Travel Tips for the Elderly

One reason people look forward to retirement is because they’ll have time to travel. If you’ve only had enough vacation time for a few long weekends a year before, it’s exciting to be able to plan out a real weeks-long vacation. But travel is different when you’re older. Health and safety concerns that you never… read more

Student Loans — Your Options

Planning for college for yourself or a child? If you can’t pay cash for your education, part of your planning process will be finding loans, but there’s more than one kind of student lender. You’ll have to look at federal student loans provided by the government and at private student loans from banks, credit unions,… read more

Going Strong: Strength Training for Better Health, Longer Life

Our health and fitness focus for this month is all about strength training.  Benefits found in strength training include making you stronger, decreasing falls and  lowering your risk of injury. Beyond the obvious, it helps burn calories more efficiently, decreases abdominal fat, and improves heart health. Basically, there’s something for everyone in strength training. Both… read more

Should You Refinance for a Shorter Term?

As interest rates are still at all-time lows, you’re probably thinking about refinancing your mortgage. When you refinance for a shorter term, you save on interest and pay off your home sooner. Sounds good, but taking out more debt is never a simple proposition. Here are some considerations: Can you afford a higher mortgage payment?… read more

How To Find A Caregiver

What do you do when you or a loved one can’t get through a day without help? It’s a problem most families face sooner or later, and it’s a thorny one. One option is to have an adult child move in with the care recipient or vice versa so that there’s always someone on hand… read more

Filing the Final Tax Return

As a survivor, executor, or administrator of an estate, you are obligated to file an income tax return reporting all the deceased’s income up to his or her date of death. You will need to be aware of all the credits and deductions the deceased is allowed as if that person had been alive to… read more

Unlocking Your Body’s Flexibility: Better Health, Longer Life

During the month of January, Reggie Garcia checked out the Stretch Zone. His first visit jump-started his day — even before coffee — leaving him awake, revived, and alert. The certified fitness and therapy professionals use a process that includes three segments, gradually increasing the level of stretch while communicating with the client about how… read more

What Is the Innocent Spouse Rule?

Sometimes, marriage can stymie the financial life of even the savviest person. You go along living your life, working, eating, sleeping — and suddenly you discover that your household paid far too little in taxes. What’s worse, you signed the joint return. Now what? You can request innocent spouse relief to walk away from paying… read more

How to Handle Common Trust Problems

A trust is an estate planning document that disposes of your assets after your death. Trusts are an effective planning tool for those with detailed plans for their worldly goods. Will your trust achieve the purpose it was created for? Not if you make one of the following errors: Common Missteps Made in Creating Trusts… read more

How To Plan Your Funeral in Advance

No one likes to think about his or her own funeral, but it’s something everyone will need. You can let your family and friends concentrate on mourning by making your own arrangements and last wishes known. Advance arrangements are called “pre-need funeral planning.” Pre-need planning enables you to make such choices as to whether you… read more