Terms of Use Every day, consumers are learning new ways to get more value for their money. From different ways to pay-such as credit, debit or smart cards-to home banking and shopping over the Internet, people are realizing that they have more control over their money and more ways to use it. Parents and caregivers are uniquely positioned to teach kids the life skills, values and understanding they need to become smart consumers. The goal of this series of articles is to help parents and careg  More...

Putting You in Control of Your Financial Life Managing money is a critical life skill that many of us have never really mastered. Good money management skills help you get ahead financially and help prevent others from taking advantage of you. That's where The Money Express comes in. It's Connection's way to provide useful financial information in understandable terms. You see, although some of the concepts can be a little tricky, we have written it to be understandable by all age  More...

Terms of Use In 2025, you can give up to $19,000 in gifts to individuals in a year without triggering the gift tax. You can give away up to that limit to as many individuals as you’d like. You can make a gift of cash or other property to any individual each calendar year. If you give more than $19,000 in cash or assets like stocks, land, cars, etc. in a year to any one individual, you need to file a gift tax return. This doesn't mean you have to pay a gift tax, only that you have   More...

Terms of Use Need some help finding the right path for your financial future? You've come to the right place. We've put together an itinerary that takes in all the basics for your journey to learn more about saving and investing. Traveling down the right road to achieving financial well-being is one of the most important trips that you'll ever make in life. Y ou don't have to be a genius to do it … and you don't have to be rich … you just need to hit the road   More...

Terms of Use When it comes to buying a car, you want to make a well-informed decision. Here are some tips to avoid making a costly mistake: Check out different vehicles . Several Internet sites can help you compare features and prices on new motor vehicles. Go to www.popularmechanics.com to see the best sites for buying or selling a car online. ?Visit www.truecar.com to see what others paid for cars you're interested in. Two popular magazines offer information in print and online conc  More...

Terms of Use People often associate trust funds only with the wealthy. But a trust actually can be an effective financial tool for many people in many circumstances. A trust is a separate legal entity that holds property or assets of some kind for the benefit of a specific person, group of people or organization known as the beneficiary . The person creating a trust is called the grantor , donor or settlor . When a trust is established, an individual or corporate entity is designated to oversee   More...

Terms of Use The credit rating for a bond reflects the degree of risk associated with the bond issuer defaulting on the loan. There are several rating agencies that rate bond issuers. Credit ratings are based on in-depth analysis of the issuer's financial condition and management, economic and debt characteristics, and the specific revenue sources securing the bond. The highest ratings are AAA (S P and Fitch) and Aaa (Moody's). Bonds rated in the BBB category or higher are considered inv  More...

Terms of Use Determine Your Risk Tolerance This knowledge article is part of a series of knowledge articles aimed to help you define your roadmap to savings and investing. To review the previous knowledge article in this series, click here . To review the table of contents for the articles, click here . You are approaching the half-way point in your journey to saving and investing. This is a good point to make sure that you understand some key concepts: Savings Your savings are usually put i  More...

Terms of Use Estate taxes are often referred to as death taxes since they're imposed on the transfer of an estate after a person dies. In 2025, estates of up to $13.99 million are free of tax. Anything above $13.99 million gets taxed on a sliding scale from 18% up to 40%. If you leave an estate behind that is less than that amount, the estate won't owe any federal estate tax. All property left to a surviving spouse passes free of estate tax. All property left to a tax-exempt charit  More...

Terms of Use Define Your Goals This knowledge article is part of a series of knowledge articles aimed to help you define your roadmap to savings and investing. To review the table of contents for the articles, click here . What are the things you want to save and invest for … A home? A new car? Your education or that of a child? A comfortable retirement? The needs of your parents? All of these goals will cost money. To make sure that you will have enough money when you need it, follo  More...