Jennifer Perry Middleton Jefferson Jimplecute The Jefferson Independent School District’s Board of trustees swore in new members and considered the creation of a paid pre-K program during their regular meeting Wednesday. Kirstin Johnson, Joey Romano and Jason Bonner were sworn into their respective seats by Marion County Judge Leward LaFleur.Continue Reading
From Joey Romano, Edward Jones This year, you have until April 18 to file your taxes. So, you may want to meet with your tax professional soon to discuss changes that could affect you. For starters, if you took a coronavirus-related withdrawal from your 401(k) or IRA in 2020, youContinue Reading
Consider these types of tax-smart contributions This year’s tax-filing deadline of April 18 is not that far off, but you still have time to make some moves that could favorably affect your tax returns. So, you may want to consider some tax-smart contributions. For starters, you have until the AprilContinue Reading
Jeffersonians Joey Romano and Cynthia Simmons tied the knot this week in Las Vegas! According to a Facebook post, they were married at the “Little White Wedding Chapel.” Continue Reading
Joey Romano/Edward Jones You may never need any type of long-term care – but if you did, could you afford it? It can be expensive. The median annual cost for a private room in a nursing home is about $105,000, according to the insurance company Genworth. But even if youContinue Reading
Joey Romano/Edward Jones Here’s something to think about: The average retired couple may need $10,000 to $12,000 per year for health care costs, not including long-term care. So how can you prepare for these expenses? First, take full advantage of your health savings account, if one is offered by your employer.Continue Reading
Joey Romano/Edward Jones You could spend two or three decades in retirement. To meet your income needs for all those years, you’ll generally need a sizable amount of retirement assets. How will Social Security fit into the picture? First, you’ll need to decide when to begin taking your benefits. You canContinue Reading
Joey Romano/ Edward Jones Have you recently become self-employed, or are you thinking of doing so in the near future? If so, how can you get on the road to financial security? First, establish a budget – when you’re starting out on your own, you need to keep tight control overContinue Reading
Joey Romano/Edward Jones You may already be somewhat familiar with the 529 plan, a popular education savings account that offers federally tax-free withdrawals if the money is used for qualified expenses. But you may not be aware of some newer eligible expenses for this plan. First of all, in the wakeContinue Reading
By Joey Romano, Edward Jones The COVID-19 pandemic is, hopefully, just a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, but all sorts of events can rattle the investment world. And changes in your own life also can affect your plans. To prepare yourself for whatever tomorrow may hold, you may want to get some professionalContinue Reading
Joey Romano/Edward Jones What’s the biggest financial mistake you can make? Choosing the wrong investments? Waiting too long to save for retirement? Underestimating the costs of retirement? All these are reasonable answers, but the biggest mistake you might make is not looking at your financial picture holistically – that is, notContinue Reading
Joey Romano/Edward Jones On April 22, we observed Earth Day, an occasion that has inspired millions of people over the decades to take steps to clean up our world. Of course, your physical surroundings are important, but you also operate in other “ecosystems” – social, cultural and political. And you’ll needContinue Reading
By Edward Jones’ Joey Romano If you’re planning to retire in just a few years, you may be getting excited about this next phase of your life. However, your ability to enjoy retirement fully will depend, at least partially, on the resources you can draw from your investment portfolio. So,Continue Reading
By Edward Jones’ Joey Romano In just a few days, we will experience the vernal equinox – one of the two times in the year when the sun is exactly above the equator. Apart from this astronomical anomaly, though, the equinox is mostly known as the beginning of spring –Continue Reading
From Edward Jones’ Joey Romano Now that we’re a few weeks removed from 2020, it’s a good time to reflect on such a momentous year. We can think about developments in the social and political spheres, but we also learned – or perhaps re-learned – some valuable lessons about investing.Continue Reading
From Edward Jones’ Joey Romano If you’ve been investing for many years and you’ve owned bonds, you’ve seen some pretty big changes on your financial statements. In 2000, the average yield on a 10-year U.S. Treasury security was about 6%; in 2010, it had dropped to slightly over 3%, andContinue Reading
From Edward Jones’ Joey Romano When you begin investing, you’ll generally assess your comfort with risk, as your investment choices will be guided at least partially by your risk tolerance. But once you actually experience the ups and downs of the market, this tolerance could be tested. Risk tolerance mayContinue Reading
From Edward Jones’ Joey Romano If you’ve been contributing for many years to your 401(k) or similar retirement plan, it may be your largest pool of money. So, if you are facing a financial need, you may think about tapping into your account. After all, it’s your money – whyContinue Reading
From Edward Jones’ Joey Romano If you’re a caregiver, possibly for a loved one dealing with an illness such as Alzheimer’s disease, you’re probably already facing some significant emotional and physical challenges – so you don’t need any financial ones as well. Yet, they are difficult to avoid. What stepsContinue Reading
From Edward Jones’ Joey Romano If you’ve recently become a widow or widower, you’re obviously dealing with an enormous emotional burden, and coping with your grief can seem like a full-time struggle. Unfortunately, the business of life must go on – and the financial moves you make at this timeContinue Reading