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Welcome to our research center! We've put together a library of information on important financial topics that we believe you'll find helpful.
Simply click on one of the general financial topics below and you'll find a selection of easy-to-understand information sheets about related financial concepts and strategies. This information is updated regularly to reflect the latest facts, figures, legislation, and economic trends.
Simply click on one of the general financial topics below and you'll find a selection of easy-to-understand information sheets about related financial concepts and strategies. This information is updated regularly to reflect the latest facts, figures, legislation, and economic trends.
Cash Management
What Are Some Tips for Managing My Money?
What About Financial Aid for College?
How Does Inflation Affect Me?
What Advantages Does a Biweekly Mortgage Offer?
How Do Money Market Mutual Funds Work?
How Can I Better Manage My Short-Term Cash?
Is a Home Equity Loan or Line of Credit Right for Me?
What Is a Reverse Mortgage?
What Are Some Smart Ways to Refinance?
How Long Will It Take to Double My Money?
What Cash Management Tools Are Available?
What Savings Alternatives Are Available?
Estates & Trusts
What Are the Pitfalls of Probate?
How Can My Gift Benefit Me and the Charity?
How Can I Benefit from a Charitable Lead Trust?
How Can I Benefit from a Charitable Remainder Trust?
How Can I Control the Distribution of My Estate?
What Key Estate Planning Tools Should I Know About?
What Gifting Strategies Are Available to Me?
How Will I Pay Estate Taxes?
What Is the Best Form of Property Ownership for Me?
How Can I Benefit from a Wealth Replacement Trust?
How Can a Living Trust Help Me Control My Estate?
How Can I Build and Preserve My Estate?
Could My Family Benefit from a Family Limited Partnership?
Can I Benefit from an A-B Trust?
What Is the History of the Federal Estate Tax?
Investing
What Is Asset Allocation?
What Are the Different Classes of Assets?
What Do Bond Ratings Mean?
What Is a Bond?
What College Investment Options Do I Have?
What Is Dollar-Cost Averaging?
What Investment Risks Should I Know About?
What Types of Bonds Are Available?
What Is an Exchange-Traded Fund?
What Is a Mutual Fund?
529 Lesson Plan: High Scores for 529 Plans
What Are Zero-Coupon Bonds?
What Is a Closed-End Fund?
What Are Dividends?
What Is Diversification?
What Is a Mutual Fund Load?
What Is an Annuity?
How Can I Save for My Child’s College Education?
What Is a Stock Index?
How Do Mutual Funds and Stocks Differ?
What Is the Difference Between a Fixed Annuity and a Variable Annuity?
What Stock and Bond Investing Alternatives Do I Have?
How Are Annuities Taxed?
What Is a Bond Ladder?
How Are Mutual Funds Taxed?
What Is Stock?
How Are Common and Preferred Stocks Different?
How Are Growth and Value Stocks Different?
Retirement
What Is a 401(k) Plan?
What Is an Indexed Annuity?
How Should I Manage My Retirement Plan?
What Are My Retirement Planning Options?
What Is a Roth IRA?
Save Now or Save Later?
What Is a Self-Employed Retirement Plan?
What Is a Traditional IRA?
Will Social Security Retire Before You Do?
What Is an IRA Rollover?
What Is a Roth 401(k)?
What Is a Profit-Sharing Plan?
What Is a Money Purchase Pension Plan?
What Is a 1035 Exchange?
What Is a SEP IRA?
What Is a SIMPLE?
What Is a 403(b) Plan?
Why Do People Buy Annuities?
What Is a Split-Annuity Strategy?
What Are Annuity Living Benefits?
Unforgettable Birthdays
How Much Do I Need to Save?
What Are My Retirement Plan Distribution Options?
How Can I Estimate My Future Social Security Benefits?
Should You Bank Your Retirement on Your Business?
What Does the Changing Pension Landscape Mean for Retirement?
Risk Management
How Can I Extend My Liability Coverage?
Do I Need Disability Income Insurance?
Do I Need a Business Owner Policy?
How Can I Determine the Financial Strength of My Insurance Company?
What Is the Difference Between an HMO and a PPO?
How Can I Insure My Future?
What Is Last-Survivor Life Insurance?
Am I Prepared for Long-Term Care Expenses?
How Can I Maximize My Insurance Benefits?
What Does Medicare Cover?
How Can I Protect My Home?
What Is Split-Dollar Life Insurance?
What Is Term Life Insurance?
What Is Universal Life Insurance?
What Is Variable Life Insurance?
What Is Whole Life Insurance?
Why Purchase Life Insurance?
What Is Property and Casualty Insurance?
Why Are Annuities Considered an Insurance Product?
What Are the Main Types of Auto Insurance?
What Are the Basic Types of Life Insurance?
How Likely Am I to Need Long-Term Care?
What Types of Health Coverage Are Available?
What Is Disability Income Insurance for Business Owners?
What Is Life Insurance for Business Owners?
How Do I Make a Property Insurance Claim?
Tax Planning
When Must Taxes Be Paid on IRA and Employer-Sponsored Retirement Funds?
