NAIFA is proud to celebrate National 529 College Savings Plan Day today! It's a day that holds special significance for parents, students, and guardians. The importance of a 529 College Savings Plan when it comes to financial planning should not be overlooked! 

Well what is a 529 College Savings Plan? A 529 plan is an education savings plan designed to help families set aside funds for future college costs. Named after Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, these plans are sponsored by states, state agencies, or educational institutions, and offer tax advantages to boost educational savings.

On May 23rd, we celebrate National Lucky Penny Day. The penny may be the smallest denomination of American currency, but it has a big story to tell. In today's society, finding a penny is often seen as a sign of good luck.

This is also a perfect day to look at the power of the penny when it comes to saving and investing!            

When we fall in love, everything is idealized. We promise to spend our lives together. We make plans for the future. And we often forget to talk about money.

As more couples wait until later into adulthood to get married, it becomes more of a challenge to blend households, says Ted Chapin, Ph.D., President of Chapin & Russell Associates in Peoria, Ill., and a licensed clinical psychologist.

The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) is dedicated to equipping individuals with the necessary financial know-how and confidence to successfully navigate their financial lives. That's why we're wholeheartedly embracing National Teach Your Children to Save Day, a nationwide initiative focused on providing young people with the vital skills and resources needed to make informed financial choices.

At NAIFA, we're devoted to empowering individuals with the financial knowledge and confidence they need to effectively manage their resources. That's the driving force behind our enthusiasm for National Financial Awareness Day, a nationwide effort centered on equipping people with the essential skills and resources to make wise financial decisions.

At NAIFA, we're passionate about helping people become more financially savvy and confident in managing their money. That's why we're excited to celebrate Money Smart Week, a nationwide initiative focused on empowering individuals with the knowledge and tools they need to make smarter financial decisions.

Money Smart Week is all about raising awareness of the value of financial literacy, ensuring everyone has access to essential financial resources, and highlighting the importance of making wise money choices. Our goal is to improve the financial well-being of everyone, acknowledging the unique challenges many people face when it comes to managing their finances.

A dividend is a return on your investment paid out at intervals throughout the year, typically on a quarterly cycle, by the company in which you purchased shares.

Established, financially secure companies are more likely to issue dividends, an indication that funds are plentiful and that the company is able to both reinvest in its operations and reward shareholders.

Many investors put their money into dividend-paying stocks because they offer a significantly better return than bonds, and they are typically not high-risk investments.

Mortgage interest rates fluctuate often, which can make it frustrating for homebuyers to snag their ideal rate at closing time. This is where a mortgage rate lock comes in.

Locking in your interest rate can save you the stress of losing a great rate while you wait to close on your mortgage. 

Generally, the benefits far outweigh the risks, but working closely with your loan officer will help you make the right moves.

Most married couples never think about filing their taxes separately. They simply check off “married filing jointly” on their tax form and move on to the hard questions.

Generally speaking, a married couple should file their taxes together. Filing jointly combines a couple’s two incomes into one amount, which, after excluding nontaxable income, becomes the couple’s adjusted gross income (AGI). This larger number may push a couple’s income into the eligibility zone of certain deductions and credits.

Nevertheless, there are certain situations when you should consider opting for “married filing separately”.

If you’re saddled with significant debt, you might wonder if refinancing your mortgage to pay off debt is a good idea.

Millions of Americans are dealing with consumer debt—estimated to have increased to $15.31 trillion in the third quarter (or Q3) of 2021, an increase of 5.4% or $772 billion.

And consumer debt is not the only kind they have to figure out how to repay.