Our Commentary

  Reader question: I am very anxious to learn if a Living Trust can be used in Alabama. If possible, I’d like to use this strategy for leaving my assets to my two children when I pass on. I have been told it is a way to also avoid probate. Can you help? M.C. Answer: I believe what you are referring […]

  I’m mad. Met Life recently announced a 58% increase in premiums on my long-term care insurance. 58%! Genworth Financial, John Hancock and other companies have had similar premium increases while other companies have simply quit writing these policies altogether. These types of policies typically give the insurance company the right to raise premiums, not on an individual policyholder, […]

  CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 television program recently aired an investigative report on charities that take in millions and pay out pennies to the intended beneficiaries. So where do the millions end up?  Unfortunately the bulk of the money is going to the organizers and, in many cases, to the actual fund raisers…those annoying people who […]

  Reader Question: My husband and I need some advice regarding paying college tuition for our last two children and the expected engagement and wedding of our oldest daughter. Here are some of the specifics. We have five children, three have graduated from college and one of our two daughters is married. We have student loans that we […]

  “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”, or so the saying goes. But our Governor along with our state legislators have done just that for taxpayers with the passage of the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013. Here’s the deal: You can receive a State of Alabama income tax credit of up to half of your […]

Whether you are a nearlywed or a newlywed, building a solid financial future will be an important step towards building a marriage that will last a lifetime. In my thirty-plus years of working with families on their personal finances, when a marriage fails, money is more often than not a contributor. By setting good habits now, you’ll […]

  Two forces are coming together to make folks who own bonds or bond funds wonder just how safe is their money. The first most notable is the $18 billion municipal bond default and bankruptcy by the city of Detroit. The second is the rising interest rates over the last few months that have negatively affected bond […]

  Reader question: I would like to ask your advice about what you recommend I do with some cash I have been holding onto. I have $150,000 in the bank in a money market bank account. I have a good bit in two separate 401k’s – one about $220,000 and the other $250,000, with about $350,000 […]

  Reader Question: I have had an (non-qualified) annuity since 1980. Not needing the income from this annuity, the interest has been added back into the account. At this time the interest far exceeds the original principal. I am retired; however, I do not need this income for daily living expenses at this time. I realize that income […]

It is estimated that over six million U.S. citizens live abroad…meaning that it’s likely that you know an American citizen whose primary residence is in a foreign country.  Reasons for choosing to live abroad are varied including job opportunity or simply the chance to experience another culture. Packing up and moving to another country is a […]