What Is a Required Minimum Distribution?
What Are the Tax Benefits of Charitable Trusts?
How Much Money Can I Put Into My IRA or Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan?
How Can I Keep More of My Mutual Fund Profits?
What Is the Capital Gain Tax?
What Is the Estate Tax?
What Is the Gift Tax?
What Is Tax Deferral?
What Is the Most Tax-Efficient Way to Take a Distribution From a Retirement Plan
How Can I Benefit from Tax-Advantaged Investments?
Is There Such a Thing as a Tax-Free Investment?
What Tax Deductions Are Still Available to Me?
How Can I Upgrade My Insurance — Tax-Free?
What Tax-Advantaged Alternatives Are Available?
What Is the Tax History of the United States?
What Happens If I Withdraw Money from My Tax-Deferred Investments Before Age 59½
December
HOT TOPIC: The Shutdown is Over: What Now?
Balancing Life in the Sandwich Generation
Beneficiary Designations: Who Gets the Money?
Closed-End Funds May Offer Higher Income
Life Insurance for Two
Unpacking the Real Limitations on Unlimited PTO
November
HOT TOPIC: Will Tax Law Changes Impact Your Giving Strategy?
Are You Prepared for the High Cost of Dying?
What Happens to Your Time Horizon at Retirement?
Navigating Medicare Open Enrollment
Consider Roth for Tax-Free Income
Avoiding Probate with a TOD Deed and TOD Account
October
HOT TOPIC: The Fed Lowers Rates in an Economic Balancing Act
Life Insurance Might Help During Turbulent Economic Times
How Has SECURE 2.0 Affected 401(k) Plans?
Three Ways to Help Build Financial Resilience
Could Employee Ownership Be Part of Your Succession Plan?
Grocery Games: Strategies to Help Stretch Your Food Budget
September
HOT TOPIC: Mining Maelstrom: Why Rare Earths Are Making Headlines
Consider Munis for Tax-Free Income
Navigating Financial Conversations with Aging Parents
Voluntourism: A Vacation That Makes a Difference
Mega Backdoor Roth: A Tax-Friendly Retirement Strategy for Serious Savers
Why Renters Should Have Their Own Insurance
August
HOT TOPIC: What’s in the New Tax Legislation?
Have You Set a Retirement Savings Goal?
Buying a Condo? Focus on the Financials
Investing with Market Cap in Mind
How Savers and Spenders Can Meet in the Middle
Home Appliance Economics
July
HOT TOPIC: Buffett Takes a Bow: 7 Lessons from an Iconic Investor
Will You Pay a Medicare Surcharge?
Fine-Tuning with Sector Funds
Peer-to-Peer Payments Are Popular, but Be Careful
Individual Bonds vs. Bond Funds: What’s the Difference?
Important Tax Breaks for Pass-Through Businesses
June
HOT TOPIC: Moody’s Downgraded U.S. Debt — Does It Matter?
Versatile 529 Plans Can Help with More than Just College
Life Insurance in Retirement
Catch Up for a More Comfortable Retirement
Look Out for Observation Care
Convertible Bonds Straddle the Line Between Fixed Income and Potential Growth
May
HOT TOPIC: Tariffs Drive Market Volatility
ETFs Are Closing the Gap with Mutual Funds
Debt After Death: What Happens to Debt When Someone Dies?
Playing Fair: New Consumer Protections for Airline Passengers
QLACs: Your Retirement Accounts Can Act Like Pensions
Concerned About Cyberattacks? The Threat Is Real
April
HOT TOPIC: Tariff Turmoil: The Makings of a Stock Market Correction
Are You Missing the Bull’s-Eye with a Target-Date Fund?
Breaking Down the Numbers: The Soaring U.S. National Debt
Cancer Happens: Insurance Can Help Fortify Your Finances
Traditional or Roth Contributions? Think It Through for Future You
The Four-Day Workweek: Is It Destiny or a Distant Dream?
March
HOT TOPIC: Tariffs: How They Work and Potential Economic Effects
Key Retirement and Tax Numbers for 2025
Accounts for Two: A Team Approach to Retirement Savings
Phased Retirement Can Help Smooth the Transition
Could There Be a Shift from Growth to Value?
Read a Good Beige Book Lately?
February
HOT TOPIC: The Social Security Fairness Act Increases Benefits for Millions
Three Market-Moving Economic Indicators to Watch
Financial Safety Nets: Exploring Available Sources of Emergency Funds
What’s New for 2025?
Indexed Annuities: Potential for Growth with Some Downside Protection
Is Tip Fatigue Wearing You Out?
Estate Planning
Estate Taxes
Loans & Credit Cards
Car Affordability
Credit Card Debt
Home Affordability
Lease Payment
Loan Payoff
Mortgage Acceleration
Mortgage Refinancing
Retirement & Inflation
Working While Collecting Social Security Benefits
Cost of Retirement
Impact of Inflation
Retirement Plan Early Distribution
Retirement Portfolio Lifespan
Required Minimum Distributions
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