The Money Blog

Annuities are a tax-deferred investment that is similar to life insurance in that they sometimes include a death benefit of a guaranteed minimum amount to a designated beneficiary. They grow tax-sheltered and you don't pay taxes until you withdraw the money. They are backed by the financial strength of the insurance company you make the purchase through. A conservative investor likes the idea of an annuity because you can convert the investment into a stream of periodic payments over the course of a lifetime and know exactly how much it will pay you and when.

As the hot summer temperatures start to climb, people start looking for ways to keep cool without having to empty their bank accounts to do it. Gas prices are increasing again, causing families to reconsider summer fun trips to water parks and amusement parks and find ways to entertain everyone in their own yards. Here are some tips for keeping cool without heating up your bank account:

A financial windfall is an unexpected, unearned, or sudden gain or advantage. When people are trying to create household budgets, most of the time they fail to plan for windfalls – but we all experience them from time to time. A windfall of any amount can make a difference to your savings plans, but only if you have a method for dealing with windfalls in place before you receive them.

Some banks offer what is known as “courtesy overdraft” protection or “bounced protection”. It's different from the traditional overdraft protection in that most customers end up getting courtesy overdraft without even knowing they have it. Often, you have to opt-out if you don't want the protection. At first glance, it seems that having the bank cover you if you make a mistake is a good thing to have – after all, it saves you from embarrassment at the checkout line if you have made a mistake and write a check or swipe your debit card for more than what you have available in your checking account, right?

There seems to be two primary schools of thought surrounding 401k retirement plans – you either love 'em or hate 'em. If you're working for an employer who offers 401k plans and have decided to use the account to save for your retirement, you're probably wondering how much you should save in your 401k. Here are some guidelines and tips for deciding how much to save through 401k accounts: