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Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.

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.

The difference between purchasing an individual stock versus shares in a mutual fund to potentially earn dividends.

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

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

Some of the pros and cons of whole life insurance.

Term life insurance differs from permanent forms of life insurance in that it offers temporary protection.

Variable life insurance gives you the control to allocate your account value among a variety of investment options.

Several factors could undermine the financial security provided by the proceeds of your life insurance policy.

To help you choose insurance wisely, determine how much coverage and what kind of policy is best for your situation.

The odds of needing long-term care increase as you age. Prior planning can help protect you from financial ruin.

Using a financially sound insurance company is an important part of ensuring your family’s financial security.

Knowing the basics of a disability income insurance policy is a good first step toward protecting your family.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Many traditional tax-advantaged investment strategies have gone away, but there are still some alternatives.

An A-B trust can be an effective way to help reduce estate taxes and preserve family assets for heirs.

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

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

A designated income beneficiary could receive payment of a specified amount from a charitable remainder trust.

Careful estate planning is still one of the most important ways to manage and protect your assets for your heirs.

Charitable lead trusts are designed for people who would like to benefit a charity now rather than later.

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.

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.