Calculating your net worth is easy, and a valuable exercise. Here’s how.
Estate Planning
Why the Rich Aren’t Good at Giving
Three quarters of mega gifts go to charities that do comparatively little good and are laced with personal benefits, one expert finds.
The New Retirement: Why You Don’t Have to Pay Off Your Mortgage
The new breed of retiree sees low mortgage rates as an easy source of cash to boost income through rental properties and dividend-paying stocks.
Big Brother: How the Obama Budget Helps Ordinary Savers (at Some Risk)
Obama’s budget would give workers without a tax-favored savings plan at the office automatic access to an IRA. That is among other details in the budget that affect your pocketbook.
Obama’s Budget Would Cap Tax-Advantaged Savings
New IRA limits target the wealthy. But this may be just the start of a raid on America’s nest eggs.
7 Ways Taxpayers are Readying for Fiscal Cliff
Time is running short for year-end tax moves, and it now seems clear that any money-saving maneuvers must be based on what’s likely—not what’s certain.
6 Ways Adding a Trusted Child to Your Bank Account Backfires
Outliving your child is a gut-wrenching experience. It’s even worse when you’ve put their name on your financial accounts and owe tax on what you “inherit.” Here are 6 reasons to leave your accounts in your own name and get a …
Compound Interest? Huh. Investors Flunk Key Financial Literacy Test
Dodd-Frank financial reform mandated a study on what Americans understand about investments. The results weren’t pretty.
Why Higher Future Tax Rates are Certain but Won’t Matter
An important part of retirement planning is estimating your future tax rate. Most financial planners assume tax rates will go up in the future. But while that may be true it doesn’t necessarily mean the amount of tax you pay …
Wealth Transfer? Boomers Banking on a Mirage
Under-saved boomers have long believed that a tremendous generational transfer of wealth will save their retirement. Estimates have put the expected bequest from boomer parents at $10 trillion to $30 trillion. Well, don’t count on it.
How to Give Heirs What They Most Want (It Won’t Cost Much)
An enduring legacy of the financial crisis has been a clear shift in personal values—away from materialism and toward relationships and experiences. Born out of need, this national (if not global) rethinking of what is most important has had remarkable staying power even as the economy has started to improve.
How to Get the CFPB to Address Your Most Pressing Money Needs
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is testing a new website that it hopes will answer all your money questions in the near future. Here’s your chance to let them know what you need most.