The average family spends an extra $1,000 or more during the holiday season. From gifts and travel to dinners, shows, and decorations, each purchase adds up. How might you take full advantage of holiday cheer while avoiding the financial stress of going over budget? Here are four tips to help your budget have a happy holiday season.

Generational wealth involves proactive financial planning, especially when parents or grandparents pass on their wealth to loved ones after they die. Entrusting family members with receiving an inheritance is more than just getting a hold of assets or a check in the mail. It is about understanding how to steward the hard-earned wealth that you and your spouse spent your lives building.You are not alone if you are uncomfortable discussing your finances with your children or grandchildren.

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and with it comes more opportunities to spend time with friends and family; but also more money. There's a lot that goes into this time of year, from hosting family and friends to decorating your home to buying presents for everyone on your list.

If you or a loved one are approaching the point of needing elder care, you may be wondering what your options are. What level of care is right for your situation? How will you pay for care? What will happen when you need a more intensive level of care? Here we discuss some of the most important estate planning factors for elders and their caregivers.

A trust is a legal vehicle that protects your assets that contains instructions for your assets when you die or become incapacitated. When you set up a trust, you transfer assets from your name into your trust's name while you still retain control of the assets until you die. Trusts can hold many different assets, such as cash and bank accounts, real estate, securities, ownership interests in business entities, and other assets. For assets you want to preserve and transfer, it's essentia

A 401(k) plan is one of the most popular and effective techniques for saving for your retirement. A company will automatically withdraw and contribute money from each paycheck to your 401(k) plan. Some employers will even match a percentage of the contribution. Are you maximizing these contributions? There are also limits on how much you are allowed to contribute annually. Here is a 401(k) end-of-the-year checklist you may find beneficial in keeping up with your retirement strategy.

Those who receive an inheritance with the passing of a loved one are potentially given the gift of financial freedom if they choose to manage the wealth carefully. Did you know that only about one-third of adults have a prepared will, and about 40% with investable assets of $1 million or more never discuss their estate plans with their children?

One of the more difficult conversations for family members to have is talking about estate planning. There are several reasons for this, including the reality of our own mortality and that of our loved ones. In some families, it is an unspoken taboo to talk about money.