Education Center

Should you rent or should you buy your home? It takes more than looking at your mortgage payment to answer this question. This calculator helps you weed through the fees, taxes and monthly payments to help you make a decision between these two options.

Your net worth is the value of all of your assets, minus the total of all of your liabilities. Put another way, it is what you own minus what you owe. If you owe more than you own, you have a negative net worth. 

Interactive calculators

Our interactive tools can assist you in your unique financial planning needs. Interactive calculators are made available as self-help tools for independent use and are not intended to provide investment or tax advice, either expressed or implied.

Interactive calculators

Our interactive tools can assist you in your unique financial planning needs. Interactive calculators are made available as self-help tools for independent use and are not intended to provide investment or tax advice, either expressed or implied.

Estate tax planning is very important to preserving your wealth for future generations. Knowing your potential estate tax liability is a great place to start your estate tax plan.

Contributing to a Roth IRA could make a difference in your retirement savings. There is no tax deduction for contributions made to a Roth IRA; 

Interactive calculators

Our interactive tools can assist you in your unique financial planning needs. Interactive calculators are made available as self-help tools for independent use and are not intended to provide investment or tax advice, either expressed or implied.

Use this calculator to generate an estimated amortization schedule for your current mortgage. Quickly see how much interest you could pay and your estimated principal balances.

An employer-sponsored retirement savings account could be one of your best tools for creating a secure retirement. It provides two important advantages.

Do you wonder how much you might receive in Social Security? Use this calculator to help you estimate your Social Security benefits. Remember, this is only an estimate. Your actual benefits may vary depending on your actual work history and income.

Interactive calculators

Our interactive tools can assist you in your unique financial planning needs. Interactive calculators are made available as self-help tools for independent use and are not intended to provide investment or tax advice, either expressed or implied.

Internal Revene Code sections 72(t) and 72(q) provide for tax-penalty-free early withdrawals from retirement accounts under certain circumstances.

Consistent investments over a number of years can be an effective strategy to accumulate wealth. Even small additions to your savings add up over time. This calculator demonstrates how to put this savings strategy to work for you.

Interactive calculators

Our interactive tools can assist you in your unique financial planning needs. Interactive calculators are made available as self-help tools for independent use and are not intended to provide investment or tax advice, either expressed or implied.

The IRS requires that you withdraw at least a minimum amount - known as a Required Minimum Distribution - from your retirement accounts annually;

Interactive tools and calculators

Our interactive tools can assist you in your unique financial planning needs. Interactive calculators are made available as self-help tools for independent use and are not intended to provide investment or tax advice, either expressed or implied. 

Use this calculator to determine your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). The IRS requires that you withdraw at least a minimum amount - known as a Required Minimum Distribution - from some types of retirement accounts annually. 

Do you know what it takes to work towards a secure retirement? Use this calculator to help you create your retirement plan. View your retirement savings balance and your withdrawals for each year until the end of your retirement.

Though many of us will face a significant unexpected expense at some point during our lives, more than half of Americans don’t have the cash or savings on hand* to cover a financial emergency requiring $1,000 or more to resolve.

For many of us, setting aside the recommended six months’ worth of expenses in an emergency savings account to protect ourselves and our loved ones can feel daunting.

The prospect of growing your family may fill your heart with butterflies, excitement, nervousness—or, most likely, all of the above.

Life can be full of changes, challenges and opportunities. For every situation, there are ways to cope. Here are a few things to consider when life comes your way.

Whether your idea of golden years perfection is training for an Ironman, launching a business, watching a ball game in every U.S. state, or simply spending more time with family and friends, retirement offers a unique opportunity to replace the nine-to-five with something vivifying, meaningful, and new.

Need to fix your mix?

You’ve probably heard of the terms “asset allocation” and “diversification.” They sound complicated, but really, the concepts are quite simple.

