Allen Wastler

Most Americans are falling short of their retirement savings goals. Here are three hard financial realities about retirement — and what you can do to prepare.

Going to college happens in stages, and each stage takes some financial knowledge and preparation.

Asset allocation and diversification each play a distinct role in managing investment risk. Find out how they differ and why smart investors rely on both.

Some types of life insurance have an attractive feature beyond the death benefit.

Don’t overlook these important protection and retirement pillars when putting together shopping lists and class schedules.

Many tend to overlook the interdependence it takes to achieve individual savings goals.

If you would incur financial hardship behind someone's possible passing, life insurance is justified.

A participating policy essentially allows the policyowner to share in the insurance company's financial success.

The executives who get the most out of these programs aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest awards — they're the ones who take the time to plan around them.

Financial pundits often criticize annuities for their fees and market lag. Discover why their criticisms miss the point and how annuities can help protect your retirement.

From student loans to mortgages, debt offers opportunities … and risks. Know both.

MassMutual came into being more than a century and a half ago, but it wasn’t altogether easy.

Qualified charitable distributions can be an effective way to use RMDs from IRAs to benefit charities and potentially reduce your income taxes.

When evaluating the pros and cons of a job offer, there are many points of comparison beyond the basic pay.

Recognizing these challenges ahead of time is the first step to mitigating them.

Preparing for a downturn is about recognizing your age, spreading risk, and establishing the financial cushion you need to weather storms without making panic decisions.

A number of factors go into the calculation, but it’s often less than you think.

Shopping for term life insurance in your 50s? Learn how age affects premiums, what coverage you may really need, and why policy features can matter as much as price.