Personal Finance

Expert insight on pros, cons and optimal strategies when considering converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.

Inflation within healthy ranges can be advantageous for consumers.

Among the changes are increases in phase-out ranges for traditional and Roth IRAs.

529 plans and trusts help save and manage money destined for your children.

Now is the time to assess your emergency fund and update beneficiaries.

Reports on indexes and averages can help benchmark stock performance.

Legislation sets 10-year withdrawal window for nonspouse beneficiaries.

Converting funds to Roth dollars is among the most effective strategies.

Withdrawals from pretax retirement accounts are among the ways to bridge your income, according to Jeff Witz, CFP.

In addition to registered investment advisers, there are a number of other financial-based professionals who may be in a position to assist you with many financial planning areas.

If one disregards the 1971–'74 period when U.S. investors could not own it directly, gold's long-term performance drops substantially.

While on the surface, it may not seem to matter, there are some important differences between debit and credit cards, and reasons why you should use one form of payment over the other.

What you need to know about health care costs post-retirement and the taxability of municipal bonds.

Holding property in joint tenancy with rights of survivorship (JTWROS) generally provides no asset protection. In fact, JTWROS ownership exposes the property to the creditors of each of the joint tenants.

Many physicians may be joining other high-income taxpayers subject to an upcoming potentially large tax hike they may not even be aware of.

Without a properly structured estate plan, your heirs may be paying unnecessary estate taxes and probate fees that in many cases can be dramatically reduced or even eliminated.

There are many factors to be considered prior to implementing any type of charitable trust strategy.

During periods of dramatic market fluctuation, it is important for investors to avoid emotional responses to investing.

Even if they didn't do well in the stock market, many focus on their health and enjoy their work.

From a marketable government debt securities standpoint, investors are offered many choices.

Before jumping on the gold bandwagon, it is important to understand the market factors that impact gold pricing, and how this unique commodity may or may not fit into your overall investment portfolio.

Passive management is an investment strategy that attempts to replicate the returns of an index or benchmark by owning the same assets, in the same proportions, as the underlying index. Active managers attempt to outperform the market through the art of stock picking and market timing.

Caution needs to be exercised when investing in bonds, as many investors are under the misunderstanding that bonds cannot lose principal value.

Unfortunately, there is no "one-size-fits-all" answer to when you should start receiving Social Security benefits.

It is important to be cautious when discarding important documents that could be required by the IRS in the event of an audit or would enable you to collect a future refund should you need to file an amended tax return.

A 529 plan is an education savings plan operated by a state or educational institution designed to help families set aside funds for future college costs.

Throughout recent history, periods of economic upheaval and market volatility have led people to assume that life had somehow forever changed and that new economic rules or an expanding government would limit growth.

The Reid Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 will likely affect your 2010 taxes.

Although rising levels of government debt create headwinds for economic growth, a country's deficit and debt levels do not seem to adversely affect capital market returns.

The need for retirement planning doesn't end with the onset of retirement.