By Dan Lear

by Kyle Berg

Imagine this. You’ve worked hard to save every penny you could so that you can finally call it quits and not have to work another day in your life. Your retirement savings have well exceeded the United States household average of $17,000. Now, you are six months into your 70s and Uncle Sam wants a cut of what you have worked so hard to save. So, you have to take a required minimum distribution, or RMD for short. Failing to do so will cost you 50% of the distribution, which is something you want to avoid at all costs.

Conventional wisdom says that what goes up must come down. But even if you view market volatility as a normal occurrence, it can be tough to handle when your money is at stake. Though there's no foolproof way to handle the ups and downs of the stock market, the following common-sense tips can help.

The following article is provided by Ed Slott and Company. Affiance is granted access to this content as part of Financial Planner Seth Meisler’s membership in Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group — an exclusive group for financial advisors dedicated to being leaders in the IRA industry.

Starting a new year is often the perfect catalyst for revitalizing your ambition to tackle those tasks which you otherwise just can’t seem to get started on. If you’re feeling nagged by student loan or credit card debt, this article may help you develop a plan that will set you on the path toward a worry free relationship with debt.

Affiance Financial is growing again! This quarter, we added one new face and one old face to our team. Intrigued? Read on for an introduction, and reintroduction, to our latest team members.

by Omer Abramovich

With the holiday season upon us, the idea of giving is everywhere. Giving gifts. Giving to charity. As a new father, I’ve been thinking about what to give my son. Sure, there will be plenty of cute baby clothes and fun toys unwrapped at our house. But what about a really meaningful, lasting gift, like paying for his future education? Or even giving him a jump start on financial independence? What better time to start saving for my son’s future than during the holiday season?

By Steven Schoenberger

I am a big fan of Google, and whenever they ask me to review my account information, they win me over again. What began as a search company has become a digital platform for creating, accessing, preserving, and eventually transferring much of my digital life.

What is the Medicare open enrollment period?

The Medicare open enrollment period is the time during which people with Medicare can make new choices and pick plans that work best for them. Each year, Medicare plans typically change what the plans cost and cover. In addition, your health-care needs may have changed over the past year.