What Are Required Minimum Distributions?

May 31, 2011

One of the realities of tax-deferred retirement accounts is the required minimum distribution (RMD). The RMD is the amount that you have to withdraw from your tax-deferred traditional IRA, 401k or other account each year. Your RMD is figured based on the balance in your IRA at the end of the previous year. If you [...]

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Thank You To Those Who Have Given Their Lives On This Memorial Day

May 30, 2011
Memorial Day

Memorial day has always been one of those strange days for me. One where I’m filled with gratitude for the sacrifice that our fighting men and women have made, but at the same time the day is tinged with sadness. It’s sad that they had to give their lives, or make such sacrifices – and [...]

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Vanguard Becomes More Attractive To Newer Investors As They Cut Fund Minimums To $1000 For Many Popular Funds

May 24, 2011
Vanguard Cuts Fund Minimums

Vanguard became more attractive to newer investors as they announced cuts to their fund minimums for a wide range of their more popular funds.

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3 Things You Need To Do Before You Retire

May 23, 2011

Many of us look forward to retirement, excited to live the life we have imagined, and ready to put down some of the burdens of work. (For some, a working retirement is actually preferred.) However, before you retire, it’s important to plan ahead to make sure that you are ready when the time comes. Before [...]

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How To Stay On Top Of Your Credit Situation By Getting Free Credit Scores And Reports

May 19, 2011
Free Credit Scores And Reports

Staying on top of your credit situation is more important than ever. Here are a variety of ways to get your credit scores and reports free of charge.

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TIPS: Inflation Protection For Your Portfolio

May 16, 2011
Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS)

If you want to add a little more stability to your portfolio while keeping pace with inflation, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS) might be a workable solution.

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Ally Bank Investigates Possibility Of Buying ING Direct from ING Group

May 11, 2011
Ally To Buy ING Direct?

Ally Bank is currently in talks with ING Group about the possibility of buying it’s US online banking group, ING Direct for somewhere near $10 billion

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Financial Perks Contractors Can’t Take for Granted

May 9, 2011

In the world of employees with stable jobs and benefits, there is a lot that can be taken for granted. The self-employed, home business owners, contractors and freelances, though, can’t take many of these benefits for granted. Indeed, before leaving their jobs, they often neglect to think about the value of the benefits they receive [...]

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Now That Bin Laden Is Dead, Will Anyone Get The $27 Million Dollars In Reward Money?

May 3, 2011
Osama Bin Laden Reward

A couple of days ago we all heard the news that Osama Bin Laden had been found living in a mansion in a village called Abbottabad, merely 30-40 miles from the capital city of Islamabad, Pakistan.  Our military, once it had been confirmed that Bin Laden was there, swooped in and killed Bin Laden after [...]

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The Importance Of Having Health Insurance As A Contractor Or Freelancer

May 3, 2011
Health Insurance Coverage

For many self-employed contractors working in the wake of the housing bubble, the idea of having medical insurance for themselves is seen as a splurge and an unaffordable luxury. This is especially true if a spouse is insured through work and the children are covered; most contractors see no problem roughing it out through sickness [...]

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Withdrawing From Your Retirement Account: Loans And Hardship

May 2, 2011
Retirement Account Withdrawal

At some point, you might end up in a situation where you feel like you need to withdraw money from your retirement account. You might have come up against some unexpected hardship, and need the money, or you might want the money for an education, or to help with the down payment on a home. [...]

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