Wondering how to bring everyone together – virtually – after a really challenging year? Here’s an idea: chronicle the quarantine. Seriously.

--Consider placing a credit freeze at each reporting bureau. Clark Howard has a helpful guide here: https://clark.com/credit/credit-freeze-and-thaw-guide/ --Enroll in free credit monitoring if it becomes available as part of any security breach. --Check your credit reports. Obtain a free copy of your credit report from all three reporting bureaus at https://www.annualcreditreport.com. Others have recommended sites such as […]

Whether you leave an employer for a wonderful new opportunity or lose a position because of the pandemic, it’s easy to forget about the money you have saved in your retirement plan.

Sometimes, retirement plan savings can stay in a previous employer’s plan. Other times, your money can’t stay in the plan, and you need to take action or your employer may move your money. The circumstances depend on the type of plan the employer offers and the amount of money you have in your account.

If your income is pie, then the federal government takes a hefty slice each year. A 2020 report from the Tax Foundation found a single average wage earner in the United States pays about 29.8 percent of their income in federal taxes. That’s about $18,368 in federal taxes and does not include state and local taxes.

Angela Bender, Certified Financial Planner and AMJ's Managing Partner, contributed to this article by Jessica Mathews, on Financial-Planning.com. CLICK HERE to read the article.

You don’t have to look very far to see how quickly innovation changes our world. The greatest generation saw the advent of credit cards, power steering, and transistor radios. Baby Boomers remember the arrival of electronic fuel injection, audio cassettes, and an oral vaccine for polio. Gen Xers witnessed the emergence of the worldwide web (www), which has become a defining feature of modern life. Millennials and Gen Z saw the arrival of smartphones, social media, and video gaming competitions.

Sometimes change is gradual. Other times – like today – it occurs at an accelerated pace.

Whether you are changing employers or reaching retirement, deciding what to do with your company retirement plan is an important decision with more options than you may expect—six to be exact.

If your stress and anxiety levels are reaching a breaking point, you’re not alone. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) poll found 45 percent of adults in the United States are feeling worry and stress related to the coronavirus. Steps taken to reduce loss of life – social distancing, non-essential business closures, remote work, lack of daycare, shelter-in-place orders, online school – have caused many people to feel overwhelmed or isolated or both. Anxiety has been triggered by uncertainty about the future and concern loved ones may become ill.

Fortunately, there are actions we can take to stay calm and carry on.

Major changes to retirement tax rules took effect on January 1 this year that are impacting every retiree with a retirement account. In December, a $1.4 trillion spending bill was signed into law to keep the government running. Within this legislation was the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act—which brought some of the most significant changes we have seen to retirement tax laws in more than a decade.