Everyone’s least favorite subject is also one of the most important things to consider during a global pandemic: estate planning, the topic that brings about both the discomfort of facing our own mortality and the urge to ensure our affairs are in order. Perhaps the emergence of COVID-19 prompted you to speak with an attorney and get the ball rolling, or maybe you’ve already had your documents prepared but want to confirm that they’re up-to-date. Regardless of how far along you are in the estate planning process, it’s always a good idea to revisit your plans to make sure that you have everything you need.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing Explained
As environmental and social justice matters continue to make national headlines, you may be wondering if your financial investments align with your personal beliefs and values.
In recent years, the concept of socially responsible investing gave rise to the practice of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing, which uses those guidelines to build a sustainable and ethical portfolio. Potential investments are screened for a variety of factors in each category to ensure that investments are made in companies whose leadership has demonstrated through ethical practices and policies that they care about people and the planet. Like all investing, there are both pros and cons, and it’s important to work with a financial company or advisor who is transparent and trustworthy when deciding if and how to begin ESG investing.
Access to Saving for Retirement
The lack of Americans’ retirement savings, referred to as “retirement insecurity”, is a topic we are hearing more and more about as the Boomer generation ages into retirement. Private company pensions are few and far between these days, putting the onus of saving for retirement on individuals, rather than corporations. Compounding the issue of the lack of retirement savings is the fact that Americans are living longer and will need to save more to cover living expenses and potentially higher medical costs later in life. Elected officials have responded to the potential crisis by enacting legislation such as the SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) and the OregonSaves program.
Understanding the SECURE Act
Signed into law at the end of 2019, the SECURE Act poses potentially significant changes to most Americans’ plans for retirement and estate planning documents. SECURE stands for Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement, and it went into effect on January 1st, 2020. The goal of the bill was to address what some are considering to be a national retirement crisis.
The Conversation on Paying for College
According to an article by Forbes, the average total cost of a four-year degree is now over $100,000, more than double, even when accounting for inflation, than it was 30 years ago. Perhaps even more shocking, the total college price tag grew nearly eight times as fast as wages over the same period. Working your way through college is nearly impossible and it’s no secret that student loans make up the largest slice of non-housing debt in the U.S.
So how do you plan for and advise your child as they weigh their post high school graduation options?
