Beverly Bird

6 days ago | investopedia.com | Beverly Bird

The term "financial planner" evokes images of wealthy families in elegant mansions, supported by the passive income of a professionally managed fortune. In fact, most clients of financial planning services are far from wealthy. A survey conducted by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards indicates that 53% of Americans have used financial planning services at some point. A financial planner doesn't just help you navigate the stock market.

1 week ago | investopedia.com | Beverly Bird

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has its hand out for tax dollars associated with your generosity, but there are tax-smart loopholes. In fact, the IRS will even let you give away $1 million without sending you a bill. You can gift $19,000 per person per year as of 2025 or $13.99 million throughout your lifetime if you should pass in this year. Key Takeaways What Is a Taxable Gift?

1 week ago | investopedia.com | Beverly Bird

The number of workers ages 75 and older is expected to grow by an eye-popping 96.5% between 2020 and 2030, according to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor. Staying in the workforce longer might mean changing careers or learning something new. Can you get that reskilling or upskilling education by working as an intern? There's no official age cutoff to work in an introductory role like that, but it doesn't mean the path will be smooth, and it raises some questions.

1 week ago | investopedia.com | Beverly Bird

The number of Americans who rely on Social Security retirement benefits for at least a portion of their retirement income is significant-as of September 2024, there were 54 million beneficiaries. However, Social Security beneficiaries could have their benefits reduced in the future. Here's what pre-retirees should know about the possible benefit cut and how to plan for it.

2 weeks ago | businessandamerica.com | Beverly Bird

Your credit score can have a significant impact on your quality of life. Potential lenders associate poor scores with increased risk when they’re making loans. A low score can be seen as a red flag that you have failed to handle borrowing well in the past and might make the same mistakes again. This isn’t to say that lenders never extend loans to consumers with low credit scores, but they typically charge a higher interest rate if they do.