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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ISM Indexes Watch for Trouble on Both Sides of the Economy
Two different Purchasing Managers Indexes are generally considered to be leading economic indicators that can help businesses and investors make more informed decisions.
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Child Care Is a Budget Buster: Take Advantage of These Tax Breaks
A tax credit and/or dependent-care flexible spending account might help offset some of the costs paid for a nanny, babysitter, day care, preschool, or day camp.
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Managing Medicare Out-of-Pocket Costs
This article looks at the two different and mutually exclusive options Medicare beneficiaries have to help control retirement health-care spending: Medigap and Medicare Advantage.
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New Medicare Rules Tackle Prescription Drug Prices
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 included provisions intended to lower prescription drug costs for Medicare enrollees and slow drug spending by the federal government.
Calculators
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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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IRA Eligibility
Use this calculator to determine whether you qualify for the different types of IRAs.
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Loan Payoff
How much will it cost to pay off a loan over its lifetime?
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Mortgage Acceleration
This calculator can help you determine how soon you can pay off your mortgage.