Blog

The unprepared widow: five shocking truths

While nothing can prepare you emotionally for losing your spouse, your most generous gift to yourself is to be prepared financially – regardless of your financial status.

Focus on what you can control

Are you so wrapped up in big picture challenges that you’re overlooking things in your life that you can control?

The Dow and You

How much do you really know about the Dow?

What Makes a Good Life?

A fascinating new study published by Affective Science asked nearly 4,000 people from 9 countries (including the U.S.) what kind of life they wanted. The results suggest that there’s an important dimension to improving Return on Life that many of us may be overlooking.

Finding a hobby in retirement

If you’re retired, or thinking about retirement, and still see too many blank time blocks, by asking yourself these three questions you might discover a new hobby you can add into the mix.

Building your vacation bucket list

Now is the time to get your family together and ask these three key questions.

How to take money out of your IRA or 401(k)

We know that, under normal circumstances, if we decide to withdraw funds from an IRA – where we contributed pre-tax dollars – we’ll have to pay the income taxes on the amount withdrawn. But what else?

Involving Family with Philanthropy

Whether your family decides to give back through volunteering, philanthropy, or some combination, your charitable plans will affect your financial plan as well. Learn more.

Navigating life’s transitions by rewriting your story

If you feel like your story has lost some of its most important plot threads, use this three-step method to find a new happy ending.

Supporting widows on Father’s Day

Whether a woman is newly widowed or lost their spouse years ago, days like Father's Day are rife with complicated and difficult emotions. How can you support them?

Smart retirement: in pursuit of tax-free income

Keeping taxable income low has benefits beyond just minimizing your tax burden and making Roth conversions attractive. It can also affect the “combined income” calculation that determines how much of your Social Security benefits are taxable.

How to use your HSA account as a retirement medical fund

Whether HSAs are used to cover unplanned medical expenses in pre-retirement or the medical costs that come with aging, they provide a double benefit: not only are they valuable as an emergency medical fund, but the value is compounded by being tax-advantaged.