This past May, sales of new homes plunged to the lowest levels seen since such data began to be recorded in 1963. June and July sales have been tepid. Are home sales likely to remain in a funk for a few years? Some demographers think it’s like…

Have you always wanted to leave something behind that will stand as your legacy and remain long after you have gone? Maybe you have a passion concerning a specific non-profit organization that you would like donate to on a regular basis. Maybe others have asked you set something in motion and they would like to contribute to your philanthropic cause?

Most Financial Planners recommend setting aside a separate cash reserve to cover expenses for emergencies such as a leaky roof, broken furnace, medical expense not covered by insurance or a job loss. Not sure where and how to start your emergency fund? Here are 3 steps to consider when setting up your fund:

If you intentionally over-fund your Roth IRA, above the amount that you’re allowed to contribute for the tax year. The tax law allows you to remove the excess contribution by October 15 of the year following the year of contribution. If you do not remove the excess contribution (and the gains associated with it) by that point, you will be subject to a 6% excise tax on the excess contribution until the situation is rectified.

For those of you who are not familiar, BrightScope is a start-up company that has introduced an online-database and ranking tool for 401(k) plans. They use information culled from 5500 reports and the DOL to gather data and rank plans along six key factors:

Besides income and expenses, the house is another issue that sometimes has some aberrant circumstances in this recession. During a “normal” economy, it’s pretty common for divorcing families either sell the home or one of them continues to live in it. Seems pretty straightforward.