Our Commentary

Most people could benefit from financial advice but, in many cases, they simply don’t know where to go to get sound advice and they don’t want to find themselves in the middle of a sales pitch.  Look no further than the free 2016 Alabama Money Expo being held on Saturday, March 5th at Carver High […]

Reader Question:  According to information on www.BankRate.com, investors can earn higher interest rates on their savings and money markets by banking on-line than they can earn at local banks. For example, Synchrony Bank pays 1.25% on a one-year CD. Is there any risk in doing this?  G.H. Answer:  No, just be certain your bank is […]

Last week I fielded a question from a reader about the perils of contingent beneficiary designations.  This week I received a phone call from a prominent estate planning attorney recommending I discuss the pros and cons of using ‘Payable-on-Death’ (POD) agreements which are being used more and more by brokerage firms and banks.  These agreements […]

Reader Question:  I have named two family members as beneficiaries in equal shares on my portfolio. I was advised to also name contingent beneficiaries. Will you explain what a contingent beneficiary is and what might happen if none are named? Also, I have named a different family member as POD on my savings accounts. Should […]

While the door has closed on many tax moves for 2015, several opportunities are still available for the savvy planner. Individuals Traditional IRA– You can contribute up to $5,500 to a Traditional IRA (and so can a non-working spouse!).  If you were age 50 or older last year, you can add an additional ‘catch-up’ contribution […]

Companies with 401k plans are increasingly offering employees a Roth investment option in addition to the regular (tax deductible) 401k.  With the Roth option, you don’t receive an income tax deduction and your money grows tax deferred just like your regular 401k investment.  However, at retirement, withdrawals from a Roth are tax free, whereas regular […]

It’s been a while since I’ve written a column espousing the advantages of using a college 529 plan to help fund a college education.  Recently I had a reader contest where I asked readers to submit their best money saving ideas to jump-start 2016.  One reader, Linda W., focused on this topic and it was […]

In my column two weeks ago, my colleagues provided 10 tips for jump-starting your finances for this year.  In this week’s column, readers have offered their own favorite ideas: For one month, I put all of my change in a jar.  For the month of December, I collected $46.16.  Linda M.  My comment: Congratulations, Linda!  […]

Take a moment to reflect on this past year.  What are some accomplishments that make you feel particularly happy?  Are there areas that you feel you could have done much better if you’d given them more focus?  Michelangelo famously said, “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high […]

Yep, the holidays are a busy time of year full of distractions that can easily draw you away from your financial game plan.  You do have one, right?  Here is a basket of tips from my colleagues at Rhinosure to give you a head start on your finances for 2016.  There’s even an opportunity for […]