European Union officials recently announced an agreement to rescue debt-laden Greece for a second time. In addition to providing Greece with 109 billion euros in new loans and some relief from its existing debt, the plan includes measures to help prevent the crisis from infecting the other economies in the monetary union.1 The deal reached by the 17 EU nations may help stem contagion fears, at least temporarily. It was well received — the euro rallied on the news, and stocks rose.

With an abundance of market information literally at investors’ fingertips, the price/earnings ratios of publicly traded companies are easier than ever to find but often more difficult to interpret. In fact, knowing the P/E ratio of a single company, a basket of stocks, or the overall market may not be particularly helpful unless you are in a position to make meaningful comparisons.

Raising taxes is one of many ideas that have been proposed to help reduce mounting federal budget deficits. Yet some taxpayers are already facing the prospect of higher taxes as a result of health-reform legislation passed in 2009. In 2013, single filers with modified adjusted gross incomes exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 for joint filers) will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare unearned income tax on net investment income.

Investment in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has grown substantially since the first ETF was introduced in 1993. Total ETF assets exceeded $1 trillion in March 2011, up more than $200 million over the previous year.1

Until recently, conservative investors may have felt left out of the ETF marketplace because the available options were largely based on stocks. That is changing.

A recent survey in 136 countries suggests that spending money to help others may be a universal source of personal happiness.1 Americans seem to take this to heart, giving more than $290 billion to charity in 2010, even with the slow economy.2

When making a substantial donation to a specific charity, you might consider trust strategies that may allow you to give generously while potentially benefiting yourself and your heirs. A good first step is to understand the basics.

More than half of Americans have direct investments in the stock market, and it’s probably safe to say that they would like their investments to grow.1Most investors would also like to believe their investments have value. So what does it mean to invest in a growth mutual fund or a value mutual fund? The labels “growth” and “value” reflect different investment approaches that mutual fund managers use when making portfolio decisions.

The federal estate tax was repealed in 2010, then reinstated by the 2010 Tax Relief Act with new provisions for 2011 and 2012. These provisions include a higher exemption amount and a lower tax rate that could ease or eliminate the tax burden on many estates. Although the reinstated estate tax may not affect you now, it is scheduled to become more aggressive in 2013 and beyond, potentially affecting many families who might not be considered wealthy.

Because life insurance typically becomes more expensive as we age, many people may believe they can’t afford to purchase coverage later in life. However, considering that life insurance is significantly less expensive today than it was a decade ago, you might be able to purchase new coverage and pay premiums comparable to those that were available when you were 10 years younger.1

It’s a good idea to review your life insurance situation on a regular basis.
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