10 Years and Counting: Points to Consider as You Approach Retirement

If you’re a decade or so away from retirement, you’ve probably spent at least some time thinking about this major life change. How will you manage the transition? Will you travel, take up a new sport or hobby, or spend more time with friends and family? Should you consider relocating? Will you continue to work in some capacity? Will changes in your income sources affect your standard of living?

2026 IRA and Retirement Plan Limits

Many IRA and retirement plan limits are indexed for inflation each year. Several of these key numbers have increased once again for 2026.

Cost Increases at Private Colleges Outpaced Public Colleges in 2025-2026

Every year, the College Board releases new college cost data and trends in its annual report. The numbers represent average costs for in-state public colleges, out-of-state public colleges, and private colleges and are based on a survey of approximately 4,000 colleges across the U.S.

Mandatory Roth Catch-Up Contributions Begin in 2026

Team of financial professionals reviewing retirement strategies ahead of the 2026 start of Mandatory Roth Catch-Up Contributions.

For nearly a quarter century, employers have been able to offer their retirement savings plan participants age 50 and older a valuable opportunity — the chance to make additional catch-up contributions to their plan.1 Thanks to the SECURE 2.0 Act passed in 2022, that opportunity became even more valuable: Employers may now allow plan participants age 60 to 63 to contribute even more than their other catch-up eligible peers through “super catch-ups.”

The Fed Lowers Rates in an Economic Balancing Act

Federal Reserve announces rate cut to balance inflation and employment in 2025

On September 17, 2025, the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lowered the target range for the benchmark federal funds rate by one-quarter percentage point — the first rate cut in nine months. This brought the range to 4.0%–4.25% and resumed the process of lowering it from a high of 5.25%–5.5%, where it stood from July 2023 to September 2024.

Why Women Need Life Insurance

Mother and child symbolizing financial security through women’s life insurance

Today, women have more financial responsibilities than ever before. How will your family or loved ones manage financially if you die? Whether you are single, married, employed, or a stay-at-home mom, you probably need life insurance. At the very least, life insurance can help pay for the costs of funeral and burial services, estate administration, outstanding debts, estate taxes, and the uninsured expenses of a final illness.