GOOD NEWS! Starting in 2022 IRA and retirement plans required minimum distributions (RMD) will be somewhat smaller. Why might you ask? Because the population’s life expectancy is getting longer, the IRS released new life expectancy tables that will be used starting with the 2022 RMDs.

Between work and home life, it can be tough to find time to visit a bank and open a new account. Fortunately, with First Merchants it’s easier than ever to open an account entirely online. From start to finish, opening a personal checking or savings account through the First Merchants website or mobile app can be done in just a few minutes.

Buying a home is the largest purchase most people ever make. Since the typical homebuyer doesn’t have the savings required to purchase a house with cash, they borrow the funding from a bank or lending agency, usually in the form of a mortgage.

While shopping around for the right home mortgage, you may come across an unfamiliar term: mortgage points. What exactly are they — and are they worth the added initial cost for the long-term savings?

Inflation remains front and center on the minds of investors as last week’s inflation updates showed the rate of consumer price increases hit a multi-decade high in October. Concerns about sustained high inflation and a resulting back-up in interest rates knocked U.S. equities off a 5-week consecutive streak of gains.