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

 

 

Credit Card Debt

How Long Will It Take to Pay my Balance?

Long-Term Care Self Insurance

Will you be able to afford nursing home care?

Estate Taxes

Use this calculator to estimate the federal estate taxes that could be due on your estate after you die.

Federal Income Tax

This calculator can help you estimate your annual federal income tax liability.

More Calculators →

The Dynamics That Can Drive Inflation

High unemployment and slow wage growth seem to have kept consumer spending and core inflation from growing very rapidly in the first half of 2011. This article reminds investors to keep the potential risk of inflation in mind, because even modest price increases compounded over time can erode the purchasing power of the assets in their portfolios.

Growth, Value, or Both

The average annual return for large-cap value stocks was about 2.1% higher than for large-cap growth stocks, yet growth stocks outperformed value stocks in 13 out of 30 years. This article examines the difference between the two approaches and describes why holding both may help investors take advantage of a variety of market conditions.

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.

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