About two-thirds of small-business owners fear that they are financially unprepared for retirement, yet one-third of small-business owners do not have any type of personal or business-sponsored retirement plan in place.1–2 If you are worried about your retirement prospects, it may be well worth the effort to divert a percentage of your earnings into a […]

Publicly traded companies are required to report their financial results to regulators and shareholders on a quarterly basis. Earnings season is the often-turbulent period during which most companies must disclose their successes and failures. An earnings surprise — whether profits come in above or below the stock market’s expectations — can have an immediate effect […]

The number of Americans aged 90 and older almost tripled between 1980 and 2010 and is expected to quadruple by 2050.1 This trend reflects the fact that life spans have been increasing steadily since 1900 (see chart). Of course, life expectancies represent the average number of years someone of a certain age is expected to live. You […]

The London Interbank Offered Rate, commonly known as Libor, has been in the news this year because of allegations that a number of banks tried to manipulate it during the 2007–2009 financial crisis. If you are not familiar with Libor, you may wonder what it is and how it might affect your own financial situation. […]

The beginning of the year is a time when many people reflect on the past and look forward to the future. It may also be a good time to review your beneficiary designations to make sure they reflect your current wishes. This is especially important if there have been changes in your life, such as […]

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been the subject of speculation and uncertainty since it was passed by Congress in 2010. Nonetheless, the law’s provisions have been enacted according to a specified timetable, and after surviving legal and political challenges, the ACA enters a pivotal phase of implementation in 2013. This may […]