Year-End Tax Planning:  2013-2014 It’s possible to save or defer taxes by using some tax-related workplace accounts. Health Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) An FSA is a use-it-or-lose-it reimbursement account, funded with your pre-tax money.  (See the end of this article for more information.) plan to use up the rest of your FSA balance submit your …Read More

This Year in US Stocks:  Comparing 2013 to Past Years So far in 2013, the S&P500 index — the stock index of the largest 500 companies in the US — is up about 17% (not including dividends). That’s a very good year. But has it been volatile in achieving those gains? In investing, the term …Read More

US Stocks Hit Records in September 2013 Last month on September 18, the US stock index of the 500 largest companies, the S&P500, hit an all-time high.  The previous all-time high was in early August.   This chart covers 10 years, from 2003 to October 2013.  Look on the far right side to see the September …Read More

The New $100 Bill Proving that the US Department of Treasury actually has a sense of humor, they released a new $100 bill.  It’s as if they are trying to get our minds off the turmoil in Washington over money.  What better way to forget about old problems of spending and debt, than to introduce …Read More

How Much Income Will I Need in Retirement? Yogi Berra reportedly said, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” So how can we predict the income we’ll need in retirement? (At the end of this article, there is very simple advice on this question.) A study just released by the Employee Benefits Research …Read More