Richard Best

As American workers began to shoulder more of the responsibility for funding their retirement years, retirement calculators became a popular tool to help people achieve their goals. A Google search for “online retirement calculator” garners tens of thousands of hits. […]

Most financial advisors will tell you that the best age for starting an income annuity is between 70 and 75, which allows for the maximum payout. However, only you can decide when it’s time for a guaranteed stream of income.

Recessionary periods are inevitable. Now is as good a time as any to prepare to take advantage of the next recession. Here are three ways to do just that. Key Takeaways As stock prices fall, use dollar-cost averaging to buy

When you need a small-business loan—either to fund your next stage of growth or to keep your business on solid ground during an unexpected crisis—one thing to consider is whether you’ll be expected to provide collateral for the loan. Collateral

People who use certificates of deposit (CDs) to store their money tend to do so to avoid the risk associated with market-based assets, such as stocks and bonds. However, for long-term investors, CDs may present a different type of risk

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) reforms for money market funds were implemented on Oct. 14, 2016. These reform rules drastically changed the way investors and the affected fund providers view money market funds as an alternative for short-term

An increasing number of yield-starved investors are finding refuge in one of the last areas of high-yield and relatively safe investments—real estate investment trusts (REITs). With dividend yields averaging twice those found in common stocks, some as high as 10%

The index mutual fund industry has only grown in size and popularity since it began with Vanguard’s 500 Index Fund in 1976. Index funds track the components of a market index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, and

As a mortgage is paid down, the equity in the home increases, assuming its value holds steady or increases. Home equity can be a valuable resource for homeowners, but it is also a precious one that is easily squandered if

A world currency is any money that can freely be used or exchanged for another currency inside or outside the borders of the country that issues it. It may also be called a global currency. The first U.S. dollar (USD)