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A high-yield savings account can hold emergency cash with liquidity and higher interest than a traditional savings account.
Financial Planning

Using a High-Yield Savings Account for an Emergency Fund

A high-yield savings account for emergency fund purposes combines safety, liquidity and higher returns than a traditional savings account. These accounts let your emergency cash grow without locking it away or exposing it to market volatility. Whether you’re starting from scratch or fine-tuning your reserves, knowing how to use a high-yield savings account can strengthen… read more…

Roth IRAs offer tax-free growth and withdrawals, but income limits affect how you can contribute.
Roth & Traditional IRAs

Is There an Income Cap for a Roth IRA?

Roth IRAs allow your savings to grow tax free and allow tax free withdrawals in retirement. Your income determines whether you can contribute and how much you can add. The IRS sets annual income limits based on your tax filing status. These limits decide whether you can make a full contribution, a reduced contribution, or… read more…

Advisors comparing client management software for financial advisors
Firm Management

Client Management Software for Financial Advisors

Tech tools can make your life as a financial advisor easier, helping you run your practice more efficiently. Building a tech stack begins with identifying your organization’s needs. Client management software (CMS) for financial advisors can help centralize client data and pinpoint growth opportunities. And comparing software options can help you decide which program is… read more…

An advisor sitting down with new clients.
Firm Management

How to Create KPI-Based Bonuses for Financial Advisors

If you’d like to incentivize your team, you may consider introducing key performance indicator-based bonuses as part of your firm’s compensation structure. This approach ties salary bonuses to specific key performance indicators (KPIs) and is designed to motivate your employees to actively participate in driving success for themselves and your firm. Learn how to create… read more…

Editor's Picks

A couple determining whether they need a CFA vs. CFP®.
Certifications & Licenses

CFA vs. CFP®: Which Do You Need?

Chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified financial planner (CFP) are common certifications for individuals working in finance, namely financial advisors. These are designed to tell a client (or employer) that the holder has received education in certain types of financial… read more…

Clients meeting with an advisor from a wealth management firm.
Brokerage

5 Tips for Choosing a Wealth Management Firm

Wealth management firms are all different, with their own specializations and services. As a result, the process for choosing a wealth manager is a very personal one. Wealth managers work closely together with their clients to identify financial goals and… read more…

A fee-only financial planner doesn't earn commissions for recommending certain products.
Advisor Fees & Costs

What Is a Fee-Only Financial Planner?

If a financial planner, financial advisor or another type of financial professional is fee-only, that means they receive compensation solely from the fees clients pay for their services. They do not earn commissions for recommending certain products. A fee-only structure… read more…

Investment Property
Real Estate Investing

Why First Homes Could Be Investment Properties

If you’re young and looking to purchase a new home to live in, you may want to consider turning it into an investment property. While most people wait until after they’ve bought their first or second home to begin investing in… read more…

Data Articles and Studies

Hospital staff assist patients at front desk.
Cost of Living & Taxes

ACA Health Insurance: Prevalence, Premiums and Subsidies by State – 2025 Study

The Affordable Care Act, ACA – commonly known as Obamacare – offers federally backed health insurance for millions of Americans. Certain tax credits act as monthly premium subsidies for the insured, generally bringing the costs down by thousands of dollars per year. However, the funding for these subsidies are set to expire at the end… read more…

Couple holding newborn.
Demographics & Migration

States That Will Benefit Most From Trump Accounts – 2025 Study

American babies are now eligible to receive a $1,000 initial investment in a “Trump account” per new tax legislation. The money – which will be tied to the stock market, can be added to and cannot be used until the child turns 18 – gives each child some capability to fund certain activities as they… read more…

Friends making a toast together at a home party.
Quality of Life

Where Alcohol Is Most and Least Popular – 2025 Study

Last year, Americans spent $228 billion on alcoholic beverages for private consumption, with the average adult spending $898 each. But cultural, social, geographic, demographic, and economic differences all contribute to the divergence of popularity of alcohol in each state. This may have resounding impacts on local communities, ranging all the way from contributions to their… read more…

Row of old brownstone homes along a sidewalk in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Cost of Living & Taxes

Cities With the Highest and Lowest Property Tax Burdens – 2025 Study

Even after the mortgage is paid off, homeowners face ongoing property taxes across the United States. While senior citizens, owner-occupants, and other groups may receive preferential tax treatment in some jurisdictions, homeowners still pay anywhere from 1% to 10% of their income on property taxes. These taxes pay for local infrastructure and amenities – putting… read more…

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