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There are techniques that can enable older homeowners to use their property to finance their lifestyle.

Before making investment decisions, it is helpful to determine the real rate of return on the investment.

Here are some smart ways to refinance your home.

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.

Life insurance can be used to help preserve the value of your estate for your heirs.

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.

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.

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

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

Zero-coupon bonds represent a type of bond that does not pay interest during the life of the bond.

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.

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

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

Many realize it’s important to save for retirement, but knowing exactly how much to save is another issue altogether.

When receiving money accumulated in your employer-sponsored retirement plan, you have two options: lump sum or annuity.

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

Some of the pros and cons of whole life insurance.

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for those persons age 65 and over. But what does it cover?

Term life insurance differs from permanent forms of life insurance in that it offers temporary protection.

Consider a universal life insurance policy if you want the flexibility to change your premium or death benefit.

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.

Knowing the basics of a disability income insurance policy is a good first step toward protecting your family.

There can be a substantial benefit to deferring taxes as long as possible.

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

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

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

With traditional IRAs and most employer-sponsored retirement plans, taxes are not payable until funds are withdrawn.

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

Many traditional tax-advantaged investment strategies have gone away, but there are still some alternatives.

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

Tax-deferred retirement account withdrawals before age 59½ generally trigger a 10% federal tax penalty.

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