Many homeowners will struggle with how to best spend their home improvement budgets. Most home improvement publications will tell you that renovating the kitchen will generally add the most value to your home.

As a member of the military community, the first step in owning the home of your dreams may be understanding the VA Loan and how it works. The VA Loan offers valuable benefits to those who are eligible, but sometimes those benefits are overlooked. We’ve provided four often overlooked insights about the VA Loan

Congress recently passed major tax reform legislation known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. This act is the largest modification to the US tax code in over three decades and means major changes for businesses and individuals. With half of the 2018 tax year already done, are you aware of how these reforms are affecting your military family and the tax return you’ll file next year?

We’re now nearly three months into the open enrollment period for the new Blended Retirement System (BRS), which went into effect for new military members on January 1, 2018. While you have until the end of 2018 decide whether you’ll opt into the BRS or stay with the legacy retirement system, time is of the essence. Each month you wait could mean lost matching funds if you end up going with the BRS. However, making a decision like this one isn’t always easy and should never be rushed.

Managing your day-to-day financial planning needs can be stressful. But those significant life changes, the ones that really require special attention and strategies, could just paralyze you into inaction. Having kids to care for, attending college, changing relationships — they all affect the way you spend money and balance your budget. Let’s consider why eight of these unique life situations may cause you to seek the advice of a financial expert.

Americans are living longer. That’s the good news. The bad news is that most people aren’t financially prepared. Many Baby Boomers will be in retirement for more than 20 years but many aren’t saving and investing with a longer life expectancy in mind.

There are serious consequences to financial planning around the wrong life expectancy. Some retirees are working later in life; others live in fear of running out of money, while others are leaving less of a legacy than they hoped. No one wants to run out of money in retirement.

We have that December feeling — a crisp chill in the air, the tinkling of sleigh bells, and a mailbox overfilled with donation requests from charitable organizations. As Americans, we gave over $373 billion in 2016 alone. As your desire to give grows this time of year, we have outlined some tips to ensure you can do so with peace-of-mind that your gift provides maximum efficiency for both you and your charity of choice.