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Historically, one of the best ways to fight the effects of inflation has been to utilize growth-oriented investments.

There are a number of savings alternatives that could help you earn a reasonable rate of return.

Short-term cash management instruments can help you establish a sound cash management program.

The probate process can be lengthy and complex. There are strategies you can use to help avoid the probate process.

If you haven't taken steps already, consider planning now for the distribution of the assets of your estate.

An A-B trust can be an effective way to help reduce estate taxes and preserve family assets for heirs.

A living trust can help control the distribution of your estate upon death.

To retain the tax advantages associated with charitable giving, your gift must be made to a qualified organization.

A designated income beneficiary could receive payment of a specified amount from a charitable remainder trust.

Careful estate planning is still one of the most important ways to manage and protect your assets for your heirs.

Charitable lead trusts are designed for people who would like to benefit a charity now rather than later.

A wealth replacement trust could be used to gift appreciated assets to a charity as well as provide for heirs.

Wills and trusts allow you to spell out how you would like your property distributed, but they also go beyond that.

Sole ownership, joint tenancy, tenancy in common, and community property have special benefits for property owners.

If you believe your estate will be subject to estate taxes, consider how your heirs will pay the bill.

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of different gifting strategies available for planned giving.

One estate planning strategy that families with closely held businesses could consider is the family limited partnership.

There are five broad asset classes that you should take into consideration when constructing your investment portfolio.

It’s important to understand mutual fund loads, or sales charges, and exactly what they entail so you can make informed investing decisions.

The labels growth and value reflect different approaches that can be used when making investment decisions.

Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.

Understanding different types of investment risk can help investors manage their money more effectively.

Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.

A bond is simply evidence of a debt from a government entity or a corporation and represents a long-term IOU.

Mutual fund taxes can be cumbersome, but there are ways to help mitigate the amount of taxes you may owe.

With closed-end funds, investors pool their money together to purchase a professionally managed portfolio of stocks and/or bonds.

An important element to successful investing is to manage investment risk while maintaining the potential for growth.

It's important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of common stock versus preferred stock.

529 plans are tax-advantaged savings plans that generally allow people of any income level to contribute.

Dollar-cost averaging involves investing a set amount of money on a regular basis, regardless of market conditions.

A mutual fund is a collection of stocks, bonds, and other securities with certain benefits and risks.

It is important to understand how dividends (taxable payments to shareholders) fit with your long-term goals.

The difference between purchasing an individual stock versus shares in a mutual fund to potentially earn dividends.

ETFs have unique attributes and attempt to track all types of indexes, industries, or commodities.

A bond ladder is a strategy involving the purchase of bonds that have staggered maturity dates.

Bond ratings gauge a bond issuer’s financial ability to repay its promised principal and interest payments.

There are other ways to invest in stocks and bonds besides owning individual shares or bonds.

Bonds are issued by many entities and share many characteristics, each type of bond has certain benefits and risks.

If you start saving for retirement sooner, the more money you are likely to accumulate and possibly retire sooner.

Allocating too much of your retirement investments to one company, even your own, can be a risky proposition.

If you leave a job or retire, you should consider your options regarding your employer retirement plan assets.

The SIMPLE plan may appeal to small business owners as it is easy to set up, administer, and allows for a tax deduction.

A Roth 401(k) is funded with after-tax money, and allows for tax- and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings if requirements are met.

A SEP IRA is a type of plan under which the employer contributes (up to a certain limit) to an employee’s IRA.

Company-owned life insurance is one way to help protect a business from financial problems caused by the death of a key employee.

Consider additional liability insurance to help protect you from the potentially devastating effects of liability lawsuits.

As a business owner, a disability can create an economic hardship putting both your personal finances and business at risk.

There are three basic types of medical insurance plans: fee-for-service, managed care, and high-deductible health plan.

Couples who want to help protect their legacy from estate taxes could consider last-survivor life insurance.

Variable life insurance gives you the control to allocate your account value among a variety of investment options.

The odds of needing long-term care increase as you age. Prior planning can help protect you from financial ruin.

A business owner policy is an insurance package that assembles the basic coverages required by a business owner in one bundle.

While stable, CDs can create an income tax bill. Fixed annuities and municipal bonds can offer tax advantages.

For the grantor, there are a few potential tax benefits that can come with setting up a charitable trust.

It's important to understand tax-exempt vehicles when establishing a comprehensive tax planning strategy.

IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to annual contribution limits set by the federal government.

Consider a trustee-to-trustee transfer to an IRA versus a lump-sum distribution from a workplace retirement plan.

Changes to the tax code have left a few key deductions for itemizers, like medical, dental and some business expenses.

Capital gains are profits realized from the sale of assets; a tax is triggered only when an asset is sold, not held.

Required minimum distribution is the annual amount that must be withdrawn from a qualified retirement plan/account.

The federal gift tax applies to gifts of property or money while the donor is living.

Everything you own, whatever the form of ownership, is subject to federal, and possibly state, estate taxes.