Market value: $3.7 billion Distribution yield: 5.3%* TipRanks consensus price target: $78 (17% upside potential) TipRanks consensus rating: Strong Buy Theme park giant Cedar Fair LP (FUN, $65.62) is in the business of fun. And so far, that business seems to be working; shares are up nearly 60% over the past five years. But Cedar Fair also is […]

Population: 1.8 million Share of population 65+: 17.8% Cost of living: 17% below the U.S. average Average income for 65+ households: $40,109 Average health care costs for a retired couple: Below average at $404,606 Tax rating for retirees: Not Tax Friendly Despite its below-average living costs, the Mountain State offers some rocky terrain for retirees. […]

Distributions from a grandparent-owned 529 savings plan could reduce a grandchild’s financial aid. But using one of these strategies can limit the impact. Getty Images By Kimberly Lankford, Contributing Editor May 9, 2018 QI read your column Shopping for a 529 Plan for a Grandchild. Don’t grandparents have to be careful about opening a 529 […]

As a former professional baseball player, I have insights into the financial pitfalls that the wealthy and newly wealthy often make. Professional athletes are notorious for dropping the ball when it comes to dealing with their finances. SEE ALSO: 10 Questions to Fire at Financial Advisers I know it’s hard for most people to be […]

Financial professionals are changing their ways, or at least many are. More are happy to work with younger, smaller investors, and to put your needs ahead of their own. And now finding such an adviser is getting easier. What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “financial adviser?” SEE ALSO: 10 Questions to Fire […]

Market value: $57.3 billion Distribution yield: 6.4% For another blue-chip MLP play, consider Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD, $26.54). Enterprise Products is one of the oldest and best-respected MLPs you’re ever going to find. In an industry that has traditionally been run by cowboy capitalists, Enterprise has managed to stay remarkably level headed over the […]

Ranking: #37 Population: 1.8 million Share of population 65+: 17.8% Cost of living: 17% below the U.S. average Average income for 65+ households: $40,109 Average health care costs for a retired couple: Below average at $404,606 Tax rating for retirees: Not Tax Friendly Despite its below-average living costs, the Mountain State offers some rocky terrain […]

If it’s been a few years since you signed on the bottom line, dust off that policy and see if it still makes sense for you by answering these four questions. You may have crossed buying a life insurance policy off your to-do list many years ago, but many people make the mistake of thinking […]

Market value: $24.7 billion Dividend yield: 1.8% Never heard of Synchrony Financial (SYF, $32.63)? Actually, you may be familiar with this company, even without realizing it. Synchrony Financial is the finance arm that General Electric (GE) spun out in 2015. You may be a user of Synchrony’s services and not even realize it. If you […]

Interest rate: N/A (payback in form of equity or rewards) Repayment schedule: 5+ years for equity, 1+ years for rewards Pros: Access to diverse pool of backers, good way to establish engaged customer base Cons: Relatively slow process to accumulate funds Popularized by platforms such as Indiegogo and Kickstarter, crowdfunding has evolved in the last […]

If there’s an underdog stock in the world of consumer goods, Lululemon Athletica (LULU) has got to be it. First, the company promoted Christine Day to CEO — she joined LULU from Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) as head of retail operations in January 2008 — to work her magic in June 2008. Unfortunately, Day stepped down as […]

Saving money in your 401(k) and IRA is probably what got you to retirement, but being smart about how you manage those funds once you get there can make a big difference in your tax bills over the years. Retirees often overlook tax planning. This typically is because retirees are in one of the lower […]

If you haven’t filed Form 8606 with the IRS to track your nondeductible IRA contributions over the years, it will take a bit of detective work. QI am trying to figure out how much I’ll owe in taxes when I roll over some money from my traditional IRA to a Roth. I made some nondeductible […]

Sector: Utilities Dividend yield: 3.5% Regulated utilities are often a core component of most defensive income portfolios, and for good reason. These businesses are essentially government-sanctioned monopolies, typically operating as the sole service provider in their territories. However, to ensure their infrastructure is reliable and their prices remain reasonable for customers, utility operations – including […]

Does your financial plan have a hole in it? Check to see if you have all five of the critical areas covered. The road to retirement just keeps getting more difficult to navigate, with new products, new rules and new technologies. SEE ALSO: 3 Common Money Myths You Probably Believe It helps to have a […]

Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), likes to say that his ideal holding period is “forever.” But he never has been shy about dumping stocks that no longer hew to his high standards, even if they are some of the bluest of blue-chip stocks. The Oracle of Omaha has famously held American […]

Retirement planning should start with the income you need for your monthly expenses, but don’t stop there. The term “living paycheck to paycheck” has become the go-to phrase for people who are just getting by. They mostly have their monthly income figured out, but there’s no emergency fund — and they aren’t putting any money […]

If you’re getting hounded by calls, emails or letters from the IRS, how do you know they’re legit? Here are some warning signs of scams to watch out for. Every year I seem to get multiple calls from scam artists pretending to be the IRS. Luckily for me, I know they are scams, and I […]

Experts urge training, support and rest for aging caregivers as seniors caring for seniors in retirement becomes increasingly common. By Susan B. Garland, Contributing Editor April 17, 2018From Kiplinger’s Retirement Report As people live longer, caregivers can expect to spend years caring for a spouse or even a parent. And older caregivers, many in their […]

The maximum contribution is $55,000, up from $54,000 in 2017 and significantly more than can be saved for retirement in a regular IRA. A Simplified Employee Pension IRA, or SEP IRA for short, is a good option for self-employed workers and small-business owners who want an easy and inexpensive retirement plan. A SEP IRA is […]

You might not be thinking about the practical tasks that need to be accomplished as soon as possible, but these steps are critical to safeguard an estate and ensure that it is passed down as smoothly as possible. When a person passes away and his or her family members have dealt with their initial emotions, […]

In Warren Buffett’s most recent letter to shareholders, he updated a data point that never gets old: Just how much Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) shares have outperformed the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index. Between 1965 and the end of 2017, the S&P 500 has put up a plenty-respectable 15,508% … but Berkshire shares have delivered […]

The decision depends on the level of the fee, what services are included, how often you trade and any hidden costs that may eat into your balance. Assets are flooding into investment accounts that charge clients a single asset-based fee rather than a commission on each trade. But regulators and consumer advocates warn that these […]

Starting in 2018, the tax deduction that giving to charity provides may be no longer be available to many people. That is, unless they change the way they give. Here are three strategies to help keep the deduction many count on. Getty Images By Mike Palmer, CFP | Ark Royal Wealth ManagementApril 16, 2018Contact Me […]

Some self-employed savers can put away as much as $61,000 for retirement in a solo 401(k), depending on age and compensation. A solo 401(k), also known as an individual 401(k) or a one-participant 401(k), is designed for self-employed people who have no employees other than a spouse. The plan allows these small-business owners to salt […]

Overall Rating for Taxes on Retirees: Tax-friendly Inheritance and Estate Taxes: There is no inheritance tax or estate tax. State Sales Tax: 7% state levy. Localities can add up to 2.75%, with an average combined rate of 9.46%, according to the Tax Foundation. Groceries are taxed at 4% by the state, plus whatever local rate […]

Let me set the record straight on the two main types of annuities for you. For some investors, annuities have an image problem. Read the headlines on the advertisements from a few marketing-focused financial advisers to understand why. They often include words like “scary,” “avoid” and often just plain “bad.” SEE ALSO: Rates Are Rising. […]

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act preserved or even beefed up many tax breaks available through workplace benefits programs. Here’s how to make the most of those benefits. A key component of building wealth is minimizing taxes, so it’s worthwhile to review the different valuable tax breaks often available through workplace benefit programs. SEE ALSO: […]

Not long ago, Twitter (TWTR, $29.00) wasn’t exactly guaranteed a long and fruitful future. Its number of monthly users actually fell quarter-over-quarter in early 2016, and during the first quarter of 2017 its revenue fell for the first time ever. Never even mind the habitual losses Twitter had been booking since its inception. A funny […]

You’ll keep more cash if you follow our advice. By the editors of Kiplinger’s Personal FinanceApril 11, 2018 Car insurance that costs too much, bank account fees, home-energy wasters or mutual funds with high expense ratios. Each of those leaks in isolation won’t damage your finances, but all of the drips can quickly add up […]

A set-it-and-forget-it investing approach is certainly a pretty easy route for retirement savers to take, but it might be contributing to some big problems for portfolios, and even the market itself, down the line. Passive investing is taking over the world. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but investment researchers at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. say […]

