Vincent Virga

Understanding Life Insurance vs Bank Products

By Vincent Virga / Mar 15, 2023

Life insurance and bank products serve different purposes and offer different benefits. Below are some of the key benefits of life insurance over bank products Protection: The primary benefit of life insurance is protection. Life insurance provides financial protection to your loved ones in the event of your unexpected death. The death benefit can be…

Choosing the Right Retirement Account for You

By Vincent Virga / Mar 1, 2023

When it comes to retirement accounts, there are a lot of options out there. It can be overwhelming trying to figure out which one is best for you. Do you go with a 401k, an IRA, or a Roth IRA? What’s the difference between them, anyway? And how do you know how much to contribute?…

Tips for Preparing for Retirement with Little Time Left

By Vincent Virga / Feb 24, 2023

If you find yourself in the position of needing to make up ground when it comes to retirement savings, don’t despair. It’s not too late to start saving and investing, and there are several steps you can take to help ensure that your retirement savings goals are met. Let’s look at some tips for preparing…

How to Pay Down Debt Effectively

By Vincent Virga / Feb 10, 2023

Debt can be a heavy burden for many people. Whether you are dealing with student loans, credit card debt, or medical debt, it is important to have a plan in place to pay down the debt as quickly and efficiently as possible. Here are some tips on how to make paying down your debt easier.…

How Does Inflation Impact Retirement Planning? 

By Vincent Virga / Jan 19, 2023

Inflation rates are one of the most important economic indicators. Inflation is a measure of how much prices rise over time, and it has a significant impact on everyone’s lives – especially those who are retired or about to retire. Understanding inflation rates is the key to ensuring that your retirement savings remain secure and…

Estate Plan. Do You Have One? It’s Not Just for the Ultra Wealthy

By Vincent Virga / Dec 20, 2022

After working hard and building a little wealth, it’s incumbent on you to do what’s necessary to protect that which you have accumulated. There are several ways you can protect your wealth, including making wise investments that will help your nest egg grow. As you contemplate how to grow and protect your wealth in the…

It Could Be Called “Love” Insurance

By Vincent Virga / Dec 13, 2022

Life insurance can be called “love “insurance because we use it to protect the ones, we hold dear. It’s the true definition of love for your family that can be the key to ensuring their future financial security. What is life insurance? When trying to piece the importance of life insurance together, you will probably…

Are There Tax Breaks for Different Generations?

By Vincent Virga / Dec 6, 2022

Getting older has its nuisances, your health starts to decline, eyesight and hearing can deteriorate, you start having aches and pains in places you did not know you had. However, it does have its benefits. Some of those benefits are in the form of tax breaks that come as you get older. Seniors have a…

Don’t Let Short Term Events Change Your Investment Goals

By Vincent Virga / Nov 29, 2022

With every change in the world, there always seems to be the temptation to make an impulsive financial decision, especially when it comes to investing. This year especially was difficult for investors who made such decisions when the coronavirus hit hard and upended the stock market bringing a lot of panic selling with it. Events…

What to Expect in 2023 for the Cost-of-Living Adjustment

By Vincent Virga / Nov 15, 2022

The COLA is a Cost-of-Living Adjustment for Social Security beneficiaries. It’s also known as the raise, which helps offset rising living costs so that beneficiaries don’t experience a decline in their standard of living. Seniors spend more on utilities, housing, and healthcare than younger people. In some places, the increase in prices of goods and…

Did You Forget to Account for All RMDs?

By Vincent Virga / Oct 18, 2022

(Required Minimum Distributions) In today’s World, an ever-increasing number of individuals are turning to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) as a primary retirement savings vehicle. The main reason is the flexibility and tax advantages that IRAs offer. There are a lot of different factors to consider when it comes to saving for retirement, and it can…

How Long will $1MM Last in Retirement?

By Vincent Virga / Oct 12, 2022

How Long will $1M Will Last in Retirement  Regarding retirement, everyone wants to know how long their money will last. The answer to this question depends on various factors, including your spending habits and the rate of return you receive on your investments. This article discusses how long one million dollars will last in retirement.…

What is a Revocable Living Trust?

By Vincent Virga / Sep 12, 2022

A Revocable Living Trust is a document that specifies how you want your property to be distributed after your death. It’s also called an “inter vivos” trust because it’s created while you’re still alive and living, so it can be changed anytime during your lifetime. Revocable Living Trusts are well suited to many types of…

The Good, Bad and Ugly of Retiring Early

By Vincent Virga / Sep 5, 2022

If you plan on retiring early, some of the benefits you should come to expect are obvious. You get to live your life without the constraints of work, and you can pursue your own interests. But there are other good reasons for retiring early, and there are some reasons why retiring early is not the…

Planning to Work Past Your Retirement Age?

By Vincent Virga / Aug 29, 2022

Longevity and the Retiree According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 75,000 Americans are centenarians, that is, they are more than 100 years old, and this aging demographic is having a dramatic impact on the labor pattern in the U.S. Rather than retiring at the traditional age of 65, more than 30…

Top 7 Life Insurance Myths Surrounding Retirement Planning

By Vincent Virga / Aug 22, 2022

Life insurance myths are some of the most persistent misleading misinformation affecting people planning retirement. These analytics are commonly severely lacking in adequate research to back up popular perceptions. Consequentially, a few have fallen into avoidable financial traps. Insurance has the potential to be the strongest plan with the right guidance.  Benefits of utilizing life…

Are There Different Sources of Income for my Retirement?

