Financial Plan

A mortgage is one element of total household expenses, such as taxes and heating costs, which are likely to increase over time. It's important to consider increases in household expenses in addition to your mortgage payment. For many households, it's important to...

For many Americans, financial life seems to be getting more and more complicated. Perhaps that's because more workers bear responsibility for their own retirement savings thanks to the proliferation of 401(k) and other plans. Or maybe it's because there's so much...

A key goal of investing for retirement is making sure you save enough to make your money last throughout your lifetime. On this score, women may need to save more than men. The current life expectancy of a female at birth is almost 81 years, compared with 75 years for...

Many homeowners believe that unless they live near a river or in an oceanfront community, they don't need to consider buying flood insurance. But as countless property owners have learned the hard way over the years, if you live in a floodplain, eventually the waters...

Investing a few hours to create and maintain a household budget may be the key to identifying opportunities to save more for the future, including for long-term goals such as retirement. Yet it's surprising how few households take the time to commit to a budget. Many...