March 2012 Newsletter

Four Money Mistakes You Might Be Making
Three years after the economic crisis led many Americans to reevaluate their financial picture, economic uncertainty is still the norm. While there’s little you can do about the shaky economy, you can help your own finances stabilize over the long term by evaluating what you’re doing right … and wrong.

Inheriting an IRA–What You Need to Know
The rules governing inherited IRAs can be complicated. If you inherit an IRA from someone who isn’t your spouse, your options are fairly limited. If you inherit an IRA from your spouse, you have many more options. Here are the major issues to consider.

Women and Estate Planning

They say men are from Mars and women are from Venus, but is this true when it comes to estate planning? Absolutely. And because women often find themselves in such different circumstances than men, it is even more crucial for them to educate themselves about estate planning, and consult an experienced estate planning professional.

Can reducing my credit card debt actually lower my credit score?
While it makes sense to transfer balances subject to high interest rates to accounts with lower rates (and then concentrate on paying down what you owe), consider waiting to close the paid accounts. Keeping them open may actually improve your credit score.

How can I tell if I have too much debt? It may sound like a bad joke to say that you have too much debt when you find you’re unable to borrow more, but there is more truth than humor in the flippancy.