A presidential election is almost upon us. But if you have young children or grandchildren, you know what’s really important this week is Butterfingers, not ballots, and Pop Rocks, not the popular vote.

It’s Open Enrollment time, that period in which you can review and revise your employee benefits package.

Now that another school year is drawing to a close, your young children are a step closer to the day when they’ll be heading off to college. Of course, as you’re probably aware, higher education doesn’t come cheap — and the costs seem to continuously climb. You can help your children — or even your grandchildren — meet these expenses by investing in a 529 plan. And this college savings vehicle offers estate-planning benefits.
As a college funding vehicle, a 529 plan offers some significant benefits. When you contribute to a 529 plan, your earnings accumulate tax free, provided they are used for qualified higher education expenses. (Keep in mind, though, that 529 plan distributions not used for qualified expenses may be subject to federal and state income tax and a 10% IRS penalty.) Furthermore, your 529 plan contributions may be deductible from your state taxes. However, 529 plans vary, so be sure to check with your tax advisor. And the lifetime contribution limits for 529 plans are quite generous; while these limits vary by state, many plans allow contributions well in excess of $200,000. Plus, a 529 plan is flexible: If the child, grandchild or other beneficiary decides against college, you can transfer the unused funds to someone else, tax and penalty free.

If you’re a mother, you’ll probably get some nice cards and flowers on Mother’s Day. But of course, your greatest gifts are your children themselves. And since you want to see them happy and financially secure, perhaps you can use this Mother’s Day as an opportunity to consider ways to help your children at various stages of their lives.
So, let’s take a look at steps you can take:

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us.  To celebrate, you may want to present your loved ones with chocolates, flowers or any number of other traditional gifts. But if your valentine also happens to be your spouse or your life partner, you also might want to show your love in another way  — by making sure you have adequate insurance.
Just consider some of the things that life insurance can do for you and your family: