13 Aug Avoiding Probate
Probate is the process of proving the validity of a will and supervising the administration of an estate usually in the probate court. State law governs the proceedings in the...
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12 Aug Should You Consider Tapping the Equity in Your Home?
With home values skyrocketing recently, your home may be one of your largest assets. Using home equity to help finance other financial objectives is a strategy many people consider, but...
12 Aug Preparing for a Natural Disaster
Most areas in the United States are susceptible to some form of natural disaster, whether it's a wildfire, tornado, hurricane, earthquake, or flood. A severe storm or other catastrophic event...
11 Aug Do You Have a Will?
A 2021 Gallup poll found that only 46% of U.S. adults have a will — similar to the results of other Gallup polls over the last 30 years. It's not...
10 Aug Food Inflation: What’s Behind It and How to Cope
As measured by the Consumer Price Index for food at home, grocery prices increased 3.4% in 2020, a faster rate than the 20-year historical average of 2.4%.1 More recently, food inflation...
10 Aug Three Things to Consider Before Buying a Vacation Home
The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to a surge in demand for vacation/second homes — mainly spurred by government shutdowns and stay-at-home advisories. Whether working remotely, attending...
09 Aug Inflation Cuts into Wage Gains
Driven by labor shortages, median hourly wages increased at an annual rate of 5.2% in December 2021, the highest level since June 2001. However, inflation cuts into buying power, and real...
16 May Working While Receiving Social Security Benefits
The COVID-19 recession and the continuing pandemic pushed many older workers into retirement earlier than they had anticipated. A little more than 50% of Americans age 55 and older said...
13 May New Businesses May Be Good News for the Economy
After taking a nosedive at the start of the pandemic recession (gold shaded area), business applications rose sharply, peaking in July 2020. Applications have fallen somewhat since then but are...