Far too many people die without having a will to help dispense their assets after their death. In fact, according to recent studies, almost 70% of Americans die intestate — i.e., without a last will and testament. When you’re assembling an estate plan, a last will and testament should be at the top of your [...]

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I’ve always been fascinated to learn how professional athletes handle their finances after their playing days are done. Sadly, many such athletes squander their fortunes and wind up with little more than a huge pile of debt. Whether they survive on a pension, develop new entrepreneurial skills, or find themselves in financial ruin, there are [...]

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Whether they’re invested in the stock market or in a passbook savings account, many Americans are feeling frustrated these days. The reason? The economy bounces up and down but never seems to gain any traction or go any higher.
The stock market soars in the year’s first quarter, then gets jittery over Europe and dives in [...]

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I routinely write about financial rules of thumb for building wealth and making your money work for you. Without fail, I’m met with comments that argue, “Those rules only apply in certain cases” or “That’s only the case if certain assumptions hold true.”
Certainly, financial rules of thumb don’t work 100% of the time, and situations [...]

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If you’re a healthy adult in your 50s, it may be hard to think of yourself needing long-term care. But that’s just when you should be thinking about it, say long-term care insurance industry experts. The cost of long-term care insurance rises yearly as you grow older.
If you’re going to buy a policy to protect [...]

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I have long contended that, at its most fundamental level, keeping a household’s finances in the black has much in common with operating a profitable business. In both cases, you have to try to generate the greatest revenues, while at the same time keeping expenses in check. It’s not rocket science or brain surgery. In [...]

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Despite high unemployment and lingering financial turmoil from the recent recession, American workers continue to earn pay raises each year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical worker earned an average pay raise of 1.9% last year, and they are on tap to earn a similar raise in 2012.
These annual pay raises will [...]

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New Years resolutions usually involve losing weight, quitting smoking, etc. Instead, this year use your resolutions to help put your financial house in order. Doing that won’t help you fit into that pair of skinny jeans or improve your breath, but it will fatten up your wallet and improve your financial outlook. Here are five [...]

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This is a guest post from Jessica Ward.
It happens to many of us: we design a lean, mean budget, but over time, like a worn-out rubber band, it begins to lose its pull. Sure, it’s still there and still performing its duty, but it isn’t the well-tuned machine it used to be. You might have [...]

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As I write this, I’m sitting in the living room of my childhood home. My dad has been experiencing some fairly serious age-related health issues, so I took some time off to come home and help out for a few days. Unfortunately, he’s at a point where my mom can’t care for him entirely on [...]

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