The Tax Cuts and Job Act was signed into law by President Donald Trump on December 22, 2017. This massive tax reform act, an attempt to encourage economic growth, will have wide-reaching effects on all Americans across various income levels. While the majority of middle-income Americans will enjoy a noticeable break come tax time, investors have an important responsibility to be proactive in educating themselves and preparing for the effects this tax reform bill will have on them personally. If you haven't already done your homework here, waiting until tax time to see what happens is not the best approach. Being proactive will help you best prepare for the upcoming tax season and avoid surprises down the road.

The hurricane season of 2017 delivered massive damage to properties in the United States, and now that the actual storms—particularly Hurricanes Irma and Harvey— have done their damage, rebuilding has begun. One firm estimates that insured losses in the U.S. from Hurricane Irma will range from $25 to $35 billion. For Hurricane Harvey, insured losses will be just above $10 billion.

If you and/or your home were affected by these massive storms, how do you begin rebuilding? Here are 7 tips on how you can recover from a hurricane disaster—without losing your sanity or your life savings:

The massive data breach of Equifax servers by hackers from mid-May to July 2017 resulted in unauthorized access to personal information for millions of people – it’s estimated that the personal information of 143 million people – nearly 44% of the U.S. population – was compromised. Equifax is a consumer credit reporting agency that holds the most sensitive information of over 800 million individuals – including their Social Security numbers. The breach means that hackers now may have access to your most sensitive information, including your name, address, social security number, birth date, driver’s license numbers, and for some 209,000 people, credit card numbers, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

You might be a rock star when it comes to running your own business or advancing your career, but that doesn’t cut it when it comes to handling your personal financial planning and your investment portfolio management.

When you’re completely focused on your career or managing your business, you might lose track of your retirement planning goals. But, to achieve the retirement you’ve been dreaming about, you need a comprehensive investment strategy that includes retirement savings and tax advantages.