity access as part of employer-sponsored retirement plans. Under this scenario, whatever portion the investor contributes to an annuity option in his 401(k) would be eligible for distribution throughout his lifetime based on an estimated calculation of life expectancy.

Retirement Planning Insights

Amid lost jobs and a scaled-back economy in 2020, some workers may have decided to retire earlier than planned. There are a couple of Social Security strategies worth considering in this scenario. First, if both spouses are over age 62, determine if you can make ends meet by taking only one Social Security benefit while letting the other benefit accrue to a higher level. It may be better to let the higher earner’s benefit accrue untapped as long as possible.

How Demographics Affect the Economy

Back in 2019, economists claimed that the large population of older Americans dubbed the “silver tsunami,” was creating a drag on the economy. The fear was that Americans were aging toward retirement at a faster rate than young adults were entering the workforce. Not only does this put a strain on our finance-as-we-go Social Security and Medicare programs, but a smaller workforce is less able to drive economic growth in the future.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

Categories

Th Top 10 Things to Consider When Preparing For Your Retirement Guide

Top 10 Actions When Preparing For Retirement

Planning for retirement income may seem like a daunting task, but can help you get a handle on preparing for your financial future.

How Legal Settlements and Fees Are Taxed

How Legal Settlements and Fees Are Taxed

Let’s say you are involved in a serious auto accident. You may sue the other driver to pay for damages not covered by the insurance companies. Perhaps you even receive a large settlement. Are you on the hook for taxes on that lawsuit payout? It depends. According to the IRS, monies received for personal injuries or illness are exempt from income taxes. If you receive a settlement for mental and emotional distress, that may also be tax exempt if it is directly related to a physical injury or illness.

Categories

The Labor Market in the Post-Pandemic Era

The Labor Market in the Post-Pandemic Era

According to the most recent Future of Jobs Report by the World Economic Forum, 50% of employees will need new skills training by 2025 as the pace of technological innovation continues to grow. Among business leaders, 94% say they expect employees to learn new skills while on the job, compared to just 65% who made that claim in 2018. However, the amount of time it takes to reskill will depend on the industry.

What’s Driving Oil Prices

What’s Driving Oil Prices

Oil prices are influenced by supply and demand, and 2020 was a great demonstration of this principle. With global and local shutdowns due to the spread of the coronavirus, there was less demand for products and services. While online shopping was up, foot traffic in stores languished and retailers suffered from reduced consumerism. Wholesale orders dropped, as did the need to transport them from manufacturers to distributors to vendors.

Increasing Tax Revenue Without Increasing Tax Rates

Increasing Tax Revenue Without Increasing Tax Rates

A recent article in The New York Times tackled the challenge of how the federal government can pay for its list of to-do items, such as nationwide infrastructure updates, investing in clean energy, ensuring every American has access to affordable health care, and paying down the massive $28.1 trillion in debt. The recommendation was simple: Don’t raise individual or corporate taxes — just collect was is owed under current rules and legislation.

A Shot for Economic Improvement

A Shot for Economic Improvement

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the ongoing distribution of vaccines combined with the latest government stimulus is expected to jumpstart economic activity in the U.S. However, projections for sustainable growth are not equitable among various countries and business sectors. Faster and more effective vaccination deployment across the world is critical. The OECD emphasizes that global recovery is key.

What the Stimulus Could Mean for Investors

What the Stimulus Could Mean for Investors

Millions of Americans have embraced the new relief money resulting from the $1.9 trillion America Rescue Plan. They’ve been able to pay for utilities and put food on the table. Those who maintained their jobs have embraced the payout as well, but for different reasons. For them, it’s not about survival, it’s about ways to spend that lovely windfall. It’s also about jumpstarting the economy right about the time people can get back out and find work.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

How Legal Settlements and Fees Are Taxed

How Legal Settlements and Fees Are Taxed

Let’s say you are involved in a serious auto accident. You may sue the other driver to pay for damages not covered by the insurance companies. Perhaps you even receive a large settlement. Are you on the hook for taxes on that lawsuit payout? It depends. According to the IRS, monies received for personal injuries or illness are exempt from income taxes. If you receive a settlement for mental and emotional distress, that may also be tax exempt if it is directly related to a physical injury or illness.

Categories

Retirement Makeover

How to Plan for Old Age

Thelma Sutcliffe turned 114 years old in April, making her the oldest living American and the seventh-oldest person in the world, according to the Gerontology Research Group. The Omaha, Nebraska, resident attributes her relative good health and longevity to the fact that she never had children, never smoked, and made it a habit not to worry. It’s also a good idea to establish a plan that provides a confident retirement.

The Labor Market in the Post-Pandemic Era

The Labor Market in the Post-Pandemic Era

According to the most recent Future of Jobs Report by the World Economic Forum, 50% of employees will need new skills training by 2025 as the pace of technological innovation continues to grow. Among business leaders, 94% say they expect employees to learn new skills while on the job, compared to just 65% who made that claim in 2018. However, the amount of time it takes to reskill will depend on the industry.

What’s Driving Oil Prices

What’s Driving Oil Prices

Oil prices are influenced by supply and demand, and 2020 was a great demonstration of this principle. With global and local shutdowns due to the spread of the coronavirus, there was less demand for products and services. While online shopping was up, foot traffic in stores languished and retailers suffered from reduced consumerism. Wholesale orders dropped, as did the need to transport them from manufacturers to distributors to vendors.

Increasing Tax Revenue Without Increasing Tax Rates

Increasing Tax Revenue Without Increasing Tax Rates

A recent article in The New York Times tackled the challenge of how the federal government can pay for its list of to-do items, such as nationwide infrastructure updates, investing in clean energy, ensuring every American has access to affordable health care, and paying down the massive $28.1 trillion in debt. The recommendation was simple: Don’t raise individual or corporate taxes — just collect was is owed under current rules and legislation.

A Shot for Economic Improvement

A Shot for Economic Improvement

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the ongoing distribution of vaccines combined with the latest government stimulus is expected to jumpstart economic activity in the U.S. However, projections for sustainable growth are not equitable among various countries and business sectors. Faster and more effective vaccination deployment across the world is critical. The OECD emphasizes that global recovery is key.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »