For many families, finances are rarely discussed in detail, even as children mature into adulthood. But as your parents age, especially if they live into their 80s and 90s, there's a chance that they may lose their cognitive function and be less capable of managing various tasks. This can be upsetting for some parents and they may try to fight it, or deny that it’s happening.

It’s believed that retirement planning as we currently know it didn’t really exist until a few decades ago. Up to that point, people worked until 65 and then sailed into retirement on a pension plan.

It’s no secret that the cost of pursuing higher education is becoming unaffordable, even for affluent families. But if you have aspirations of sending your child to college, it is possible, but there are some details to consider.

The American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA) recently published a list of personal finance trends that we should all be concerned about. These trends highlight the fact that almost 63 percent of Americans today are unable to pass a basic financial literacy test.

Here are the troubling trends, as well as some tips on how to avoid them:

In my former career there were two particular colleagues who had a significant influence on the trajectory of my life. One was the guy I worked for and the other was to eventually become our largest customer. Both of these guys had inherited modest but profitable family businesses, and, over time, both of these businesses went bankrupt.

The good news is that divorce rates are going down in the US. Although marriage rates are also going down as millennials are both waiting longer to get married and staying married longer this too is good news. You’ve probably heard the truism that 50% of marriages end in divorce but I found the following interesting:

40% of first marriages end in divorce

In today’s climate of one-page financial plans, bargain-basement fund pricing and automated investment management tools, you may wonder whether you still need a living, breathing financial advisor.

So, are you ready to get a jump into another spring season? Along with allergies and March Madness, the spring brings a good time to reflect on your progress towards your financial goals.   Here are six financial best practices to check in on how you’ve been doing. Pick a few of them or take on the entire list.

Get your free annual credit report at https://www.annualcreditreport.com. This is the official, free, no credit card required source to obtain a free credit report every twelve months from each credit reporting company.