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

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

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

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.

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

Life insurance can be used to help preserve the value of your estate for your heirs.

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

A wealth replacement trust could be used to gift appreciated assets to a charity as well as provide for heirs.

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

Sole ownership, joint tenancy, tenancy in common, and community property have special benefits for property owners.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

Allocating too much of your retirement investments to one company, even your own, can be a risky proposition.

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

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.

Profit-sharing plans give employees a share in the profits of a company and can help to fund their retirements.

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

The SIMPLE plan may appeal to small business owners as it is easy to set up, administer, and allows for a tax deduction.

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.

Greater demand is being placed on the Social Security system as the baby boom generation has begun to retire.

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

A SEP IRA is a type of plan under which the employer contributes (up to a certain limit) to an employee’s IRA.

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

IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to annual contribution limits set by the federal government.

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.

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.