What’s the value of 1? If you guessed $1 million then it’s likely you’re in on a little-known secret that helps the most savvy of savers effectively prepare for their golden years.

When Americans think about growing older, many of them feel worried, according to research. They worry about their health, being a burden to their families, and not having a purpose.

What goes up must also come down. That’s true of Newton’s apples, your favorite wooden roller coaster, and — inevitably — the stock market.

Of course, different investors handle market ups and downs differently. Some are up for riding the drops like a coaster aficionado while others cling to the handlebars, wishing for a smoother ride.

The more you understand about money, the better equipped you are to prepare for retirement. That’s the conclusion from a number of studies that have been conducted to explore the link between financial literacy and retirement preparedness over the past decade, by academics and financial experts.

What will it take to help reach your savings goals? This financial calculator helps you find out. Enter in your savings plan and view graphically your financial results. Click the report button to get more information about your plan, and what you can do to make sure that it is on track.

If available in your employer's plan, the 401(k) Roth allows you to contribute to your 401(k) account on an after-tax basis - and pay no taxes on qualifying distributions when the money is withdrawn. 

Many experts believe that long-term investment success is more a function of how assets are allocated among asset classes rather than the individual securities in which they are invested.

Waiting to begin your savings plan can have a huge impact on your results. A delay of even a few years could cost you thousands of dollars. This calculator helps show you how much postponing your savings plan can really cost.

Saving for your children's education requires a long-term plan. And, like saving for retirement, the earlier you start your plan the better. Use this calculator to help develop or fine-tune your education savings plan. Click the "View Report" button for a detailed look at the results.  

In 1997, the Roth IRA was introduced. This new IRA allowed for contributions to be made on an after-tax basis and all gains (or growth) to be distributed completely tax-free.

Use this calculator to see what it will take to pay off your credit card balance, and what you can change to meet your repayment goals.

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) offer important advantages over investing for retirement in a taxable account. 

When it comes to creating an investment portfolio to help you maintain your quality of life during retirement, most experts agree that portfolio diversification is a good option for achieving desired returns while managing risk.

If better financial planning has been a long-term goal for you, you’ve probably run into some common issues along the way: deciding how much you need to save for retirement, balancing debt and long-term goals, and simply covering day-to-day expenses are all common challenges most Americans face.

If you’re similar to the average person, you probably have a budget that you made years ago sitting in an excel spreadsheet somewhere untouched. 

Although it’s true there’s really no bad time to start investing, it can be tricky to figure out how to siphon off funds from other areas of your budget and redirect them to your future needs.

It’s never too soon to start saving for retirement but if you want to retire early, you’ll likely have to do some extra planning. 

It’s a given that Americans will spend outside of their typical budget during the holiday season.

Finding an employer who cares enough to put together a thoughtful benefits package should be front-of-mind when it comes to deciding which company deserves your valuable services and talents.

Everyone needs to consider their retirement strategy. A great place to start is enrolling in your employer-sponsored retirement plan.

Women continue to be the primary caregivers in most families with children, but they are also likely to be important breadwinners for their families. 

Setting a goal is an important prerequisite for accomplishing almost anything. And without setting clear financial goals, some people are likely to spend their lives aimlessly earning and spending, rather than building wealth and achieving a more financially secure life.

In 2022, the Federal Reserve raised the federal funds rate 7 separate times. Is it any wonder investor concerns are rising, too?

But is it really a time to worry? Or is it an opportunity to capitalize?

Remember the "pinky swears" - the silly promises you made to your friends back in grade school? What if someone came back to you decades later as an adult and expected you to abide by those promises? It's unlikely they would ever prevail in a court of law.

Many people who have had their income adjusted may be panicking and looking for other sources of cash to pay the bills.

Small saving moves now can significantly impact early retirement outcomes.

A large influx of funds—an annual bonus, inheritance or capital gains from a property sale—can move the early retirement savings needle, but it’s everyday savings habits that can have the biggest impact.