If you want Fluffy to come with you, get your paperwork ready — and prepare to pay. Getty Images By Pat Mertz Esswein, Associate Editor and Kaitlin Pitsker, Staff Writer April 9, 2018From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Update: In late March, a dog died after being stowed in its carrier in an overhead bin on a […]

Even if you have a qualified health insurance policy only for a few months out of the year, you can still make a tax-deductible contribution to a health savings account. Getty Images By Kimberly Lankford, Contributing Editor April 9, 2018 QI was working part-time for the first few months of 2017 and bought my own […]

The former professional boxer-turned-entrepreneur shares why giving back to the community is a top priority, as well as the money lessons she’s learned that enabled her career transition. Giving back is something that comes naturally to retired (and undefeated) professional boxer-turned-entrepreneur Laila Ali. Born the daughter of the late legendary boxer and activist Muhammad Ali […]

A tear in a swimming pool’s lining, a protective layer applied to the pool before it’s filled, is a common repair encountered by homeowners. The liner acts as a barrier between the pool walls/floor and water, and it helps prevent mold growth. Vinyl lining is popular largely due to its affordability. Expect to pay $200, […]

At least 10 years before you plan to retire you should start taking a hard look at how much you’re spending. Getting a handle on that number (and how to improve it) is key for a secure retirement. The financial planning industry tends to put a big emphasis on how much you’ve saved for retirement, […]

Your furry friends can run up a big tab over their lifetime, but we’ll show you how to keep expenses in check. It happened in a flash. One minute Dan Perlowitz of West Orange, N.J., had his dog Gracie’s leash in hand, and the next she had broken away and run onto a nearby highway. […]

Despite being a money expert himself, Kiplinger editor Mark Solheim found the advice industry to be a labyrinth of credentials and opaque fee structures when he went looking for financial guidance from the pros. My wife and I live in a 1,000-square-foot house in Washington, D.C. That’s no typo. The house is tiny. We’ve thought […]

Fraudsters are using payment apps such as Paypal and Zelle to trick you out of your money. Finding a good hairstylist is hard, but finding a traveling hairstylist is even harder. As a splurge, I looked for someone who would come to my apartment to spend four or more hours braiding my hair. Thanks to […]

Travelers who want more than a couch to sleep on have new options. Getty Images By Miriam Cross, Staff Writer April 4, 2018From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance The line between home rentals and hotels is blurring, and that’s good news for travelers who like the idea of staying in a home away from home but are […]

You can still recharacterize a Roth contribution and move the money to a traditional IRA. Getty Images By Kimberly Lankford, Contributing Editor April 4, 2018From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance QI know I can’t undo conversions from a traditional IRA to a Roth anymore. But what if I contribute to a Roth and then discover my income […]

Unlimited monthly access usually ranges from about $300 to $500 and includes a slew of amenities. Getty Images By Kaitlin Pitsker, Staff Writer April 4, 2018From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance As more people go into business for themselves or take on side gigs to generate extra income, co-working spaces are expanding their services to appeal to […]

Plot a Social Security claiming strategy now to ensure the surviving wife or husband will be eligible for the most Social Security income later. Savvy husbands and wives spend a lot of time coordinating when to start taking Social Security to maximize their total benefits. But it’s just as crucial to plan for when that […]

Our actively managed funds turned in mixed results over the past year. But they are in the race for the long haul. A race, especially a marathon, requires planning and preparation. Runners set time goals, and they have a plan for how to tackle rough stretches of the course. Investors aren’t much different. They set […]

Overall Rating for Taxes on Retirees: Least tax-friendly State Sales Tax: 6.5% state levy. Localities can add as much as 4%, and the average combined rate is 8.62%, according to the Tax Foundation. These rates apply to groceries as well. A food sales tax credit of $125 per person is available to seniors and those […]

There needs to be more to your retirement planning than just a stock portfolio. You need a plan in place to protect it. Did you ever have a good dream suddenly take an awful turn — so awful you woke up and your heart was pounding? SEE ALSO: The Biggest Risk Retirees Face Right Now […]

While going with a broad basket of commodities makes sense, investors who want to be more tactical and select only one or two. McDonald from Bear Traps Report says it may be wise to focus on agricultural or “soft” commodities, and cites three catalysts. First, there’s “La Niña,” a weather pattern marked by cooler sea […]

