In the News

Frank Mokosak, CFP®, is a regular contributor to The Des Moines Register, Iowa’s largest news publication. Below is a list of Frank’s educational articles, some of which have been published in the Register’s “Business & Money” section. Please browse the articles and click on any link to learn more about a variety of topics.

 

  • Is it Wise to Trade Your Pension for a Lump Sum?

    Most private employers have already replaced traditional pensions, which promise lifetime income payments in retirement, with defined contribution plans such as 401(k)s. But 15% of private-sector workers and 75% of state and local government workers still participate in traditional pensions.1 Altogether, 35% of workers say they (and/or their spouse) have pension benefits with a current […]

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  • What is a Funeral Trust?

    A funeral trust is an arrangement entered into with a provider of funeral or burial services. Prepaying funeral expenses may allow you to “lock in” costs for future funeral or burial services at an agreed-upon price. The funeral home sometimes serves as trustee (manager of trust assets), and you usually fund the trust with cash, […]

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  • Don’t Let Rising Interest Rates Catch You by Surprise

    The Federal Reserve doesn’t directly control consumer interest rates, but changes to the federal funds rate (the rate banks use to lend funds to each other overnight within the Federal Reserve system) often affect consumer-borrowing costs. Forms of consumer credit that charge variable interest rates are especially vulnerable, including adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs), most credit […]

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