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Creative Financial Professionals

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Welcome to our research center! We've put together a library of information on important financial topics that we believe you'll find helpful.

Simply click on one of the general financial topics below and you'll find a selection of easy-to-understand information sheets about related financial concepts and strategies. This information is updated regularly to reflect the latest facts, figures, legislation, and economic trends.

Investment Planning

The labels growth and value reflect different approaches that can be used when making investment decisions.

Retirement Planning

A Roth 401(k) is funded with after-tax money, and allows for tax- and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings if requirements are met.

Retirement Planning

Annuities, an insurance-based financial vehicle, can provide many benefits that retirement investors might want.

Investment Planning

Both fixed and variable annuities could be appropriate options for an individual interested in purchasing an annuity.

Tax Planning

Everything you own, whatever the form of ownership, is subject to federal, and possibly state, estate taxes.

Retirement Planning

A SEP IRA is a type of plan under which the employer contributes (up to a certain limit) to an employee’s IRA.

Personal Finance

Couples who want to help protect their legacy from estate taxes could consider last-survivor life insurance.

Personal Finance

There are numerous investment alternatives available to help provide liquidity.

Transferring Wealth

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of different gifting strategies available for planned giving.

Investment Planning

ETFs have unique attributes and attempt to track all types of indexes, industries, or commodities.

Tax Planning

Tax-deferred retirement account withdrawals before age 59½ generally trigger a 10% federal tax penalty.

Investment Planning

There are several funding methods for a child's college education including mutual funds and Section 529 plans.

Personal Finance

Several factors could undermine the financial security provided by the proceeds of your life insurance policy.

Tax Planning

IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to annual contribution limits set by the federal government.

Investment Planning

529 plans are tax-advantaged savings plans that generally allow people of any income level to contribute.

Tax Planning

Required minimum distribution is the annual amount that must be withdrawn from a qualified retirement plan/account.

Personal Finance

To help you choose insurance wisely, determine how much coverage and what kind of policy is best for your situation.

Retirement Planning

There are a variety of retirement planning options that could help meet your needs. Here are some of the most popular.

Tax Planning

The federal gift tax applies to gifts of property or money while the donor is living.

Retirement Planning

A split-annuity strategy can generate immediate income while potentially stretching some retirement savings.

Retirement Planning

Tax-deferred retirement plans for self-employed individuals have higher contribution limits than IRAs.

Tax Planning

Capital gains are profits realized from the sale of assets; a tax is triggered only when an asset is sold, not held.

Personal Finance

Company-owned life insurance is one way to help protect a business from financial problems caused by the death of a key employee.

Investment Planning

An annuity is a flexible financial vehicle that can help protect against the risk of living a long time because it provides an option for a lifetime income.

Investment Planning

Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.

Retirement Planning

Living benefits can help protect variable annuity owners from running out of money in retirement.

Personal Finance

Property and casualty insurance can help protect a variety of assets. Find out what it does and doesn’t cover.

Investment Planning

A mutual fund is a collection of stocks, bonds, and other securities with certain benefits and risks.

Retirement Planning

Many realize it’s important to save for retirement, but knowing exactly how much to save is another issue altogether.

Retirement Planning

A Section 1035 exchange is a tax-free exchange of an existing annuity contract or life insurance policy for a new one.

Retirement Planning

401(k) employer-sponsored retirement plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.

Investment Planning

Mutual fund taxes can be cumbersome, but there are ways to help mitigate the amount of taxes you may owe.

Investment Planning

There are other ways to invest in stocks and bonds besides owning individual shares or bonds.

Personal Finance

Here are some smart ways to refinance your home.

Transferring Wealth

One estate planning strategy that families with closely held businesses could consider is the family limited partnership.

Transferring Wealth

Sole ownership, joint tenancy, tenancy in common, and community property have special benefits for property owners.

Tax Planning

With traditional IRAs and most employer-sponsored retirement plans, taxes are not payable until funds are withdrawn.

Personal Finance

When selecting a life insurance policy, examine all your options, as well as the positives and negatives of each type.

Investment Planning

It’s important to understand mutual fund loads, or sales charges, and exactly what they entail so you can make informed investing decisions.

Retirement Planning

There are key dates after you turn 59½ that can impact your taxes, Medicare eligibility, and retirement benefits.

Personal Finance

As a business owner, a disability can create an economic hardship putting both your personal finances and business at risk.

Personal Finance

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for those persons age 65 and over. But what does it cover?

Retirement Planning

With the changing pension landscape, it is important to take charge of your own retirement security.

Retirement Planning

If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might consider a traditional IRA.

Transferring Wealth

A living trust can help control the distribution of your estate upon death.

Investment Planning

Understanding different types of investment risk can help investors manage their money more effectively.

Transferring Wealth

Wills and trusts allow you to spell out how you would like your property distributed, but they also go beyond that.

Investment Planning

It is important to understand how dividends (taxable payments to shareholders) fit with your long-term goals.

Personal Finance

A business owner policy is an insurance package that assembles the basic coverages required by a business owner in one bundle.

Tax Planning

Want to keep more of your mutual fund profits? You may be interested in strategies to help lower your tax liability.

Personal Finance

A sound cash management program uses a disciplined approach: accounting, analysis, allocation, and adjustment.

Retirement Planning

A money purchase plan is a retirement plan where employer contributions are based on a fixed percentage of compensation.

Tax Planning

For the grantor, there are a few potential tax benefits that can come with setting up a charitable trust.

Personal Finance

If you have a family who relies on your income, it is important to have life insurance protection.

Personal Finance

Split-dollar life insurance is an arrangement to purchase and fund life insurance between two parties.

Retirement Planning

Allocating too much of your retirement investments to one company, even your own, can be a risky proposition.

Personal Finance

It's important to understand the options, such as financial aid grant programs, when having to pay for college.

Retirement Planning

Profit-sharing plans give employees a share in the profits of a company and can help to fund their retirements.

Personal Finance

An annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company to pay you future income in exchange for premiums you pay.

Retirement Planning

If you leave a job or retire, you should consider your options regarding your employer retirement plan assets.

Retirement Planning

A 403(b) plan is a tax-deferred retirement savings plan that can only be offered by a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity.

Retirement Planning

Qualified Roth IRA distributions in retirement are free of federal income tax and aren’t included in gross income.

Tax Planning

A 1035 exchange allows you to exchange your life insurance policy for one from another company without tax liability.

Retirement Planning

The SIMPLE plan may appeal to small business owners as it is easy to set up, administer, and allows for a tax deduction.

Investment Planning

The difference between purchasing an individual stock versus shares in a mutual fund to potentially earn dividends.

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