Since the beginning of 2026, the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index opened at 6,878.11 on Jan. 2, slid to a closing low (for the year to date) of 6,343.72 on March 3

Do you have a “trusted contact” for your brokerage account? Most people don’t, according to a 2024 FINRA study. The idea behind a trusted contact is to give your brokerage firm someone you want them to call if the firm believes something is amiss. A…

What happens if you receive an inheritance you did not expect, especially a large inheritance? When someone becomes wealthy abruptly, they could suffer from “sudden wealth syndrome,” a term used by Dr. Stephen Goldbart, a psychologist and co-founder…

As we look forward to 2026, are you concerned about the future? Financial “awareness” can help turn resolutions into realities. Inflation remains a top concern for many, as reflected in Fidelity’s annual New Year’s Financial Resolutions study. This…

When writing about taxation of retirement accounts, I’ve referred to IRS Publication 590-B many times, as it provides guidelines to taxpayers for handling required minimum distributions (RMDs) from inherited accounts and IRA withdrawals in general. I…

Do you remember your very first tax return? If you filed that return before the World Wide Web arrived on the scene (1993), perhaps you talked with your parents or older siblings to learn what to do. Now, life is very different. In today’s world, you…

”Heather” wrote to me about frustrations she would experience if she were to receive an unexpectedly large inheritance from her parents. Asking for guidance, Heather raised some very good questions, which I share here in her words. Q: “I don’t even…

A column I wrote about surprise inheritances a few months ago resulted in a number of reader letters. Let me share one with you in full, because it tells a person’s real experience, spelling out a cautionary tale: “In the 1980s when I was in my 40s,…

As a result of recent legislative changes making 529s more flexible, they may benefit more people.

With direct indexing, instead of owning a fund, you own the stocks themselves, and by doing so, you can create your own “personal index.”

With direct indexing, instead of owning a fund, you own the stocks themselves, and by doing so, you can create your own “personal index.”

Called a catch-up contribution, the idea is to get more money working for you in a tax-advantaged way before you retire.

Called a catch-up contribution, the idea is to get more money working for you in a tax-advantaged way before you retire.

Bank of America’s Better Money Habits website lists steps a person needs to consider, including calculating net income, tracking spending.

Bank of America’s Better Money Habits website lists steps a person needs to consider, including calculating net income, tracking spending.

Because I am a fan of 401(k)s, I go one step further in my support of 401(k) education by sponsoring the national 401(k) Champion Essay Competition.

Because I am a fan of 401(k)s, I go one step further in my support of 401(k) education by sponsoring the national 401(k) Champion Essay Competition.

Learn what FINRA is, how it works under SEC oversight, and how BrokerCheck, TRACE and the helpline help investors avoid scams.

Learn what FINRA is, how it works under SEC oversight, and how BrokerCheck, TRACE and the helpline help investors avoid scams.

'Financial capability' measures attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, experience, and knowledge, according to Gerri Walsh, president of FINRA Foundation.