Valerie Schmitz, CEPA, CPFA President
Welcome to our Web site, where you’ll find a wealth of information in the form of newsletter articles, calculators, and research reports.
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 financial situation. We have created this Web site to help you gain a better understanding of the financial concepts behind insurance, investing, retirement, estate planning, and wealth preservation. Most importantly, we hope you see the value of working with skilled professionals to pursue your financial goals.
We’re here to help educate you about the basic concepts of financial management; to help you learn 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.
Newsletters
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Bond Yields Are Up, but What Are the Risks?
After years of low yields, bonds are offering higher yields that may be appealing to investors regardless of their risk tolerance. This article provides an overview of bond risks.
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Key Retirement and Tax Numbers for 2024
This article presents the IRS’ cost-of-living adjustments for 2024 that affect contribution limits for retirement plans and various tax deduction, exclusion, exemption, and threshold amounts.
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Small Businesses Could Face Borrowing Challenges
Despite tougher lending conditions and higher interest costs, many people who need capital for business purposes may need to borrow money. This article discusses some common financing options.
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Setting a Retirement Savings Goal
Only 51% of workers or their spouses have tried to estimate the savings they would need to live comfortably in retirement. This article offers a simple worksheet to help calculate a savings target.
Calculators
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IRA Eligibility
Use this calculator to determine whether you qualify for the different types of IRAs.
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Mortgage Acceleration
This calculator can help you determine how soon you can pay off your mortgage.
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Cost of Retirement
Use this calculator to estimate how much income and savings you may need in retirement.
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LTCI Cost of Waiting
Estimate the potential cost of waiting to purchase a long-term care insurance policy.