Our online newsletter, Four Bits, is published quarterly.

What’s the Correct Amount to Withdraw from Your Retirement Funds Each Year?

Rules of thumb and guidelines abound in every investment arena – you’ll always hear about specific percentages you should save, spend or invest based on where you are in life. They’re made to draw attention to specific investment needs everyone has, and for that reason, it’s good to have them. (more-->)

Insuring Your Vacation?  Make Sure You’re Actually Covered

High energy costs, a tough economy, you name it; there’s still plenty of travel delays and headaches in the skies and on the ground. Those delays can potentially cost a lot of money, which is why it’s a good idea to carry travel insurance on expensive trips to cover missed connections that can delay your arrival for a day or more. The same goes for lost baggage or sudden medical expenses in different regions of the U.S. or other parts of the world. (more -->)

Financial Planning For Newly Single Parents

After a divorce or the sudden death of a spouse, single parents have the twin challenges of adjusting to a new life and getting their child adjusted to it as well. The third challenge – getting money issues in order – can be a threat to both. (more -->)

How New College Grads Can Get a Jump on Financial Planning For a Lifetime

The average college graduate with a four-year degree now takes about five years to put on a cap and gown, and her average debt is growing too. According to 2006 figures from the Project on Student Debt, the average college I.O.U. was approaching $21,000. (more -->)

Traveling Smart During the Hot, Pricey Summer of ‘08

Summer is when we hope to get time off to relax. But with regular gasoline prices nearing $4 and energy prices pushing tourism expenses higher on everything from plane fare to meals out, paying for this year’s summer vacation might be a significant source of financial stress. (more -->)

To Retire or Un-retire? Ways to Consider the Question

An April, 2006 study by Zogby International and the MetLife Mature Market Institute found that a significant number of older Americans are revising their ideas about their post-career years. (more -->)

Foreclosure Investing May be On the Upswing, But it isn’t for the Squeamish

There’s that old saying that one person’s misfortune is another person’s happiness. But in these troubled times for the mortgage industry, those who consider investing in foreclosure properties should not only understand foreclosure and the importance of cash in the process, but the emotional element unique to this kind of investment.  After all, each foreclosure represents someone who has lost a home. (more -->)

Heading Back to School? Make a Plan First

A July/August 2006 story in AARP Magazine by noted workplace and career expert Rosabeth Moss Kanter pointed out that retirement-phobic mid- or late-career types might retreat to college campuses instead of the golf course to prepare for the next phase of their life. Why? They want to train for completely new careers in all-new professional fields or public service. (more -->)

Morningstar Market Update - 2008 Quarter 1

Financial markets saw many a chicken come home to roost in the first quarter of 2008. Investors and
institutions struggled with a continuing credit crisis that appears to be the worst since the savings
and loan debacle of the early 1990s. Download the full report (Morningstar08(Q1).pdf)

A Long-term Care Insurance Primer

As millions of Baby Boomers head into their retirement years, it’s surprising how few actually know that the government provides little more than a few weeks of financial support for home-based or nursing home care when the average person needs it for at least a year. (more -->)

How Not To Go Broke If Your Kids Move Back After Graduation

The after-college reality is much different from a generation ago. Two thirds of college graduates owe significant money after graduation. According to the Project on Student Debt, debt levels for graduating seniors with student loans from 1997 to 2007 more than doubled from $9,250 to $19,200 – a 108 percent increase. (more -->)

Estate Planning for the Worst Possible Scenario –The Death of Both Spouses While the Kids Are Young

The reason why some parents hesitate to make an estate plan is understandable.  It calls into consideration your worst fears – the possibility of your death or your kids facing life without one or the other parent. (more -->)

Are Immediate Annuities A Good Way To Preserve Your Retirement Savings?