Rising federal spending bodes well for all makers of military hardware and services. But these will do better than most. By James Brumley, Contributing WriterApril 3, 2018 The U.S. government is planning to spend substantially more on defense. That bodes well for all makers of military hardware and providers of military logistics services. However, some […]

Why you should decide the fate of your email, Facebook and other online accounts. When you created your estate plan, the fate of your e-mail, Facebook and other online accounts probably wasn’t your top concern. But if you haven’t made plans for your digital afterlife, now is the time to take action. SEE ALSO: 10 […]

April 3, 2018 Symbol: TCMPXExpense Ratio: 1.38% AMG TimesSquare International Small Cap Fund focuses on firms with market values of $5 billion or less, but the fund can invest in businesses valued between $16 million and $8.3 billion. Magnus Larsson and Robert Madsen run the fund with three analysts. Although headquartered in New York, the […]

Surprise! Some of the money “facts” people have counted on for years when making important financial decisions are really just myths. Time to separate fact from fiction. If you want to build your wealth, it’s never been easier to learn how to do that, thanks to the Internet. SEE ALSO: House Hunters: Learn from My […]

Many parents fail to get their financial affairs in order, neglecting to take care of such things as wills, living wills and powers of attorney. But even those who think they’ve covered all of their bases often leave one of the most important tasks undone: They fail to talk to their adult children about the […]

The clock is ticking for those still not done preparing their 2017 tax returns. To help beat it, keep these five timely tips in mind. If you expect to file your 2017 tax returns at the last minute, you’re not alone. Approximately 40 million Americans waited until the last few days before the deadline to […]

A little proactive planning now to help minimize your RMDs in the future can save you thousands of dollars in retirement. There are so many decisions you have to make when you’re planning for retirement, it can be tempting to delay the ones that seem as though they can wait. SEE ALSO: How to Be […]

Usually, you can wait until April 1 to take your first RMD. But the deadline falls on a holiday weekend this year, so you’ll need to act sooner. Getty Images By Kimberly Lankford, Contributing Editor March 30, 2018 QI turned 70½ last year and took part of my required minimum distribution in 2017, and I’m […]

Do you park your money in an index fund and forget it or pay a manager to go all out to beat the market? Consider an alternative to help you ride the waves without wiping out: The Sunset Beach Portfolio. Nothing is more important to long-term investment success than a clear investment philosophy. And nothing […]

Market value: $721.8 billion Alphabet (GOOGL, $1,005.18), parent of the Google search engine, didn’t invent the cloud. It was merely the first to see the need to combine virtual operating systems in which any program can run; distributed computing that could share a program load among many machines; and massive scale, based on open-source software […]

There’s a good chance that some (or all) of the income you receive from any annuity you own is taxable. If you purchased an annuity that provides income in retirement, the portion of the payment that represents your principal is tax-free; the rest is taxable. For instance, if you purchased an annuity with $100,000 and […]

Smart speakers are one of the hottest technologies on the market right now. Amazon and Alphabet have made a significant push into this space, with the former selling tens of millions of Echo smart speakers last year alone. Consumers spent $2.8 billion on smart speakers in 2018 and that number is expected to grow to […]

The next industrial revolution is happening now, on the other side of the world. Benefit by investing in Chinese industrial and technology companies. The notion of human workers being displaced by cheaper, more skilled robots has been circulating for years now. Mostly to no avail. Great strides have been made in the fields of robotics […]

It’s not too early for kids with part-time or summer jobs to contribute to a Roth IRA. Even a small investment now can turn today’s teen into a millionaire by retirement. QMy 16-year-old son earned some money helping out at a summer camp last year. Is he eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA, and […]

Year: 2004 Cost: $8.9 billion When Merck’s (MRK, $53.41) Vioxx first hit the market in 1999, it was hyped as a revolutionary breakthrough medication for arthritis pain. And like Pfizer’s Bextra, it soon became a blockbuster hit. Five years later, in September 2004, Merck was forced to pull the drug from the market after studies […]

How much is your savings account earning? It could be about $1 per year on an account worth $10,000. If so, take a moment to check rates for online options instead. You might be pleasantly surprised. Take a look at someone’s savings account and you can learn a lot about what type of lifestyle they […]

