Inflation should always be something to consider when planning for the future, especially when it comes to the investments that will give you an income during retirement. Because of the nature of inflation, it lowers your returns.

The complexities of tax and estate laws are great and consistently changing. These changes have a trickle effect on other decisions.

It’s frustrating to know that the dollar just doesn’t go as far as it used to compared to the past decades. However, understanding how it works, how inflation is measured, and how it affects your finances will levy the frustrations and insecurity over future inflation.

Long waited security measures to your Medicare card have arrived! In summary, your new card will have a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) that will be used in lieu of your social security number.

Owning company stock inside your employer retirement plan, e.g., 401(k), can be a great employee benefit. At retirement, assuming the tax-deferred value of your company stock has grown, you may want to consider a frequently underused strategy called Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA).

Investment income on 529 accounts is exempt from both federal and Minnesota income taxes if the income is used for qualifying higher education expenses. Qualifying expenses include tuition, fees, room and board, books, and some other education expenses.

Prudence tells us that stock markets tend to grow over the long term while being relatively volatile in shorter periods (Dot-com bubble, great recession, fiscal cliffs, Greek debt crisis, trade wars, etc). Planning helps us to use that wisdom to protect ourselves from the shock.