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. 

NOTE: This article summarizes a piece written by AAFMAA Secretary COL Carlos Perez (USA, Ret.). You can read Perez's words at www.aafmaa.com/SavingandInvesting.

As Benjamin Franklin once noted, death is one of the only certainties in life. Despite this common knowledge, people are often overwhelmed by all the processes that follow a loved one's passing. These procedures are especially complex for military families, in part because of the entitled benefits they must claim from multiple government agencies. Read more about all the action items for survivors following a veteran's death, and about AAFMAA's invaluable role in securing benefits and entitlements for survivors.

You’ve probably noticed in the news that financial advisors offering retirement products and services are required to put their clients’ interests first as of 9 June 2017. This new regulation, known as the Department of Labor (DOL) Fiduciary Rule, won’t be enforced until 1 January 2018. To comply with the rule, brokers must transition their retirement products and services to the DOL fiduciary standard from the suitability standard required by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Rule 2111, which allows them to offer their clients solutions that may not necessarily be in their best interests.

If something were to happen to you today, is your family protected?  When we first started serving, it was relatively simple to provide financial security for our loved ones. The $400,000 life insurance coverage we received through SGLI most likely met all of our needs. Not only do rising prices make life increasingly expensive, but, as life’s circumstances change – we marry, buy a house, have children, and perhaps need to care for others – we have greater responsibilities and a need for better financial protection.