Market value: $44.2 billion Dividend yield: 5.3% Southern Company’s (SO, $43.81) last few years have been a relatively wild ride for a regulated utility. Several multibillion-dollar construction projects have blown through their initial budgets and faced delays, creating a good deal of regulatory uncertainty and financial constrain. So why is Southern Company on this list […]

Those nearing retirement and those who have recently become retirees need to plan now for the possibility of a bear market. Here are two ways to do that, including one that goes against conventional wisdom. Those planning to retire face many risks. There is the risk their money will not earn enough to keep up […]

If you are trying to find out what you’re paying in fees and it’s taking longer than 15 minutes or so to get an answer, you might want to make a change. I recently read an article in The Wall Street Journal where a reporter went on an epic quest to discover exactly what fees […]

Facebook’s gains, in a way, made investors more vulnerable to the social stock’s recent selloff We can thank Facebook (FB, $168.15) for giving us a good lesson on the value of diversification in the stock market. When Facebook’s stock dropped 6.8% on Monday, March 19, following news that information on more than 50 million users […]

Fidelity Event Driven Opportunities (FARNX, $14.43) invests in small and midsize companies going through a transition, such as a corporate reorganization, deletion from an index or a management shakeup. These companies are harder to analyze than most other companies, which keeps many investors away. However, fund manager Arvind Navaratnam says that makes it easier to […]

Kudos to Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF, $22.93) for a surprisingly solid fourth quarter. The teen-targeting clothier has been struggling for years as expensive labels fell out of fashion, and more recently, fending off the impact of some distasteful comments made by now-former CEO Michael Jeffries. Abercrombie grew same-store sales 5% year-over-year for the holiday quarter […]

If you’re thinking about signing up for Amazon Prime, here’s what you need to know including how much you’ll pay for a Prime membership. For consumers who are too busy to visit multiple brick-and-mortar stores to pick up everything on their shopping lists, from groceries and gadgets to books and apparel, the Amazon Prime subscription-based […]

If you aren’t getting your money’s worth from Prime, here are the steps you need to take on Amazon.com to cancel your subscription. Amazon Prime offers a variety of perks including free two-day shipping, unlimited music and video streaming, and unlimited photo storage. The benefits of Amazon Prime have attracted an estimated 90 million members […]

To help get a better grip on where your money is going, recommit to a budget or jump-start your savings plan, these handy apps are just a swipe away. Everyone who’s into managing his or her personal finances with the help of an app has heard about Mint, which currently ranks No. 24 among all […]

Switching gears from saving for retirement to turning that savings into a retirement paycheck is a tricky proposition. Taking these steps can help bring your income plan into focus. As a TV sports reporter would say, “Let’s go to the videotape!” When the talking is done, it’s always good to look again at the results […]

Market value: $1.5 billion Distribution rate: 7.4%* Expenses: 1.32% Closed-end funds are a nice fishing pond for investors hunting for monthly dividends. If you’re unfamiliar with the asset class, closed-end funds (CEFs) are mutual-fund-like products, but they trade on the New York Stock Exchange like stocks. However, they shouldn’t be confused with ETFs like PGX […]

In April, Medicare will start mailing new cards that don’t disclose Social Security numbers. But the rollout will take a year. Getty Images By Kimberly Lankford, Contributing Editor March 19, 2018 QI remember reading that Medicare will start sending out new cards this year that don’t include Social Security numbers. How can I find out […]

The most expensive U.S. cities are usually expensive for a reason. Residents pay higher living costs in exchange for favorable geography, climate, culture or economic prosperity — or all of the above. Of course, that doesn’t make the most expensive cities the “best” cities to live in, at least not for everyone, says Jennie Allison […]

There are 45 states plus the District of Columbia that impose a state sales tax on retirees and other residents. In addition, local sales tax is collected in 38 states. The combined levy can be hefty. In Tennessee, for example, the average combined state and local sales tax is 9.46%. That means there are just […]

There are plenty of times when people can handle their investments, taxes and retirement planning themselves. Here’s who can go it alone, and who should seek some advice. Which category do you fit into? In practically all aspects of life, there are things we can do ourselves and others we can’t. SEE ALSO: Why the […]

Strategies to help retirees recall and remember people, places and things. When retired professor Darlene Howard taught in the psychology department of Georgetown University, she often had to remember the names of as many as 50 students a semester. So Howard used a memory trick: She created an association with a student’s name or face. […]