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Fifty-four percent of American workers have saved less than $25,000 for retirement, and 43% have saved less than $10,000.¹
Source: 1) Employee Benefit Research Institute, 2010

Will you outlive your retirement income?  How much liability insurance should you have? Should you add stocks to your portfolio?  Are your financial expectations for the coming year realistic?

Our financial newsletters are designed to provide helpful information on a wide variety of financial topics.  Simply click on one of the newsletter topics below to read the article in its entirety.

Before implementing any strategy discussed herein, you should consult with your own financial, tax, and/or legal advisors to determine its applicability in light of your own situation.

Most insurance policies and annuity contracts contain exclusions, limitations, reductions of benefits, surrender charges and terms for keeping them in force. Your representative can provide you with costs and complete details.

The information contained in this article is not intended to (and cannot) be used by anyone to avoid IRS penalties. These articles supports the promotion and marketing of this [life insurance, annuity, long term care, disability, pension, etc. You should seek advice based on your particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.

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• Financial Insights

  14 Tips for Beating the High Cost of College
  The cost of a college education continues to soar at a rate faster than inflation. Here are tips you can follow to help you rein in the costs, as well as be financially prepared, when the tuition bills start coming.

  Building a Savings Ethic
  Here are a few tips for building a savings program that may help you improve your own economic outlook, leave you room to enjoy your spending and make you a creditor - not a debtor.

  The Tortoise and the Hare
  The Steady Advantages of Dollar Cost Averaging: When markets get a little too volatile for your liking, it may be a particularly good time to adopt a disciplined investing approach that could help keep you out of serious trouble.

• April

  HOT TOPIC: Eye on Japan's Recovery Within a Recovery
  Japan’s economy hasn’t been on solid ground since the 1990s, but now it must grapple with rebuilding after an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident that have caused economic losses expected to surpass $300 billion. What is the outlook for Japan and the effects the nation's disasters could have on the world economy and financial markets?

  Consider Your Retirement Needs, but Don't Forget Your Retirement Wants
  A rule of thumb is that workers will need to replace about 80% of their pre-retirement incomes to maintain their standard of living in retirement. But they may need more than 80% to fund a lifestyle that they can truly look forward to. As people grow older, what once may have been considered luxuries can become basic needs.

  Making Money Market Funds Work for You
  Some investors turn to money market funds when they are concerned about market volatility. Although money market funds may carry less risk than stocks, investing in them as a reaction to market volatility also carries the risk of missing out on potential gains when the market begins to recover.

  Dispelling Umbrella Insurance Myths
  Many people may think their chances of being hit with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit are fairly slim. Besides, wouldn't the liability coverage on their homeowners and auto insurance policies be enough to protect them against a claim or a lawsuit? Unfortunately, there are misconceptions about umbrella liability insurance that could cause someone to be underinsured.

  How Interest Rates Can Influence Financial Decisions
  The Federal Reserve has relied on its control of short-term interest rates to influence economic activity. Adjusting interest rates might seem to be an overly simple solution for steering the world's most powerful economy, but few mechanisms can influence behavior more effectively than interest rates.

  Protect Your Business with a Disaster Readiness Plan
  Most people think of hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes as events that could seriously affect the operations of a business and result in shortages of goods and materials. But even a fire or a flood in the warehouse can cause operations to come to a grinding halt. By one estimate, one-quarter of businesses never reopen after a major calamity.