Passed in 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made several massive changes to tax laws that were intended to provide millions of Americans with significant tax savings.

Written By: Natalie P. McNeal Data Work By: Wade Zhou It's well-documented that the surest, and often best, return on investments comes from playing the long game. But between stocks and real estate, which is the stronger bet?

By Dom DiFurio Americans have long understood that their birthplace can significantly affect their futures, and academics have increasingly been able to connect tangible early life factors like where they live and the friendships they've cultivated with potential future income.

Entering a second marriage? Discover key financial tips to help you and your partner align on money matters—covering estate planning, budgeting, beneficiary updates, and more.

Retirement planning is crucial for everyone, but it introduces particular challenges for women. With longer life expectancies, as well as reduced earning potential due to the gender pay gap and other factors, women face a unique set of obstacles in preparing for retirement compared to men.

If you've been estate planning, you've probably come across the idea of setting up a trust. Trusts are flexible and diverse legal entities that you can use to achieve various estate planning goals, including reducing your estate tax burden.

Losing a spouse is never easy. In addition to processing the profound emotional impact, you and your family must address various financial issues. The challenge can be exacerbated when your spouse was the primary income earner or dealt with your finances independently. The greatest challenge is not to determine the "perfect" next steps to take. Rather, you must figure out how to grieve, process, plan, and grow—all in the context of this life-altering event. 

Financial planning is all about living the life you want to live. A comfortable retirement might be your ultimate goal, but what does that look like for you? Beyond that, how do you expect to get there? You need a financial action plan, and no plan is complete without a starting point. After all, you can only plan to reach a destination if you know from where you're starting.

Everyone has their own unique retirement timeline, needs and strategies. But thanks to factors like Social Security, Medicare and IRS rules, just about everyone will face retirement planning milestones in approximately the same order and at the same stage in life. Here are the major milestones you’ll face in retirement and the ages at which you’ll face them.

You're not alone if you're unfamiliar with the net investment income tax (NIIT). While it's been around since 2010, it's not something that impacts everyone. However, if you have annual investment income and are a high-income earner, you could be subject to this tax—making it important that you understand what it is, how it’s calculated, and how you can plan for it.