Grandparents who wish to help pay for their grandchildren’s college tuition will soon be able to contribute to a 529 college savings plan without reducing their grandchildren’s eligibility for federal financial aid. Upcoming changes to financial aid rules will do away with current rules, which have prevented many grandparents from contributing to a 529 plan for fear of decreasing the amount of federal aid for which their grandchildren will be eligible.

Back in late 2019, the first significant legislation addressing retirement savings since 2006 became law. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act has resulted in many changes to retirement and estate planning strategies, yet it also raised some questions. The IRS has been left to fill the gaps, most recently with the February 2022 release of proposed regulations which have left many taxpayers confused and unsure of how to proceed.

“Financially speaking, what would be the worst thing that could happen to you?” If you ask a hundred people in their forties that question, you may get a dozen different answers. Some may say “my business going under” or “losing my house.” Some might say “a divorce,” “a lawsuit,” or “being laid off.” But how many would say “a severe illness?”

Since the dawn of time, war and conflict have been with us throughout history, bringing with them their own horrors and uncertainty. Stock markets do not like uncertainty, and when war and conflict strike, stock markets will exhibit bouts of short-term volatility. Wars and conflict can and have led to sharp pullbacks in the markets.

Many investors today have not heard of Series I Savings Bonds. Series I Savings Bonds are bonds issued by the U.S. Government and offer 100% principal protection backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.

A recent survey confirms retirement now looks different for everyone, and there is no “right” path to retirement. Views on retirement differ by generation, with a majority of those surveyed envisioning their financial future will be different from their grandparents, parents and children.

“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again.” – James Earl Jones (Field of Dreams)