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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.

Short-term cash management instruments can help you establish a sound cash management program.

Here are some smart ways to refinance your home.

Biweekly mortgage payments can have a dramatic effect on the amount of interest homeowners have to pay.

There are numerous investment alternatives available to help provide liquidity.

It's important to understand the options, such as financial aid grant programs, when having to pay for college.

Shifting some debt to a home equity loan, which typically allows interest payments to be tax deductible, could have its advantages.

Money market funds can be a highly liquid and effective cash management tool.

The probate process can be lengthy and complex. There are strategies you can use to help avoid the probate process.

If you haven't taken steps already, consider planning now for the distribution of the assets of your estate.

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.

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of different gifting strategies available for planned giving.

One estate planning strategy that families with closely held businesses could consider is the family limited partnership.

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

It’s important to understand mutual fund loads, or sales charges, and exactly what they entail so you can make informed investing decisions.

An annuity is a flexible financial vehicle that can help protect against the risk of living a long time because it provides an option for a lifetime income.

The labels growth and value reflect different approaches that can be used when making investment decisions.

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.

Mutual fund taxes can be cumbersome, but there are ways to help mitigate the amount of taxes you may owe.

Starting to invest early for college and remaining consistent can help investors reach their goals.

Both fixed and variable annuities could be appropriate options for an individual interested in purchasing an annuity.

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

Before investing in stocks, it is important to understand some of the basics and the risks involved in owning stocks.

Dollar-cost averaging involves investing a set amount of money on a regular basis, regardless of market conditions.

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

It is important to understand how dividends (taxable payments to shareholders) fit with your long-term goals.

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.

There are several funding methods for a child's college education including mutual funds and Section 529 plans.

Bond ratings gauge a bond issuer’s financial ability to repay its promised principal and interest payments.

There are other ways to invest in stocks and bonds besides owning individual shares or bonds.

Bonds are issued by many entities and share many characteristics, each type of bond has certain benefits and risks.

If you start saving for retirement sooner, the more money you are likely to accumulate and possibly retire sooner.

Employer-sponsored retirement plans are more important than ever, but managing the assets can be confusing.

Living benefits can help protect variable annuity owners from running out of money in retirement.

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

If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might consider a traditional IRA.

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.

A Section 1035 exchange is a tax-free exchange of an existing annuity contract or life insurance policy for a new one.

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

There are a variety of retirement planning options that could help meet your needs. Here are some of the most popular.

An indexed annuity may provide some upside potential and downside protection.

Qualified Roth IRA distributions in retirement are free of federal income tax and aren’t included in gross income.

Annuities, an insurance-based financial vehicle, can provide many benefits that retirement investors might want.

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

While stable, CDs can create an income tax bill. Fixed annuities and municipal bonds can offer tax advantages.

It's important to understand tax-exempt vehicles when establishing a comprehensive tax planning strategy.

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

With traditional IRAs and most employer-sponsored retirement plans, taxes are not payable until funds are withdrawn.

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.