Financial Focus Archive

A 529 education savings plan might sound like something only families with college-bound kids need. But the versatility of a 529 account may surprise you, whether your child heads to a four-year university, a trade school or elsewhere. 

Let’s say you dream of spending your retirement mornings on a warm beach, coffee in hand, waves rolling in. To get there, you had a simple plan: save $1 million and buy the beach house you always wanted.

But when retirement arrives, reality hits. After accounting for keeping your current home, everyday expenses and health care, $1 million doesn’t stretch as far as you thought, and the beach house remains a dream. The problem wasn’t your discipline – it was that your number was never really your number. It was arbitrary, not anchored to what your ideal retirement would actually cost.

How can you make sure your retirement number is right for you?

Consider this scenario: A teacher of 30 years and mother of three passes away at age 58. She leaves behind a modest home, a retirement account and cherished family heirlooms – but no estate plan. Her children, still grieving, find themselves navigating a confusing probate process, disagreeing about when to sell the house and considering who gets their grandmother’s ring.

This mom wasn’t wealthy by most measures, but her lack of planning created confusion, conflict and uncertainty at a time when her family needed clarity. Her story reminds us of an important truth: estate planning is about easing conflict and making sure what you have goes where you want it to go.

As you think about your own legacy, consider these myths that can lead to costly mistakes and unintended outcomes.

If you’re a local business owner, a workplace retirement plan can be a powerful tool – helping you manage taxes, strengthen employee retention and build personal financial security.

Many in your situation, however, assume retirement plans are complicated or only suitable for large companies. The reality is quite different. Today’s retirement plan options encompass businesses of every size, from solo entrepreneurs to companies with dozens of employees.

The key is understanding which plans work best for different kinds of businesses:

Everyone needs an emergency fund. Financial experts recommend it, and we’ve all experienced surprise expenses: a costly car repair, a broken water heater or unexpected medical bills. Despite our best intentions, building a financial cushion can feel impossible. After rent or mortgage, groceries, utilities and everyday expenses, it seems there’s nothing left to save.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many Americans struggle to maintain emergency savings. But building those savings doesn’t necessarily require massive lifestyle changes or windfalls. With a strategic approach and realistic milestones, you can create the financial safety net you need.

When you think about investing, you probably want your money to grow. But maybe you also want it to make a positive difference in the world while you continue pursuing your financial goals. That’s the foundation of sustainable investing — an approach that considers environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors alongside traditional financial analysis.

Sustainable investing allows you to support better business practices through your investment choices. It looks at how companies address issues ranging from climate change to worker well-being to corporate ethics. At its core, it’s about aligning investments with personal values while still focusing on long-term financial outcomes.

While older generations worry about having enough money for retirement, many Gen Z workers aren’t even starting to save. Research in 2025 by Edward Jones and Morning Consult shows that nearly half haven’t begun setting money aside for their golden years, and only 22% are contributing to a workplace retirement plan.

The culprit is a perfect storm of financial pressures that can make saving for the future feel impossible.

Good financial habits are a little like brushing your teeth. When you learn them early, they become second nature, and you carry them with you for life. And while money can feel complicated, especially today, the foundation starts simply.

Parents can begin the conversation with very young children, and young adults can build on those basics as they take on more responsibility. Step by step, these habits create confidence that helps build long‑term financial security and a more fulfilling life.

You may have heard that buying a home is better than renting. After all, why “throw money away” on rent when you could be building wealth through homeownership? Financial professionals say the decision isn’t that simple.

Rising prices may not dominate headlines the way they did a year or two ago, but if you’re retired, you’re probably still feeling them. Even when overall inflation cools, the costliest expenses — like health care, utilities, insurance and property taxes — tend to rise faster than broad inflation numbers suggest. That creates a squeeze that can make you question whether your income plan is built to last.