By definition, estate planning is a process designed to help you manage and preserve your assets while you are alive and to conserve and control their distribution after your death according to your goals and objectives. But what estate planning means to you specifically depends on who you are.
Getting married is exciting, but it brings many challenges. One such challenge that you and your spouse will have to face is how to merge your finances. Planning carefully and communicating clearly are important, because the financial decisions that you make now can have a lasting impact on your future.
Over time, the value of your home has grown and your mortgage balance has been reduced (or even eliminated). The equity (the property’s value minus any liens against it) you now have in your home is a reservoir of funding potential. You may decide to tap into it for various purposes, such as remodeling your home, paying off high-interest loans or credit card debt, buying a car, or sending your child to college.
When you refinance your mortgage, you take out a new home loan and use some or all of the proceeds to pay off the existing one.
For millions of Americans, group health insurance offers affordable quality health care. To get the most from this valuable benefit, you need to understand what you have, how lifestyle changes can affect your coverage, and what to do if your coverage doesn’t meet your expectations.
Investing involves setting goals for the future and weighing the risks and potential rewards associated with a wide variety of investment opportunities. If you are a new investor, this might seem like an overwhelming task.
You’ve identified your goals and done some basic research. You understand the difference between a stock and a bond. But how do you actually go about creating an investment portfolio? What specific investments are right for you? What resources are out there to help you with investment decisions? Do you need a financial professional to help you get started?
If you’re new to investing, you may encounter some unfamiliar jargon. Understanding the following terms may help you become amore confident investor.