Posts by Nadia Ahmad, CEPF®
Investing for Beginners
What Is After-Hours Trading? How Do You Do It?
After-hours trading happens outside the standard hours during which a stock exchange (such as the Nasdaq or New York Stock Exchange) is open. This trading can fall under post-market trading, which happens between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., or pre-market… read more…
Tax Policy
2025 Capital Gains Tax Rates by State
Investors must pay capital gains taxes on the income they make as a profit from selling investments or assets. The federal government taxes long-term capital gains at the rates of 0%, 15% and 20%, depending on filing status and income.… read more…
Tax Filing
What Are the 2025 Capital Gains Tax Rates?
Investing is all about making your money work for you – getting money without having to actually perform labor. But what some investors may initially neglect to take into account is the fact that investment gains mean investment income, and… read more…
Estate Planning
A Guide to Wealth Transfer Planning
Whether you’ve been aware for some time that you’ll eventually need to pass on a substantial amount of wealth to loved one, or you’ve more unexpectedly come into a large sum of money and don’t know how to plan for… read more…
Insurance
Understanding Short-Term Care Insurance
Short-term care encompasses services that people usually need when they are unable to take care of daily activities on their own, including services involving stays in an assisted living facility or skilled nursing home, services offered by home health care aides or even certain prescription medications. Additional recovery time at home – or even additional… read more…
How to Invest
How to Invest for Your Kids
Investing for your children might be a strange concept to grasp – children don’t usually have income, so why would they need you as a caretaker to add yet another financial responsibility to your plate? The answer is more forward-looking… read more…
Investing for Beginners
What Is a Restricted Stock Unit (RSU)?
A restricted stock unit (RSU) is a form of common stock that a company promises to deliver to an employee at a future date, depending on various vesting and performance conditions. Restricted stock units are not received until these restrictions… read more…
Brokerage
What Is the Average Investment Management Fee?
The general rule for financial advisor fees is about 1%. More specifically, according to a 2019 study by RIA in a Box, the average financial advisor firm fee is equal to 1.17% of assets under management (AUM), compared to a 0.95% average in 2018. As an example, a $1 million account would have to pay… read more…
Retirement Planning
Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor About Retirement
Planning for retirement can be overwhelming, because it involves figuring out a plan for your money that is supposed to have last you for a long period of time, and often involves sorting things out now for a point time… read more…
Retirement
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
Employee benefits can cover many types of perks that a worker can receive from a company — including health insurance, paid time off, family leave, professional development and more. For employees who are looking to be able to enjoy an actual stake in the company — and company owners who wish to find a way… read more…
Trusts
How to Set Up a Trust Bank Account
Understanding what you need to support your loved ones during and after your life can be a daunting task. Especially when it comes to the issue of assets and finances. Many people take steps like setting up a will or trust through a financial advisor. But beyond those legal agreements, a question arises about whether special… read more…
Estate Planning
Guardianship vs. Custody: What’s the Difference?
Both guardianship and custody describe legal relationships between an adult and a child. Custody refers to a child’s biological parents, whereas guardianship would be given to a non-biological parent. Thinking about custody may be a necessary part of a couple’s separation or divorce proceedings, whereas guardianship is usually a more long-term approach to this kind… read more…
Estate Planning
Power of Attorney vs. Guardianship
Both power of attorney and guardianship are forms of fiduciary relationships in which one person acts on behalf of another. They are tools you can use to name somebody who can act for you if you become incapacitated or unable to make financial decisions in particular. Circumstances will vary based on your personal financial situation, which… read more…
Estate Planning
A Complete Guide to Adult Guardianship
Caring for one’s own financial situation is a key part of one’s own independence. But there are some cases where a person needs help making legal and financial decisions. That’s where the concept of guardianship comes in. Guardianship is not… read more…
Advisor Basics
What Is an Investment Consultant?
An investment consultant is a financial professional who provides advice on how to manage investments, aiming to help clients meet their financial goals. They analyze financial data, recommend investment strategies and often assist in selecting and monitoring investments such as stocks, bonds or mutual funds. Investment consultants work with individuals, businesses or institutions, offering insights… read more…
Advisor Basics
What Can a Wealth Advisor Do for High-Net-Worth Clients?
A wealth advisor is a type of financial advisor who serves mostly high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. This means they are usually working with very large amounts money for these clients. If you are looking to find a financial advisor, consider… read more…
Checking Account
What Is the Average Savings by Age?
If you have enough money, putting some kind of savings aside for both short- and long-term goals is important. After covering general expenses for your daily or monthly budget, an emergency fund could help you prepare for short-term costs such as… read more…
Long-Term Care Insurance
AARP Long-Term Care Insurance Review
The services that fall under long-term care are wide-ranging. In fact, they may be needed for the young and old, as it’s simply for those who have disabilities or debilitating health conditions. Long-term care is different from other kinds of healthcare in that it can involve what’s known as custodial care. This includes personal aid… read more…
Long-Term Care Insurance
New York Life Long-Term Care Insurance Review
Long-term care can cover a wide variety of services. The need for it can arise for anyone at any time, regardless of whether they have a disability or are a senior citizen. Long-term care goes beyond normal healthcare to encompass custodial care, which includes help with daily activities like bathing, cooking and getting dressed. In… read more…
Long-Term Care Insurance
Northwestern Mutual Long-Term Care Insurance Review
Long-term care encompasses a variety of services that may be necessary for people who have disabilities or debilitating health conditions. The need for it can arise for anyone at any time. Long-term care is different from other kinds of healthcare in that it can involve assistance with aspects of what’s known as custodial care, which… read more…
Long-Term Care Insurance
MassMutual Long-Term Care Insurance Review
Long-term care (LTC) insurance encompasses a variety of services that may be necessary for people who have disabilities or debilitating health conditions. The need for it can arise for anyone at any time. Long-term care is different from other kinds of healthcare or medical care in that it can involve assistance with aspects of what’s… read more…
Cost of Living & Taxes
Income Needed to Pay Rent in the Largest U.S. Cities – 2021 Edition
Housing insecurity and lack of protection from evictions have become even more pressing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a March 2021 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), an estimated 8.8 million renter households were behind on their rental payments as of December 2020. Staying ahead of and completing rental payments can… read more…
Cost of Living & Taxes
Cities Where Renters Can Afford to Live Alone – 2021 Edition
The nationwide median monthly rent in 2019 was $934 for a studio apartment and $953 for a one-bedroom, according to Census Bureau data. This can add up to anywhere between about $11,200 and $11,400 per year for solo renters. Living with a roommate is a common alternative to save money, but some residents may prefer to… read more…
Financial Advisor
How to Use Cold Storage for Bitcoin
Cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin relies on the use of both public and private keys, the first of which allows the receipt of cryptocurrency transactions and the second of which allows the owner to prove and unlock the cryptocurrency received through… read more…
Financial Advisor
How to Trade Bitcoin Futures
If you’re an investor who is otherwise familiar with trading strategies involving futures and options, you may have wondered whether futures trading applies to cryptocurrency too. The good news is that Bitcoin futures contracts are indeed available for investors, allowing… read more…