One day, the market is up 400 points. The next day, down 300. Stocks in 2008 haven’t won any points for stability. In periods of market uncertainty, you’ll hear a lot about safe harbor investments that will supposedly guarantee income for life.  One of these alternatives is an immediate annuity. (more -->)

Most People Don’t Have Enough Disability Insurance ? Don’t Make That Mistake

Disability insurance protects your ability to earn an income. It provides money to pay your rent, mortgage and all your basic living expenses if you are injured or sick for an extended period. It is called disability Insurance or disability income protection but think of it as income replacement when you are sick or hurt and cannot work. At any age, you are about six times more likely to be disabled for some period of time than to die. (more -->)

Get A Head Start On Tax Planning For 2008

It’s still a month until most of us will file our 2007 tax returns, but it’s a good idea to keep in mind key tax changes that will affect our 2008 returns.  Here are some of the highlights: (more -->)

When Recession Fears Surface, Check Your Plan – Or Make One

It’s been a wild week on Wall Street. When trading reopened on Tuesday after the Martin Luther King holiday, the Federal Reserve Board responded to world pressure and swooped in with a rate cut to put a floor on Dow losses that were approaching 20 percent since last October. By today, things seemed to be stabilizing. (more -->)

Pay Close Attention to So-Called “Default” Investments

One of the provisions of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 was to allow companies to automatically enroll their employees in their companies’ 401(k) plans, but it wasn’t until last October that companies got guidance on the categories of investments they had to choose for their workers’ contributions. (more -->)

Morningstar Market Update - 2007
Investors did not lack for excitement in 2007. A full-blown credit crunch, a banking crisis of sorts,
interest rate cuts, a massive commodity rally, a plunging dollar, wild swings in stock and bond
prices, you name it. Download the full report (Morningstar07.pdf)

Legg Mason Market Update - Deember 2007

U.S. stocks declined modestly in December, wrapping up a disappointing quarter in which the S&P 500 declined 3.33%. This was the worst fourth-quarter performance for the index since 2000’s 7.82% decline, and represented only the fourth time in the last 25 years that the S&P 500 has posted a negative
return in the final three months of the year. Download the full report (LeggMasonDec07.pdf)

Try and Avoid These Stupid IRA Mistakes

Fortunately, Dec. 31 is not the final decision date for what we do with our individual retirement accounts – the final 2007 IRA contribution deadline comes on April 15 next year – but it’s a good time to review the do’s and don’ts of successful IRA management. (more -->)

A Family Mission Statement Can Keep Family Goals First and Money Squabbles at Bay

When rich families squabble over the family legacy, it becomes headline news. Witness the recent battle over the ownership of the Wall Street Journal between members of the Bancroft family. When approached by media titan Rupert Murdoch, various family members fought over whether to preserve the family legacy at the legendary daily business paper or take the money and run. Money eventually won. (more -->)

How Your Personality Affects Your Financial Decision Making

The recent volatility in the stock market has everyone a little jumpy – even folks who have worked with a trusted financial planner for years. But if you’ve never worked with a planner before, one of the first things he or she will do is make you fill out a risk analysis questionnaire. (more -->)

Subprime Crisis Yields Nasty Fund 'Surprises'

This Morningstar report from September 4, 2007 explores the implications of the subprime crisis on your investments. (Subprime.pdf)

Should You Consider an HSA?

The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (TRHCA) that went into effect this year made it a bit easier for both employers and their workers and self-employees to obtain Health Savings Accounts, a kind of IRA for health care expenses. (more -->)

Reverse Mortgages Require a Close Look

For many seniors, home equity is roughly 30-40 percent of their net worth.  If you and your spouse are both at least 62 years of age and have significant equity in your home, a reverse mortgage can turn that equity into tax-free cash without forcing you to move or make a monthly payment.  (more -->)

An All-Weather Strategy to Real Estate Investing

Despite some positive stirrings in real estate in various parts of the country, it’s wise to take cautious steps when strolling back into the investment property market that was so overheated just a couple of years ago.

A good first step is consulting with a tax or financial adviser, such as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, who can help you assess your own financial situation before you begin. Getting your own financial house in order first is critical. (more -->)