In addition to having been a professional or semi-professional musician throughout my entire adult life, I’ve also served as a life insurance advisor and retirement planner for other musicians. Unfortunately, I have found that most musicians are not very savvy at financial planning. The harsh reality is that being an artist does not exempt you [...]

Financial Planning Guide for Musicians & Performing Artists is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

The best offense is frequently a good defense. No matter how astute a business person you are, or how skilled you are as an investor, or how lucky you are with your lottery tickets, it does little good if you leave your assets hanging like a slab of meat in the water for trial lawyers [...]

8 Asset Protection Strategies – How to Protect Your Wealth From Lawsuits is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Eleven years ago, I started a consulting business with one client. In the timespan of just over three years, I expanded into an office with partners and employees, laid everyone off when the economy turned ugly, and ended up working out of my living room before finally calling it quits. During that time, my New [...]

5 Insurance Tips & Resolutions to Secure Your Small Business is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Millions of employees save for retirement by deferring a portion of their compensation into an employer-sponsored, tax-deferred savings plan. The majority of these are known as qualified plans and fall under the jurisdiction of ERISA guidelines, which means they are subject to certain limiting requirements. For example, these requirements can pertain to the type and [...]

Non-Qualified Retirement Plan – Definition, Benefits & Examples is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

A new car might be the worst investment in the world. Why? A new car loses 15% to 20% of its value the minute you drive it off the dealership lot! But this phenomenon is not limited to new cars – used cars also quickly lose their value. If you are financing your car, it [...]

What Is Gap Insurance Coverage for Cars – Is It Worth It? is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Nowadays, it’s nearly impossible to leave the house without seeing someone check their email, play a quick game of Angry Birds, or look up reviews for a restaurant on their phone. Thanks to the many innovations in mobile technology over the last five years or so, smartphone usage has become ubiquitous. However, along with their [...]

Is Cell Phone Insurance Worth It? is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

If you run into a tree or cause an accident of some sort, the cost of repairing your own car is paid for by your collision coverage. But what if a tree falls on your car, or a deer rams into the side of your vehicle, or a thief smashes in your window to steal [...]

What Is Comprehensive Coverage Auto Insurance is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

If you’re like me, you probably spend more time shopping around for a car than for the insurance you need to protect it. Most states require at least a minimal amount of coverage to protect other drivers from bodily injury or property damage you might cause them while driving. But carrying your state’s minimum insurance [...]

What Is Collision Coverage – Do You Need It in Your Auto Insurance? is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

As a renter, and a cheap one at that, I don’t typically spend a lot of money on furniture and other household stuff. When I look around my house, I mostly see garage sale finds, hand-me-downs, and knickknacks I got on super clearance. In fact, the slipcover in my living room is actually worth more [...]

What Is Renters Insurance Coverage and How Much Does a Policy Cost? is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

If you search for health insurance quotes online, you will receive a range of prices from different insurance companies for very similar policies. Different insurance companies assign differing values to components in your risk profile. The information in your insurance application, and your medical history, comprise your risk profile. Insurance companies use historic data and [...]

10 Factors That Affect Your Health Insurance Premium Costs is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

What are the two biggest reasons most people are afraid to lose their job? Loss of a paycheck is number one, of course. But close on its heels is the loss of health insurance coverage. Employers are required by law to offer continued coverage to laid-off employees under the COBRA Act, but such coverage is [...]

11 Best Part-Time Jobs with Health Insurance Benefits is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

For decades, the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation was the premier financial and insurance planning credential sported by life insurance agents and financial planners who marketed their products and services to the public. Then, the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation was created in the 1970s and grew in popularity until it became the premier financial [...]

Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) – Requirements, ChFC vs CFP is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

If you have a mortgage on your home, chances are you’ve gotten plenty of offers for mortgage protection insurance. For example, shortly after I signed the papers for my new home, I started receiving mailers with information on mortgage protection insurance. It has now been more than a year, and I am still receiving these [...]

What Is Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance – Pros & Cons is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

It’s inevitable: You’re enjoying a meal, perhaps gnawing on a barbecued spare rib, and you chip a tooth. Or you wake up in the middle of the night in agony thanks to a cavity that’s made its presence known. If you’ve had fillings, root canals, crowns, bridges, caps, or extractions, you know that the costs [...]

6 Ways to Take Care of Your Teeth and Take a Bite Out of Dental Costs is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

I recently took my dog to a new veterinarian. As I was leaving, the vet handed me a sheet listing the costs of all of his services. While the wellness exam, heartworm medication, and vaccinations all seemed more than fair, my heart stopped beating for a second when I got to the bottom of the [...]

Is Veterinary Pet Insurance for Dogs Worth It? – Comparison & Costs is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Annuities are among the oldest investment options – in fact they have centuries of history. Especially over the past century, fixed income annuity contracts have gained popularity with conservative investors as a safe means of growing their money on a tax-deferred basis. But in the bull markets of the ’80s, a new type of annuity [...]

What Is a Variable Annuity Explained – Definition, Pros & Cons is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Have you been looking for a way to invest your money with relatively low risk, but with a higher return than the interest rates of CDs offered by banks and credit unions? Look no further than fixed annuities. For decades, fixed annuities have provided a secure form of savings for millions of conservative investors on [...]

What Is a Fixed Annuity – Definition, Pros and Cons is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

My dad is an avid sailor. Notice I said “avid” and not “good.” In his many sailing adventures, he has – among other disasters – been stuck on a sandbar, mired in an oyster bed, and sprung a leak – having to quickly bail while the coast guard drove out to save him. Legally, when [...]

Boat Insurance Policy Coverage – How Much Do You Need? is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

When you’re buying a new home, you have two basic choices for a loan – a fixed rate or adjustable rate mortgage. But what if there was a third option that wasn’t as risky as an adjustable rate, but could still beat the interest rates of a fixed? The turbulence in the markets over the [...]

Equity-Indexed Annuities Pros and Cons is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

If you have a 401k or Roth IRA, you probably feel like you’re doing everything you can to be financially prepared for retirement, right? Maybe you are, but you might also benefit from incorporating an annuity into your savings plan. So how do you know if you need an annuity? Let’s look at the basic characteristics [...]

What Is an Annuity and How Does It Work? – Annuities Explained is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.