More than 65 million Americans — about one out of three adults — provide care for someone who is ill, disabled, or aged.1 Although these caregivers are unpaid, the total value of their efforts is estimated at $450 billion annually — more than the value of paid home health care and more than the 2010 […]
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Interest rates have been exceptionally low for three years now — and are expected to remain so through the end of 2014, according to the Federal Reserve.1 Meanwhile, market volatility has been high. These are challenging times for risk-averse investors who want to improve their returns. If you are retired or approaching retirement, capital preservation […]
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Wouldn’t it be disappointing to dream about a comfortable retirement and then find yourself unable to enjoy your leisure years because of limited financial resources? Unfortunately, this is a possibility for people who underestimate retirement expenses and the rising cost of living. Evaluate Spending and Costs Although your expenses may change when you retire, […]
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International visitors to the United States spent a record $153 billion in 2011, an increase of 14% over 2010. That’s good news, but just as significant is the fact that the travel and tourism balance of trade produced a surplus of $42.8 billion — a historic high and a 35% increase over the previous […]
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A small business can adopt a number of business structures for tax and legal purposes. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Sole proprietorships, partnerships, and limited liability companies (LLCs) are fairly basic forms of ownership, whereas corporations are significantly more complex. There are two primary types of corporations in the United States. C […]
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The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index (LEI) is designed to assess the U.S. economic outlook for the next three to six months. Because the LEI is forward looking, businesses and investors may use it to help anticipate what could be ahead and make informed decisions. The LEI summarizes a large amount of economic data, […]
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Many people who inherit a tax-deferred IRA are confronted with a complex array of rules, restrictions, and deadlines that may make it difficult for them to determine how to proceed. Unfortunately, beneficiaries must often make binding decisions about inherited retirement assets before they may be prepared to do so. Of course, beneficiaries can liquidate inherited […]
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About half of retirees file for Social Security benefits when they first become eligible at age 62.1 The age to receive “full” Social Security benefits is 66 for workers born between 1943 and 1954. If you were born in this period and file for benefits at age 62, you would typically receive 75% of your full […]
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A recent study using data from 136 countries suggests that spending money for the benefit of others promotes a feeling of happiness in the giver.1 This may not be surprising to the many people who donate to charity. Almost three-fourths of charitable giving in the United States comes from individuals (see chart). Charitable contributions could also […]
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On June 28, 2012 — two years and two months after passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) — the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law by a vote of five to four.1Unless Congress takes further action, the provisions of the act currently in effect will remain so, […]
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