An example: A married ... Read More: Gifting: a win-win proposition]]> http://moneyaz.com/2012/02/gifting-a-win-win-proposition/ If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, at some point or another you’ve probably contemplated what you might do should you encounter a bear or other wild animal. Wildlife experts typically recommend these tips: Stay calm and don’t run. Investors might do well to heed that advice when traversing the stock market, as well.

Plan ahead: ... Read More: Investor Tips: Managing and Coping with Risk]]> http://moneyaz.com/2012/02/investor-tips-managing-and-coping-with-risk/ In February, resolve to spend a few hours organizing your personal files and documents.

There are several personal financial records you should keep indefinitely. These include property records (home purchase, significant improvements), pension records, and retirement distribution records. Save copies of any applications or documents where you have designated a beneficiary on your account ... Read More: February: 12 Financial Planning Steps for 12 months in 2012]]> http://moneyaz.com/2012/02/12-financial-planning-steps-for-12-months-in-2012-february/ Stories abound about the fireman who retires at age 45 with a six-figure pension, or the city manager who leaves after just five years’ service with full salary and health coverage for life. What doesn’t make headlines, however, is the growing number of public sector employees who have seen their retirement benefits erode in ... Read More: The Growing Public Sector Pension Gap]]> http://moneyaz.com/2012/01/the-growing-public-sector-pension-gap/ The New Year is always a good time to think about your financial goals and objectives for the year ahead and beyond. But don’t feel as though you have to do everything at once. Instead of the annual ritual of overdoing New Year’s resolutions and making grandiose plans (then backsliding or giving up after a ... Read More: Monthly Financial Planning Resolutions]]> http://moneyaz.com/2012/01/monthly-financial-planning-resolutions/ Better Business Bureau investigates thousands of scams every year, from the latest gimmicks to schemes as old as the hills. This year, they have divided scams up into nine major categories (from jobs and dating to phishing and identity theft) and picked the top scam in each.

The year’s top financial scam centered on ... Read More: Better Business Bureau Names Top Scams of 2011]]> http://moneyaz.com/2012/01/better-business-bureau-names-top-scams-of-2011/ During the last decade, online banking has become one of the fastest growing Internet activities.  Online banks, also called virtual or direct banks, have no physical network of branches. Proponents say the resulting lower cost structure allows online banks to offer reduced fees and more competitive rates.

Online bank customers can bank 24 hours a day, ... Read More: Exploring Alternatives to Traditional Banking]]> http://moneyaz.com/2011/12/exploring-alternatives-to-traditional-banking/ How many retirement accounts do you have? If you’ve changed jobs a few times throughout your career, you could have several accounts housed in different employers’ plans.

While it is certainly acceptable to leave money in an old plan, in some cases it may be a better idea to consolidate your assets. (If your ... Read More: Is it Time to Roll Over Your Retirement Accounts?]]> http://moneyaz.com/2011/12/is-it-time-to-roll-over-your-retirement-accounts/ Last month, I attended the Schwab IMPACT conference for investment advisors in San Francisco. This invitation-only financial-industry conference brings together independent investment advisors with influential presenters, exhibitors and experts to learn about and collaborate on key issues and best practices. It was my extreme honor to speak on a panel about building and managing ... Read More: Leadership, Perseverance, Hope]]> http://moneyaz.com/2011/12/leadership-perseverance-hope/ Investors hear a lot about the benefits of asset allocation, that is, spreading your assets among different types of investments to help reduce risk. But less discussed is an equally important measurement: correlation, which is a way to measure how closely related two types of investments are. In theory, you could be invested in ... Read More: How Closely Correlated Is Your Portfolio?]]> http://moneyaz.com/2011/11/how-closely-correlated-is-your-portfolio/