John Rampton | Page 7

You are probably concerned about your bank account balances these days. This is especially true if you are living paycheck to paycheck — which according to a 2022 Lending Club...

No matter how long you have been married or how many anniversaries you've celebrated, you're sure to know that you're stronger together than you are apart. Retirement savings are no...

For over 1,000 years, the Irish have celebrated St. Patrick's Day in honor of Ireland's patron saint. Historically, Saint Patrick used the Shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the...

Like it or not, financial pitfalls are a part of life. Financial mistakes can happen even with the best of intentions. However, it is not all about making mistakes. It's...

A healthy lifestyle goes beyond just taking care of your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. It is also important to practice financial self-care — especially if you want to save...

Where did the term “nest egg” originate? To encourage the hens to lay more eggs, farmers used to leave one egg in the henhouse. Today, nest eggs typically refer to...

Losing money is the last thing any of us wants to do. Rather than risking your money on the stock market, you might just choose to park it in a...

It's time to talk about how your kids can make money. Why? There is no denying that life with kids can be expensive. Besides wanting the latest (and hottest) items...

Tim Pawlenty, president and CEO of Financial Services Round Table and former governor of Minnesota, once said, "Financial literacy is an important part of avoiding financial mistakes and planning for...

Retirement planning can easily be overlooked while juggling your career, raising children, paying off debt, and enjoying today. In fact, according to a Bankrate survey conducted in 2022, 55 percent...

Even though we're living in an increasingly cashless world, there are still times when you need to withdraw cash. Case in point, my local coffee shop is cash-only. That means...

In the past, buying an annuity was a lot of work. The first step toward determining whether an annuity is right for your retirement plan is to do a little...

The Secure 2.0 Act of 2022, a bipartisan retirement savings law, was signed into law by President Biden on December 23, 2022. As part of Secure 2.0, workplace savings plans...

Saving money is a top priority for many people, and with good reason. It can be challenging to make ends meet, especially if you have a lot of financial obligations...

Just as deciding when to take advantage of 4th and goal, refinancing a home has many opportunities and pitfalls. The reason you might consider a refinance is that you want...

Imagine that you've been invited to join a friend on a weekend getaway. The only problem? Your dog has to stay home. Thankfully, you can solve this problem by hiring...

A tumbling stock market and higher interest rates are forcing consumers to buy annuities. According to LIMRA, a trade group for the insurance industry, annuity sales in the third quarter...

Typically, retirement is a time when you can kick back and relax. And, there's nothing wrong with that. You've paid your dues, after all. However, learning new skills can help...

In the wake of the stock market crash and rising interest rates, consumers are buying annuities. In fact, in the third quarter of 2022, insurance industry trade group Limra estimates...

It is important to consider price when shopping for a gift. It becomes especially important when your holiday shopping list is long. Along with your personal finances and the number...

Annuities provide periodic payments for an agreed-upon period of time, either now or in the future, for the annuitant or beneficiary. You can annuitize the annuity by making monthly, semiannual,...

It can be difficult to afford retirement, especially when your retirement income is taxed. In addition to taxing Social Security benefits, the federal government taxes income from 401(k) retirement plans,...

As of November 2021, only 15% of private industry workers had access to a defined benefit pension from their employer. Why is that disheartening? A pension guarantees a steady income...

In January 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared an “unconditional war on poverty in America" during his first State of the Union address. Johnson called for an all-out war against...

Developing the critical skills, attitudes, and behaviors children need to succeed as adults requires consistent, supportive relationships and positive developmental experiences in and out of school, according to a report...

Poverty that persists across generations is known as generational poverty. One generation following another passes down poverty, which is not curable. The cycle of poverty is a long-term pattern of...

As with assets and wealth, scarcity and poverty are also passed down through families. “Generational poverty” is a family's learning of beliefs and behaviors rooted in poverty after only two...

Are you familiar with escape rooms? The only way you can escape is to solve a complicated problem. But what happens if you fail to escape the room on time?...

Future retirees have a lot to look forward to. Besides traveling, spending time with family, or picking up new hobbies, the number of U.S. centenarians increasing from 53,000 in 2010...

The promise of lifetime income from annuities has been around for centuries dating back to Ancient Rome. Originally, annuities were just simple instruments that guaranteed a steady stream of income....