By now, most folks are familiar with the advantages of saving for college through a 529 college savings plan. The State of Alabama passed similar legislation that allows people to save and invest on behalf of people with disabilities. It’s called the ‘Achieving a Better Life Experience Act’ with the nick-name ‘ABLE’ accounts. Here are […]
“A New Tax-Deferred Savings Plan”
“Smart Moves for Handling Debt”
In a perfect world, you’d be debt free. If you must borrow money for purchases, stay within following guidelines. These guidelines will allow you to meet your obligations and still leave you money for investments, charitable giving, vacations and other expenses. Debt Guideline #1: Your Total Debt Payment. Your total debt payments, including your mortgage […]
“Dealing with Debt: Part III”
Last week, I made the case that inappropriate debt was perhaps the single greatest roadblock to financial success and financial freedom for most people. The topic was the misuse of credit cards along with solutions for dealing with credit card problems. This week I’ll continue the debt discussion with three additional common debt traps. Debt […]
“Debt: Life’s Biggest Roadblock to Success”
When counseling couples who have financial problems, too much and inappropriate debt is almost always part of the root cause. Too much debt will make it very difficult for you to achieve financial independence. While it’s impractical to avoid debt completely, you should be able to maintain appropriate control of your debt. Years ago, a […]
“Thinking About Getting Married? Let’s Talk Money!”
The following is an excerpt from my soon-to-be-released “Couples Guide to Personal Finances”. After thirty-plus years advising hundreds of couples, it has become evident that when couples have problems, invariably, disagreement about finances is in the mix. Therefore, if you can solve the money equation, you can go a long way towards creating and keeping […]
“College Funding: Avoiding the Kiddie Tax”
Reader Question: Our daughter who turned 19 in January will start her sophomore year of college in August. Last year we used $5,000 from HER mutual fund and were hit with a $1,000 tax bill. We want to avoid that this year, can you give us advice on the best way to pay college expenses […]
“Smart Strategies for Your IRA- Part I”
When most people think of their IRA account, they think of it as part of a nest egg for their retirement but they don’t give a lot of thought regarding strategies for maximizing the effectiveness of their IRA. For example, many retirees postpone tapping their IRA until they are required to do so at age […]
“Smart Strategies for Your IRA- Part II”
Last week, I began this two-part series with three smart strategies for your IRA. To review those strategies, visit the Resource Center at www.WelchGroup.com and click on ‘Stewart’s Commentary’. Strategy #4: Split out multiple beneficiaries. Typically, a parent will name multiple beneficiaries such as children and grandchildren. Left unchanged, each of the beneficiaries must use […]
“Avoid This Costly IRA Rollover Mistake”
There are many reasons in the course of our lives that we might consider doing a retirement account rollover. And while we tend to think this is a routine matter, if done incorrectly, there can be huge negative financial implications. There are two ways to rollover a retirement account: Direct rollover. Whether it’s a 401k, […]
“The Greatest Gifts Really Are Free”
Friendship, love, a caring smile…are among the greatest free gifts we can give. What is truly rare is being able to give the gift of a better education to a young child who desperately wants the best education possible. And while it does cost money, it cost you nothing. Here to explain is my partner, […]