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.

You’ll Thank Yourself a Year from NowWith the New Year right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to make resolutions before the calendar flips to January 1. Every year, many people base their resolutions on things like faith, family, and personal wellness. But financial stability tends to trail far behind. For instance, in 2015, only 29% reported financial considerations in their New Year's resolutions. AAFMAA is hoping to change that this year by providing the top 4 financial resolutions to make for 2018: Financial Resolution #1 — Diversify Your Income StreamsDoes the bulk of your annual income come from one source? Is there one slice of the pie that dominates your other income sources? It’s a good idea to diversify your income streams as much as possible so you aren’t dependent on one particular source as your sole income.Create a game a plan to grow other income streams so that you increase your overall income and decrease your reliance on one main source. This resolution is a ...

It has been reported in the media lately that, in 2021, regulators will replace LIBOR (the London Interbank Offered Rate) with a system of rates that are more closely tied to interest rates on actual loans. LIBOR is the financial benchmark that is tied to an estimated $350 trillion of financial instruments like bonds and derivatives and is used to set many variable interest rate transactions, including some adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs). Read the full article to see how the forecast of this economic area will affect your own mortgage rates both in the short- and long-term.

It's impossible to forget the financial crisis of 2007-2008. Large investment banks failed, the government had to bail out financial institutions and other huge corporations, and Americans saw the values of their homes drop significantly. The Federal Reserve responded with a new economic policy, and many elements of those changes are still in place a decade later. Here are 4 basic strategies for making your money grow in our low interest rate economy.