Blog
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Charitable giving growing nicely
October 24th, 2018
The nonprofit sector did very well in 2017, according to the June 2018 report issued by Giving USA. Total gifts to charity exceeded $400 billion for the first time, reaching $410.02 billion. Gifts from individuals are the largest component, and were $14 billion ahead of the 2016 pace. All giving sectors grew, as shown in the table below:
The federal estate tax exemption doubled. Now what?
October 23rd, 2018
Put your beneficiaries first.The traditional “hot button” that has motivated people to see their lawyers about estate planning is taxation. Death taxes—inheritance taxes, estate taxes, federal taxes, state taxes—have taken a notorious toll on unplanned estates over the years. With sound planning, that burden can be lightened or even eliminated. In many cases, the tax savings easily cover the cost of the attorney’s fees for creating the estate plan.
Aretha Franklin’s estate plan
September 28th, 2018
Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” died in August. Her life and musical legacy were remarkable.
Do’s and Don’ts When Using Shopping Apps
August 31st, 2018
Retailers such as Target and Amazon are embracing mobile applications to help consumers save money and time with features like digital wallets and augmented reality. When used strategically, apps can streamline in-store trips and online purchases, but shoppers could also find that convenience comes with a risk: impulsive decisions and overspending.
Peak Cycle?
August 23rd, 2018
Economies and markets tend to behave much like cars accelerating or decelerating. Best pay attention when approaching red lights…
Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago Awards $250K Via Community First Capacity-Building Grant Program
August 20th, 2018
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBank Chicago) is pleased to announce $250,000 was granted through its Community First® Capacity-Building Grant Program to seven nonprofit lenders in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Longevity
August 08th, 2018
According to the latest data from the National Vital Statistics Reports (August 2017, reporting on 2014 experience), a male age 65 should expect to live 18 more years (to age 83) and a female 20.6 years (to age 85.6). Half of 65-year-olds will die sooner, half later.
A new kind of long-term-care insurance
July 25th, 2018
More than 400,000 long-term-care insurance policies were sold in 1992, according to figures published by The Wall Street Journal. These are the policies that help seniors cover the costs of nursing home stays at the end of life. At least 400,000 additional policies were purchased each year in the subsequent ten years, peaking at about 750,000 in 2002. Then sales collapsed, and never again reached the 400,000 level. Last year, reportedly only 66,000 such policies were sold. The need for long-term-care insurance has never been greater. What happened to the market?
How to Shop for Used Clothes — and Why You Should
July 12th, 2018
Buying used clothes at thrift stores may seem like a smart way to slash your spending — and it is. You ought to get gold stars and stickers for spending $10 on jeans instead of $50.
5 Mobile Banking Alerts to Help You Fight Fraud
July 12th, 2018
If a bank account is a house for your money, then mobile alerts are your alarm system. These email or text alerts can help you keep track of when your money enters and exits your accounts — and make sure there’s no breaking-and-entering either.