July Personal Finance Newsletter
July 14, 2011 by Jean Keener, CFP, CRPC, CFDS · Leave a Comment
The July personal financial planning newsletter is now available.
Because of the tumultuous investment markets and economic uncertainty, the newsletter includes two investing columns — one a recap of the second quarter market performance with a look forward, and another by Jim Parker with Dimensional Funds providing some compelling data on the importance of maintaining investment discipline.
The newsletter also has information on the new IRS mileage rates for the second half of 2011, a summary of how A/B and A/B/C trusts work for estate planning, and an overview of the tax and policy issues involved in taking a loan from your life insurance policy.
Plus, there’s an invitation to my social security workshop this coming Tuesday at the library.
Click here to read the newsletter.
June Personal Finance Newsletter
June 17, 2011 by Jean Keener, CFP, CRPC, CFDS · Leave a Comment
The June personal finance newsletter is now available. It includes an investment market update and articles on several personal financial planning topics. There’s information on how long to keep financial records, perspective on the debt ceiling debate, an update on the new “net college cost” calculators, and information on the veteran’s pension. There’s also an invitation to the Keller Library Personal Finance workshop on June 28 — this month’s topic is the basics of Life and Disability insurance for those in their working years. Click here to read the newsletter.
May Personal Finance Newsletter
May 16, 2011 by Jean Keener, CFP, CRPC, CFDS · Leave a Comment
The May 2011 Personal Finance Newsletter is now available. It includes articles on long-term care planning, mid-year tax considerations, and deciphering health savings vehicles. A link to a great article on the relationship between how we spend our money and happiness is also included, as well as the monthly investment market update. Click here to read the newsletter.
Low-Cost Investing Basics
May 10, 2011 by Jean Keener, CFP, CRPC, CFDS · Leave a Comment
I will be hosting a free investment workshop at the Keller Library on Tuesday, May 17 at 6:30 pm.
This workshop will cover the fundamentals of successful long-term, goals-based investing. Effective investing doesn’t have to be complicated, but with so much information available, it can be difficult to tell fact from fiction. This workshop will reveal common pitfalls and investing myths and share information on how to avoid them. You will learn:
- The importance of keeping your investment costs low
- How to build a diversified, balanced portfolio
- How to know when to rebalance
- The relationship between risk and return
Registration is encouraged for planning purposes to library@cityofkeller.com.
March Personal Finance Newsletter
March 14, 2011 by Jean Keener, CFP, CRPC, CFDS · Leave a Comment
The March personal financial planning newsletter is now available. It includes an update on the investment market, tips on cutting discretionary spending to build your cash reserve, planned charitable giving, and social security survivors benefit. There’s also a special guest column from attorney Rania Combs on the complexities of dying intestate (without a will) for individuals in blended families in Texas. Click here to read the newsletter.
How to Structure Retirement Income
March 12, 2011 by Jean Keener, CFP, CRPC, CFDS · Leave a Comment
I’m providing a free personal finance workshop at the Keller Public Library on Tuesday, March 15 at 6:30 pm on Structuring Your Retirement Income. This retirement income workshop is designed for residents of Keller and surrounding areas who are in or near retirement.
Investing for retirement income is different than accumulation. To help you with this transition, we will cover:
- differences in investing for accumulation and retirement drawdown
- coordinating your portfolio withdrawal strategies with other sources of income
- how to make decisions on pensions and annuities
- how to balance investing for protection against inflation and market fluctuations
- changes you need to start making in your portfolio 3 years before retirement
RSVP to library@cityofkeller.com for planning purposes. A drawing will be also held for a free copy of Daniel Solin’s The Smartest Retirement Book You’ll Ever Read.
February Personal Finance Newsletter
February 14, 2011 by Jean Keener, CFP, CRPC, CFDS · Leave a Comment
The February personal finance newsletter is now available. In addition to the investing market update, the topics are:
- Extension of tax-free charitable contribution option from IRAs for those over 70 1/2
- New cost basis reporting rules (important for those with taxable investment accounts)
- Summary of the health care law provisions going into effect this year
Click here to read the newsletter.
January 2011 Personal Finance Newsletter
January 14, 2011 by Jean Keener, CFP, CRPC, CFDS · Leave a Comment
The January newsletter is now available with a 2010 investment market recap, a humorous look at investing resolutions for the new year, and details on the estate tax changes enacted in December. It also includes an announcement of topics for the Keller Public Library personal finance workshop series for January – June. Click here to read the newsletter.
December Personal Finance Newsletter
December 16, 2010 by Jean Keener, CFP, CRPC, CFDS · Leave a Comment
The December 2010 personal finance newsletter is now available. It includes an important update on social security rules, 2011 IRS mileage rates, considerations in rolling your traditional 401(k) to a Roth IRA, and changes to the adoption assistance program. As always, there’s also an investment market update. Please click here to view the newsletter.
November Personal Finance Newsletter
November 10, 2010 by Jean Keener, CFP, CRPC, CFDS · Leave a Comment
The November personal finance newsletter is now available. It includes information 2011 retirement plan contribution limits — most are unchanged, but if you’re right on the edge of having too much income to make Roth IRA contributions, you should check out the slightly increased income phase-out ranges. The newsletter also covers inheriting propert in 2010 and what the one-year hiatus from the estate tax means to the step-up basis rules. In addition, we have info on homeowners insurance and liability coverage, a summary of the latest trends in college pricing and financial aid, and an investment market update. To read the newsletter, click here.