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Most Americans spend more time planning for vacations and holidays than planning for their retirement.1
1 Employee Benefit Research Insitute, 2007

Will you outlive your retirement income?  How much liability insurance should you have? Should you add stocks to your portfolio?  Are your financial expectations for the coming year realistic?

Our financial newsletters are designed to provide helpful information on a wide variety of financial topics.  Simply click on one of the newsletter topics below to read the article in its entirety.

Before implementing any strategy discussed herein, you should consult with your own financial, tax, and/or legal advisors to determine its applicability in light of your own situation.

Most insurance policies and annuity contracts contain exclusions, limitations, reductions of benefits, surrender charges and terms for keeping them in force. Your representative can provide you with costs and complete details.

The information contained in this article is not intended to (and cannot) be used by anyone to avoid IRS penalties. These articles supports the promotion and marketing of this [life insurance, annuity, long term care, disability, pension, etc. You should seek advice based on your particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.


  • November

    How Much Is Enough?
    When you look at your life insurance coverage as a lump sum, it might seem like a lot of money, but how much is it in relation to your annual income?

    TIPS for Managing Inflation
    The U.S. Treasury issues a form of debt that helps protect investors from the effects of inflation: Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS).

    Investing Can Be Funds
    The popularity of mutual funds is not surprising, considering the benefits they can offer to investors. Some of these benefits could help make mutual funds an important part of your portfolio.

    Leaving Memories, Not a Mess
    Although it is not a legal document, a letter of instructions enables you to clearly describe your preferences for a variety of issues, such as organ donations, memorial/funeral arrangements, and other details that are not specified in a will or a trust.

    Quick Facts - November 2008
    Information about Retirement, Long Term Care and the Mature Markets

  • October

    Why Do Lower Prices Equal Higher Yields?
    The price/yield relationship is rooted in the secondary bond market, where bonds may trade at a premium or discount of the par (or face) value.

    Will Going Green Grow Green?
    About one out of every nine dollars under professional management in the United States is already invested according to socially screened criteria. There are several key questions to ask yourself when considering how this rising tide could affect your portfolio.

    Increase Your Protection
    If your net worth exceeds the amount of liability coverage provided by your homeowners and auto insurance policies (each usually tops out somewhere between $300,000 and $500,000), you might want to consider an umbrella liability insurance policy.

    Should You Found a Foundation?
    If you want to control how and where your donations are used, create an entity that has the potential to last for generations, and unite family members behind a worthy cause — and don’t mind some fairly strict paperwork requirements — this type of organization might be worth considering.

    Quick Facts - October 2008
    Information about Retirement, Long Term Care and the Mature Markets

  • September

    Beat the Big Three What Ifs
    Taxes, inflation, and medical costs — among other factors — could have an unanticipated effect on your retirement. There may be little you can do to combat them once you are no longer working.

    Stay Off the Phishing Hook
    In the run-up to this year’s April 15 tax deadline, taxpayers forwarded more than 33,000 phishing scam e-mails to the IRS, causing the agency to put phishing at the top of its annual list of scams of concern to taxpayers.

    Charity That Pays
    By organizing your giving, you can make it more effective, allowing your largess to benefit not only the intended charity, but potentially yourself and your heirs. Two popular ways to structure your giving are charitable lead trusts and charitable remainder trusts.

    Your Best Interest
    Successfully managing credit is crucial, but there are some arcane credit-card rules that may affect your balance, your interest rate, and even your credit score.

    Put Some Infrastructure in Your Portfolio
    The normally placid muni bond market has been roiled by a confluence of variables related to the stock market, slow economic growth, and credit-market woes. One result has been yields high enough to get the attention of investors who normally stick to Treasurys.

    Quick Facts - September 2008
    Information about Retirement, Long Term Care and the Mature Markets