Education Resource

Mark Miller, Morningstar2 PRINT The bipartisan budget deal signed into law last week by President Obama jolted some near-retirement couples–and the retirement-planning world–by closing a loophole in Social Security law that a growing number of married couples were using to substantially increase their benefits. The law makes changes in two Social Security claiming maneuvers–“file-and-suspend” and…

Investopedia2 PRINT It’s official! Congress and the White House agreed on something (yes, you read that right: ALL of Congress AND the White House). To avoid a possible government shutdown – something quite embarrassing going into an election year – a $1.15 trillion fiscal package was signed into law Friday. The bill includes 2,009 pages…

Financial changes top New Year’s resolution lists every year. Whether your resolve involves saving more, spending less or digging out of debt, here are five mistakes that will keep you from keeping your financial resolutions, and how you can avoid these common pitfalls. 1. Not “Paying Yourself First” All your good intentions to save more…

Stocks tell a story if you know what to look for.  Learn to how to identify simple technical patterns.

Christine Benz, Morningstar2 PRINT As the new year dawns, many investors start out with the best of intentions. They plan to scrupulously document their spending, stick to a budget, pay down debt, and kick up their investment contributions. They aim to overhaul their portfolios so they’re in line with their asset-allocation targets and to ensure…

Investopedia2 PRINT World markets have seen a spike in volatility over the past few weeks as stock prices have gyrated wildly. Sparked by uncertainty over the Chinese economy, European monetary policy, and the possibility of a U.S. interest rate hike, investors have begun to show signs of panic. General stock market volatility in the United…