News & Articles
Dollars and Sense: A Blueprint for Prioritizing Bills
If it feels like there’s never quite enough to cover everything, you’re not alone. A quarter of American households are living paycheck to paycheck, according to Bank of America—making it harder than ever to stay on top of monthly bills. With inflation stretching budgets thin, many people are facing impossible choices about which expenses to cover now and which must wait. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, these key strategies can [...]
How Income Taxes Work
Taxpayers and businesses spend an estimated 7.9 billion hours a year complying with tax-filing requirements, which is worth $413 billion in economic value just to comply with tax regulations.1 As complex as the details of taxes can be, the income tax process is fairly straightforward. However, the majority of Americans would rather not spend time with the process, which explains why half hire a tax professional to assist in [...]
Three Key Questions to Answer Before Taking Social Security
Social Security is a critical component of the retirement financial strategy for many Americans, so before you begin taking it, you should consider three important questions. The answers may affect whether you make the most of this retirement income source. When to Start? You have the choice of 1) starting benefits at age 62, 2) claiming them at your full retirement age, or 3) delaying payments until age 70. [...]