If you have young children, the end of another school year means you are now one year closer to the day when you send them to college — and one year closer to dealing with the high costs of higher education. However, you still have time to save and invest — and one of the best investment choices you can make is a Section 529 college savings plan.

If you depend on fixed-income investments for at least part of your income, you probably haven’t been too happy in recent years, as interest rates have hit historic lows. Nonetheless, even in a low-rate environment, you can broaden the income-producing potential of your investment portfolio.

Some people buy investments here and there, now and then. Others open an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), put some money in it, and then forget about it. But this type of haphazard investment behavior can lead to haphazard results.

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. Yes, it’s Halloween time again, which means you’ll see plenty of witches and vampires scurrying around. You’ll no doubt find these characters more amusing than frightening, but you don’t have to look far to find things that are a bit more alarming — such as these scary investment moves:

If you’re a small-business owner, with no full-time employees (except possibly your spouse or business partner), you’re probably used to taking care of just about everything on your own. So, if you’re thinking of establishing a retirement plan — and you should — you might also be attracted to “going solo” with an “Owner-only” 401(k).

Will you ever receive a sizable inheritance? You can’t plan on it. But if you do get one, you can plan on using it to help achieve some of your key financial goals.

If you’ve just had a new baby, your life is filled with more joy (but less sleep). You’re probably already aware of the time and effort you must invest in raising your child, but you may not have thought as much about another aspect — the financial one.

In her 50’s and after years of raising her family, Cyndi Newburn wasn’t sure what going back to work meant for her.

As an investor, you can sometimes still feel you’re at the mercy of forces beyond your control. This may be especially true today, when the Federal Reserve has warned of an approaching “fiscal cliff.” What can you do in the face of such a dire prediction?

As you’re well aware, we’re living in difficult economic times. Consequently, you may be forced to make some financial moves you wouldn’t normally undertake. One such move you might be considering is taking out a loan from your 401(k) plan — but is this a good idea?

If you’re planning to get remarried, you have plenty of company: More than 40 percent of all U.S. weddings are second marriages for at least one of the participants, according to an estimate by the National Stepfamily Resource Center. Naturally, a second marriage will bring many changes to your life — not the least of which may be changes in your financial strategy and goals.

If you are contributing the maximum amount to your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan each year, that’s good. And if you’re also “maxing out” on your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) annually, that’s even better. But what then? If you’re already fully funding your 401(k) and IRA, can you put away even more for retirement? Should you?

If you are a senior woman, you need to be diligent in managing your financial resources to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle in retirement. Fortunately, by planning ahead and making the right moves, you can help alleviate any inequalities that may exist between yourself and your male counterparts.

If you’re a woman, you have to be actively involved in your financial preparations for retirement — and that’s true whether you’re single or married. As a woman, you have at least two special considerations associated with your retirement planning:

Over the past few years, if you’ve taken out a mortgage or another consumer loan, you’ve probably welcomed the low interest rates you may have received. But as an investor, if you’ve kept any retirement savings in fixed-rate investment vehicles, you may have seen low rates in a less favorable light. And that’s why it may be time for you take a closer look at your financial strategy for working toward the retirement lifestyle you’ve envisioned.

If you were born anywhere from 1982 to 2001, or within a few years of this range, you are considered a “Millennial.”

Within a marriage, a man and a woman’s financial circumstances are generally pretty much equal. But if a divorce occurs, the woman’s situation tends to be somewhat more challenging than that of her ex-spouse. And that’s why, during this major life transition, you may want to meet with a professional financial advisor to go over your spending needs and your cash flow, so that you know what you absolutely need today — and how you can plan for tomorrow.

We’re in the “Dog Days” of summer — traditionally the hottest, steamiest time of year. But in a few weeks, the temperatures will begin to cool down. Nature isn’t alone in this heating-and-cooling pattern — you can also find evidence of it in the investment world. To be specific, today’s “hot” investments can lose their sizzle quickly — which means that, as an investor, you’ll need to take steps to avoid being left out in the cold.

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce thanks the many volunteers who assisted us in putting together this year’s Red, White and Boom Fireworks Celebration. These volunteers give up their family time for the good of the community and we are grateful for their help. Presented by Vision Community Management at the Ahwatukee Country Club, the chamber is proud to continue this 37-year Ahwatukee tradition.

The investment world can be complex — so you may not want to navigate it alone. But when it comes to getting professional advice, you certainly have an abundance of choices. How can you know which approach is right for you?

June is a popular month for weddings. If you’re getting married this month, you have a lot to think about, but after the wedding — well, you’ll have even more to think about. And one of those topics should be your investment strategy. In these days of economic uncertainty, it’s important that you and your spouse make investment decisions today that will help you reach your long-term goals.

Now that summer is officially here, you may be looking forward to vacations, barbecues, ballgames and other events of the season. But even while you’re engaged in these activities, you can’t forget about other aspects of your life — such as your plans to achieve your long-term financial goals. However, your summer activities can actually provide you with some valuable lessons on managing your investment strategy.

It’s graduation time and if you have children graduating from college, you’re probably excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for them. But once your last child leaves home, and you become an “empty-nester,” you may also find some good opportunities for yourself — opportunities to improve your financial situation.