Mindy Charski

Life insurance is designed to provide that financial security for your loved ones after your death. However, types of permanent life insurance also have a bonus: the opportunity to build savings over time that you can use during your lifetime. Two popular permanent life insurance options include universal life insurance and whole life insurance. Comparing the two can help you discover the best option for you.

A Roth 401(k) can help you work toward your retirement savings goals, but it has a different kind of tax advantage than a traditional 401(k). A Roth 401(k) shares its tax advantage with its older cousin from the other side of the family tree, the Roth individual retirement account (IRA).

These accounts play well together—you can use all three to grow your nest egg. First, though, you should explore the ins and outs of a Roth 401(k) and understand how it differs from other retirement plans.

There's more to estate management than simply swapping the names on your bank accounts. Your estate could owe taxes on property that transfers when you die, which would reduce the total value of the assets available to your beneficiaries.

You can minimize the impact of these "death taxes" through thoughtful estate tax planning. The first step is understanding the nuances of how taxes fit into wealth transfer strategies to use them to your advantage, whether upon your death or during your lifetime.

Here are seven things you should know to help you strategize your estate tax planning.

Clear Mountain Bank is embracing flexibility, innovation and collaboration as it continues its ascent as a small-business connector in West Virginia.

At this point, you likely know inflation has been hitting historic highs worldwide. In the U.S., a gauge known as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicates that consumer prices rose 9.1% from June 2021 to June 2022 —the largest 12-month increase in 40 years.

And it's not just inflation that's increased—both inflation and interest rates have moved sharply higher, which is no coincidence.

Retirement funds may be particularly top of mind if you're going through a divorce in your later years. You may wonder if you're eligible to collect Social Security based on your ex-spouse's record—and, if so, how much you're entitled to.

Inflation is the rate of change in the prices of many goods and services over time. That rate has hit historic highs over the past year: You likely experience the pinch of inflation every time you make a purchase these days, but this headache-inducing phenomenon still may feel unfamiliar to you. After all, inflation in the U.S. economy has generally been low for the past 30 years.

As prices skyrocket, it's worth understanding how inflation works and how to tame it.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) may sound like intimidating investment instruments, but at their core, they're diversified portfolios, like mutual funds, that are easily traded, like stocks. But how do ETFs work exactly, and could they be a good addition to your taxable, tax-deferred or tax-free accounts? Read on to learn more about these increasingly popular securities.