College is an important rite of passage for young adults, and many new college students will move out of town or even out of state to attend their school. Before saying goodbye to your college-bound student, it's important to have a discussion with them about money, financial responsibility, and insurance coverage. A majority of college students will have health insurance provided by their parent's existing policy, but health coverage is just one type of insurance coverage that they might need while starting this new chapter of life.

Senior citizens are one of our country's greatest assets, as they have contributed tremendously to our country's growth, innovation, and strength through the years. Unfortunately, seniors are also one of our country's most vulnerable groups, as aggressive salespeople, criminals and scammers, and even dishonest relatives often target them for their money. In part two on our series on protecting senior citizens, we highlight three ways individuals and families can help protect the finances of their senior relatives and loved ones.

Major life changes will often lead individuals or families to update or increase personal insurance coverage. For example, when a couple gets married or welcomes a new child to their family, it can trigger a change in life insurance coverage, estate planning, and beneficiary information. However, there are some life changes that can still impact personal insurance coverage that people forget about.

New parents are inundated with suggestions and products to help them care for and raise their children, covering a wide range of issues. Some of the more popular topics include feeding, clothing, education, discipline, safety gear, medical decisions, and more. However, new parents don't often get helpful suggestions about money and finances, which can leave families in a financial bind down the road if finances aren't addressed early.

As adults, we'e required to make financial decisions every day, but some of these may be smart choices while others are mistakes. Although some financial mistakes impact us on a short-term basis, others may result in serious repercussions, such as delaying our retirement. In today's blog post, we discuss what kinds of financial mistakes could delay our retirement, and what can be done to correct these mistakes and make sure retirement goals are met on a timely basis.

Our parents spend years caring for us, teaching us, and guiding us from infancy to adulthood. Once adults, we can make our own decisions, plan for our future, and care for our self and our loved ones. Sadly, over time our parents may reach a stage where their own health, mobility, finances, and living situation may require them to make major life changes. While it may be difficult for adult children to discuss these sensitive topics with their aging parents, it is absolutely critical to make sure our loved ones have the safety, care, and support they need to thrive in their senior years.

Studies have shown that a growing number of Americans reach retirement age and find themselves ill prepared financially for retirement, and they are forced to remain in the workplace for far longer than anticipated. Often, they fail to foresee future living and health expenses and do not save enough, or they make financial mistakes that impact them for years. For those not yet near retirement age, there are proactive steps that can be taken now to have more financial security and be able to enjoy retirement instead of dreading it.

Companies that offer health insurance benefits to their employees will also typically offer life insurance policies to cover employees and their immediate family members. Although employees might believe their employer-provided life insurance policy is sufficient for their needs, the reality is that individuals and families benefit from having a diverse life insurance policy portfolio in order to ensure maximum protection if the unthinkable happens.

September is National Life Insurance Awareness Month, but most Americans know very little about their life insurance options, or aren't sure if they need it. In fact, according to the 2015 Life Insurance Barometer Study, more than 40% of Americans have no form of life insurance protection at all. Sadly, a large majority of those without life insurance forgo the coverage because of misconceptions regarding its cost, usefulness, or protection options.

Life insurance is an important part of any family's financial portfolio as it offers peace of mind and financial protection if a loved one passes away. However, life insurance needs can vary over time, and coverage amounts may need to be adjusted depending on the season of life and other mitigating factors. In today's blog post, we'll look at why young families specifically benefit from additional life insurance coverage, and the factors to consider when assessing life insurance needs.