- Maryland Retirement System
The state retirement system of Maryland consists of seven different retirement plans to cover the multiple types of state employees. Before we dive deep into the intricacies of each system, take the time to brush up on pensions. If you… read more…
- Indiana Retirement System
The state retirement system of Indiana comprises several different retirement plans to cover the wide range of public employees working on behalf of the state. As pension systems can be complex, you may value some extra assistance in understanding the… read more…
- Minnesota Retirement System
Under its Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS), Teachers Retirement Association and Public Employees Retirement Association, Minnesota offers retirement benefits through several different pension plans. A key fact to consider, however, is that all of Minnesota’s plans come with retirement benefits. But the state taxes all forms of retirement income. Therefore, you’ll want to make sure… read more…
- Utah Retirement System
The investments that Utah has made with its public employee pension funds have paid off handsomely in recent years. However, its state income taxes can be a bit heavy at a 5% rate. There are also a number of retirement… read more…
- North Carolina Retirement System
With around a million public retirement system participants in North Carolina, the state has plenty of residents to take care of. But although the number of retirees in the state and the subsequent costs are increasing, the fund currently boasts… read more…
- Wisconsin Retirement System
Wisconsin boasts one of the least complicated retirement systems in the country, as essentially all state and local employees fall under the umbrella of the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS). It has experienced plenty of financial growth over the last few… read more…
- Ohio Retirement System
The retirement system of Ohio is in good shape, especially after experiencing a major financial boost entering 2017. Whereas many states will convolute its offerings by having many base and supplemental programs, Ohio keeps things simple and logical. SmartAsset’s free… read more…
- Perpetuity: What Is It and Can You Buy One?
Simply put, a perpetuity in the financial world is the present value of a stream of cash that goes on into the future, forever. Though cash payments are infinite, it’s possible to calculate their present total value because the value… read more…
- SigFig vs. Betterment: Which Is Best for You?
When it comes to robo-advisors, both SigFig and Betterment offer a range of products and features to help you build your investment portfolio. The company you choose should ultimately align with your current financial situation, along with your retirement and investment… read more…
- South Carolina Retirement System
South Carolina has six different iterations of its base retirement system for different types of local and state employees. It even has a National Guard-centric plan, which not many states offer. The state also recently signed into law new stipulations that guide the structure of the pension fund. And so far things are progressing rapidly.… read more…
- Arizona Retirement System
Arizona state and local employees should feel confident about the quality of the state’s retirement system, as well as each of its subcategories. It also boasts a simple set of retirement systems that are particularly inclusive. This makes it extremely… read more…
- What Is a Backdoor Roth IRA, and Is It Right for You?
If you’re looking to get ahead on planning for retirement, individual retirement accounts, or IRAs are great tool. An IRA is a tax-advantaged vehicle that helps you grow your retirement savings over time. Roth IRAs are particularly attractive, because you don’t pay taxes on withdrawals in retirement. There’s one problem: You can’t contribute to a… read more…
- EA vs. CPA: What’s the Difference Between These Certifications?
When it comes to accounting and tax planning, you may get easily confused amid the sea of acronyms. But a solid understanding of certain accreditations is key if you’re looking for a licensed tax professional to guide you through your… read more…
- New Hampshire Retirement System
The New Hampshire retirement system is fairly straightforward. Members are split into two broad categorizations, and a large majority is in the first category. Since your pension benefits will likely be only one part of your retirement savings, you may… read more…
- Washington Retirement System
The Washington Retirement System, managed by the Department of Retirement Systems (DRS), is a somewhat sprawling collection of retirement plans. While all systems are primarily defined benefit plans, many plans introduced a defined contribution portion for members hired more recently… read more…
- Tennessee Retirement System
The Tennessee Retirement System, known also as RetireReadyTN, is one of the best-run state retirement systems in the country. Employees are split into a few intuitive categories, and understanding what you can expect to receive in retirement is fairly straightforward.… read more…
- How the California Retirement System Works
With around 2 million members, the California Public Employees Retirement System, known as CalPERS, is the largest defined-benefit pension system in the country. Public employees ranging from state and local government employees to teachers and firefighters are enrolled in the… read more…
- Wyoming Retirement System
The Wyoming Retirement System (WRS) encompasses seven pension plans with about 82,000 active members, according to the system’s 2022 annual summary report. Like all defined benefit plans, active members contribute throughout their careers and then receive monthly payments for life in… read more…
- Florida Retirement System
The Florida Retirement System (FRS) offers two retirement plans for state employees: a pension plan for long-term workers and a defined contribution plan for shorter-service workers (or people who do not plan on working for the state for more than… read more…
- Texas Retirement System
Texas believes all residents should have the “three-legged stool” of retirement income. This trio consists of Social Security benefits, personal retirement savings and state retirement. The Texas retirement system is fairly straightforward for public employees, so you should be able… read more…
- Kentucky Retirement System
The state retirement system of Kentucky had been in deep crisis for some time. But the recently developed “Keeping the Promise” plan that Governor Matt Bevin introduced looks to fix this long-running issue. Aside from this, the state’s pension plan… read more…
- Understanding the Virginia Retirement System
The Virginia Retirement System, or VRS, is the state agency that administers the pension fund for state employees. The pension fund is the 19th largest in the U.S., and paid out roughly $5 billion in benefits to about 214,000 retirees… read more…
- New York Retirement System
The pension fund of New York is one of the three largest in the nation and serves well over one million plan participants. This success has put the state in a great spot for the health of its employees’ retirements.… read more…
- Betterment vs. FutureAdvisor: Which Robo-Advisor Is Best for You?
Betterment and FutureAdvisor both operate as two of the most popular robo-advisors in online investing. Each company offers similar products to help you reach your investment goals, but the costs and online features vary for both. In weighing the Betterment… read more…
- What Is an Indexed Annuity?
Indexed annuities, also called fixed indexed annuities, are insurance products meant for people who want protection from market volatility but still want some growth. They are often promoted as having no downside and only upside, but that isn’t always the case. These products are described as combining the safety of fixed annuities with the growth… read more…