Jude Boudreaux, Author at The Planning Center

The Road Ahead: Financial Markets, Volatility, and Your Portfolio

Volatility is actually a sign that markets are doing what they do best: pricing in the expected impact of currently known factors.

Settling a Loved One’s Estate: Some Basic Information

But how much do most really understand about the basics of estate planning and inheritance law? In this article, we’ll provide a brief summary of some of the more common estate plans and offer an overview of the responsibilities of an executor.

Your Tax Bracket and Your Retirement Strategy

One important question that all who are approaching retirement should consider is how taxes will impact their retirement income. Especially since most retirees are “spending down” their retirement nest egg, making it last as long as possible is a high priority.

Grandparents and Gifting: Doing It the Right Way

We’ve written previously about various ways grandparents might want to structure the financial gifts they provide for their grandchildren. Grandparents may wish to include their grandchildren in their annual gifting plans as a regular part of their estate planning; in 2024, by combining their individual gift tax exclusions, a married couple filing jointly can gift as much as $36,000 to one or more individuals.

One Step at a Time: Getting through the Early Stages of Widowhood

Because losing a spouse is an emotionally tough time, managing financial tasks may feel almost impossible. In addition to consulting with your wealth advisor, ask for help from a trusted family member or close friend.

Family Gifting Is Great, Just Don’t Be Too Late!

Since its enactment in 1932, families with significant assets have utilized the annual gift tax exclusion as a tool for both transferring wealth to the next generations and also reducing the size of the taxable estate.

In the Wake of the Unthinkable: Starting to Pick Up the Pieces after Losing a Loved One

For most of us, contemplating the loss of a spouse or other loved one is the most difficult thing imaginable. In his classic book A Grief Observed, beloved writer C. S. Lewis offers this description of how the world can appear to someone grieving such a loss: “Her absence is like the sky: spread over everything.”

Taxes and Your Investments: Understanding the Basics

The main reason we invest is to make money, but it’s also important to understand how the government’s share is calculated and how it affects your outcomes.