Insurance and Financial Services for Employers, Employees & Individuals

Welcome to our Web site, where you’ll find a wealth of information in the form of newsletters, articles, calculators, and research reports - all pertinent in today's fast paced and ever-changing world.

We hope your visit will help you understand the opportunities and potential rewards that are available when you take a proactive approach to your personal or business financial situation. We have created this Website to help you gain a better understanding of the financial concepts behind insurance, investing, retirement, estate analysis, and wealth preservation. Most important, we hope you see the value of working with skilled professionals.

We’re here to help inform you about the basic concepts of financial services; to help you hear more about who we are; and to give you fast, easy access to market performance data. We hope you take advantage of this resource and visit us often. Be sure to add our site to your list of "favorites" in your Internet browser. We frequently update our information, and we wouldn’t want you to miss any developments in the area of personal finance.

- Michael Otis, Registered Representative

 

 

Retirement Plan Early Distribution

Estimate how much would remain after paying income taxes and penalties if you took an early distribution from a retirement plan.

Home Affordability

Estimate of the maximum amount of financing you can expect to get when you begin house hunting.

Mortgage Refinancing

Determine whether you should consider refinancing your mortgage.

Personal Inflation Rate

Is your personal inflation rate higher or lower than the CPI?

More Calculators →

Rising Popularity of Roth IRA as Retirement Vehicle

Investment in the Roth IRA has been growing dramatically. Fueling the growth of this popular investment vehicle are tax-free distributions in retirement and no mandatory withdrawals due to age. Compare the trade-offs of Roth IRAs with traditional IRAs, including eligibility limitations, annual contribution limits, and withdrawal considerations.

New Opportunity Under the Federal Gift Tax

The 2010 Tax Relief Act raised the lifetime gift-tax exclusion to $5 million. This means it could be a good time to make the most of tax-free gift transfers. If so, it's important to understand the annual and lifetime gift exemption limits, as well as which gifts might not be subject to them.

Ways to Save More

About two out of three American workers are saving for retirement, but less than half are confident that they will save enough money to live comfortably during their retirement years. This article includes suggestions for readers to take small steps that could make a big difference when they are ready to retire.

Tax-Efficient Investments for the Tax-Averse

Raising taxes is one of many ideas that have been proposed to help reduce mounting federal budget deficits. Readers who are concerned about the prospect of higher taxes in the future may want to consider the tax advantages associated with municipal bonds and tax-exempt mutual funds.

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