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Historically, one of the best ways to fight the effects of inflation has been to utilize growth-oriented investments.

There are a number of savings alternatives that could help you earn a reasonable rate of return.

A sound cash management program uses a disciplined approach: accounting, analysis, allocation, and adjustment.

Before making investment decisions, it is helpful to determine the real rate of return on the investment.

There are numerous investment alternatives available to help provide liquidity.

A living trust can help control the distribution of your estate upon death.

To retain the tax advantages associated with charitable giving, your gift must be made to a qualified organization.

Wills and trusts allow you to spell out how you would like your property distributed, but they also go beyond that.

If you believe your estate will be subject to estate taxes, consider how your heirs will pay the bill.

There are five broad asset classes that you should take into consideration when constructing your investment portfolio.

Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.

Understanding different types of investment risk can help investors manage their money more effectively.

Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.

A bond is simply evidence of a debt from a government entity or a corporation and represents a long-term IOU.

An important element to successful investing is to manage investment risk while maintaining the potential for growth.

529 plans are tax-advantaged savings plans that generally allow people of any income level to contribute.

A mutual fund is a collection of stocks, bonds, and other securities with certain benefits and risks.

The difference between purchasing an individual stock versus shares in a mutual fund to potentially earn dividends.

ETFs have unique attributes and attempt to track all types of indexes, industries, or commodities.

Many realize it’s important to save for retirement, but knowing exactly how much to save is another issue altogether.

The Social Security Administration’s retirement estimator gives estimates of your future benefits based on your actual Social Security earnings record.

When receiving money accumulated in your employer-sponsored retirement plan, you have two options: lump sum or annuity.

401(k) employer-sponsored retirement plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.

Tax-deferred retirement plans for self-employed individuals have higher contribution limits than IRAs.

A Roth 401(k) is funded with after-tax money, and allows for tax- and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings if requirements are met.

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for those persons age 65 and over. But what does it cover?

Term life insurance differs from permanent forms of life insurance in that it offers temporary protection.

When selecting a life insurance policy, examine all your options, as well as the positives and negatives of each type.

There are three basic types of medical insurance plans: fee-for-service, managed care, and high-deductible health plan.

To help you choose insurance wisely, determine how much coverage and what kind of policy is best for your situation.

The odds of needing long-term care increase as you age. Prior planning can help protect you from financial ruin.

If you have a family who relies on your income, it is important to have life insurance protection.

If you were to suffer an illness or disability that required long-term nursing care, would you be covered?

There can be a substantial benefit to deferring taxes as long as possible.

Consider a trustee-to-trustee transfer to an IRA versus a lump-sum distribution from a workplace retirement plan.

Many traditional tax-advantaged investment strategies have gone away, but there are still some alternatives.

Required minimum distribution is the annual amount that must be withdrawn from a qualified retirement plan/account.

Tax-deferred retirement account withdrawals before age 59½ generally trigger a 10% federal tax penalty.