By Vincent Virga / Aug 15, 2022

Retirement income is a topic that must be carefully discussed with your financial advisor to determine the best possible route for you. There are many sources of retirement income, and some work better for you than others. Having different sources of income for your retirement will mean you won’t be as dependent upon any single…

Hoping For A Happy Retirement?

By Vincent Virga / Aug 9, 2022

Ways to a Happy Retirement  For a happy retirement, you need to have an income that will sustain the lifestyle you want. If you’re getting a pension from work or someone else’s work like your spouse, then congratulations – you’re all set! But if not, it can be challenging for people to imagine how they…

Retirement Income and Your 401K

By Vincent Virga / Jul 19, 2022

New Ways to Create Retirement Income and Make Your 401K Pay Off Like a Pension Plan  Are you worried about your retirement income? You’re not alone. Many people are concerned that they won’t have enough money to live on in retirement. One way to help ensure a comfortable retirement is to ensure your 401k is…

Social Security Benefits While Working

By Vincent Virga / Jun 30, 2022

Plan For Your Future Social Security Benefits While Working  Social Security benefits are available to most people who work in the United States. Social Security retirement, disability and dependents benefits are available to workers who have paid into the system — but only if you’re disabled, retired or caring for a child or other dependent.…

How Much Will You Really Spend in Retirement?

By Vincent Virga / Jun 24, 2022

10 Factors to Consider How much money will you need to have saved for retirement? This is a question that many people are asking these days. The answer is not always easy to determine, as many factors need to be considered. In this article, we will discuss 10 of the most crucial factors that need…

Top Strategies for Estate and Gift Planning

By Vincent Virga / Aug 16, 2021

Introduction The estate and gift tax laws in the United States are complex and can be confusing. There are a number of strategies that individuals can use to reduce or in some cases eliminate the tax burden associated with transferring property at death. The United States has one of the highest estate tax rates in…

Annuities in Retirement

By Vincent Virga / Aug 16, 2021

Some retirement experts are concerned that many individuals have overly optimistic expectations about their retirement finances and rely too heavily on a single product such as stock dividends to provide retirement income. Unfortunately, this strategy cannot be defined as providing sustainable and reliable income because it could be here today and gone tomorrow due to…

Five Things You Should Know About ETFs

By Vincent Virga / Aug 13, 2020

 Exchange Traded Funds have been around for a little over 25 years. They are generally seen as a simplified way to gain exposure to an entire index or sector, to be a component in an investment strategy and to diversify a portfolio. The first ETFs were designed to mimic a broadly used index like the…

The Four Most Dangerous Words in Investing

By Vincent Virga / Aug 7, 2020

 A look at how investment wisdom over the ages fits today.   I’ve long held the belief that it is good to learn from other people’s experiences as well your own. This remains true especially in investing and personal finance. So far this year, 2020 has been a wild roller coaster ride. And we still have…

The Case to Retire Early

By Vincent Virga / Aug 4, 2020

 How do you retire early? With much planning. Sometimes it’s the best move if you have a skill that you can convert into a consulting position. It’s like slowly stepping into retirement and having flex time while still earning money. It’s common in technical positions like engineering, construction and architecture. Evaluate your field and see…

The SECURE Act and How It Impacts IRAs

By Vincent Virga / Aug 1, 2020

 Plus other things you should know.  This past December Congress passed the SECURE Act, Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement. The legislation had been in the works for a few years and is the first major retirement legislation that we’ve seen in about a decade or more. Changes have been made to IRA contribution…

A Guide to Mutual Fund Basics

By Vincent Virga / Jul 27, 2020

These popular investment vehicles have been around for almost 100 years and have served many well.  Are Mutual Funds Right for You?  Preparing for retirement is better done the sooner you start. For many people mutual funds are a cost effective way to gain access to professional money management and to build out a well-diversified…

Do These Four Things for Your Financial Plan

By Vincent Virga / Jul 27, 2020

Success in personal finance starts with setting the correct type goals.  The foundation of any financial plan is goal setting. Just like any project, you should draw up blueprints. There are details to goal setting that improves the probability of success when implemented. Whether you are planning for your retirement or already there, the fundamentals…

Strategies to Navigate Volatile Markets

By Vincent Virga / Jul 27, 2020

Handling market volatility can be stressful without good planning. Here are a few ideas to put volatility into perspective.  The market is up one day, you feel good. The market is down the next, you feel stressed. The emotions of greed and fear, the driving forces behind investing, can create havoc without a good understanding…

What Can Asset Allocation Do for You?

By Vincent Virga / Jul 1, 2020

Smoothing Out the Bumps to Greater Financial Security “The most important key to successful investing can be summed up in just two words: asset allocation.” Michael LeBoeuf, business author and professor emeritus of the University of New Orleans I think that anyone who has ever invested has heard the word “diversification.” The idea of spreading…

Keep More of Your Money: Tips to Use Tax Laws to Your Advantage

By Vincent Virga / Jun 30, 2020

Keeping more of what you earn is a fundamental part of proper financial management. Congress has established certain tax-deferred savings plans to help. There are other tax strategies of which investors should also be aware. Let’s take a look at helpful tax ideas that may be suitable for your retirement plan and your taxable portfolio.…