Are you currently or have you ever worried about the state of your financial situation? Whether you’re struggling to pay off debts, living paycheck to paycheck, living with minimal savings, or falling behind on retirement contributions, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced anxiety about your finances at some point in your life. After all, a January 2020 CreditWise survey by Capital One found 73% of Americans rank finances as their #1 cause of stress, significantly more than the rates of stress caused by politics, work, and family. Notably, the survey also found that more than 80% of Millennials and Gen Zers are reportedly stressed out by their personal finances. Still, financial stress isn’t exclusively a younger generation problem, of course. … Read more

Nobody wants to think about dying, but unfortunately, it’s such a big component of financial planning that you can’t afford to ignore the prospects of dying earlier than expected. In addition to planning for the future with life insurance options, you should also be aware of Social Security survivor benefits. Social Security Survivor Benefits When You Report a Death In most cases, funeral homes are responsible for reporting deaths to the Social Security Administration (though you need to give their Social Security number beforehand). If you want or need to report the death yourself, you can call 1-800-772-1213 (Mon-Fri, 7am to 7pm) or visit a local Social Security office to file the report. It’s important not to cash any checks … Read more