Business, Investment, Retirement & Tax Planning Tools For your convenience, we have dedicated this area to provide what we believe are useful planning tools. Click on one of the planning tools below to select articles, decision tools, or frequently asked questions (FAQ's) covering a variety of business, financial and tax related topics.  It is important to note that while these planning tools may provide helpful information, they should not serve as a substitute for seeking advice from a qualified professional. We welcome you to contact us for further information, assistance or advice regarding how these topics may impact your specific situation.

Business Owner   Articles     Benefits and retirement plans       Benefit plans for small businesses       Disability income insurance for the self-employed       Group health insurance: a valued employee benefit       Group term life insurance       Health insurance for the self-employed       Key employee life and disability insurance       Life insurance for the self-employed       Offering group disability insurance       Retirement plans for small businesses       Understanding individual 401(k) plans       What employers need to know about workers' compensation insurance     Insuring a business       Business automobile insurance basics       Business interruption insurance       Business liability insurance basics       Business overhead expense insurance       Commercial general liability       Do you need crime insurance?       Income tax tips: business insurance       Insurance tips for business travelers       Insuring your home business       Professional liability coverage       Properly insuring your business       Should you self-insure your business?       Understanding your business owners policy       Why insure your business?     Starting a business       Choosing an entity for your business       Funding a business       Hiring your first employee       Record keeping for your own business       Starting or buying a business       Tax planning for the self-employed     Transferring or selling a business       Funding a buy-sell agreement with life insurance       Transferring your family business   Decision Tools     Benefits and retirement plans       401(k) plans       Building a retirement plan for your business       Individual 401(k) Illustration     Choosing an entity       Choosing a business entity       Comparison of LLCs, LLPs, and professional corporations       How C Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, and Limited Liability Partnerships Protect Personal Assets     Insurance planning       Business life insurance needs     Transferring or selling a business       Business succession planning alternatives       Business succession strategy analyzer       Buy-sell agreement analyzer       Buy-sell planning questionnaire       How cross purchase plans work       How entity purchase plans work       Planning for succession of a business interest   FAQs     Advertising a business       How can I get free publicity for my business?       How do I know where to advertise my business?       What is the best form of advertising?     Home-based businesses       Can I deduct home office expenses?       If I work at home occasionally, am I entitled to a home office deduction?     Incorporating a business       Can I change my business from a C corporation to an S corporation?       Can I change my business from an S corporation to a C corporation?       Should I incorporate my business?     Insurance coverage       I own a business. Are there any creative ways I can use life insurance in my business?       What kind of insurance coverage do I need for my small business?     Noncompetition agreements       I am buying a business. Can I make the seller sign a noncompetition agreement?       My employer wants me to sign a noncompetition agreement. What is it? Is it legally binding?       Why does the buyer of my business want me to sign a noncompetition agreement?     Partnerships       How does a limited partnership work?     Raising capital       Can I borrow money from my wholly owned business?       How can I raise capital for my business?     Starting a business       How do I find good advisors such as lawyers and accountants to help with my business?       Is buying a franchise a good way to get into business?       Should I buy an existing business or start from scratch?       Should I buy or lease assets for my business?       What are the stages of business development?       What should I look for in a business location?     Transferring or selling a business       Can I transfer my business through my will?       How can I keep my business in the family?       What are some financing options for selling my business?       What is a buy-sell agreement?       What is a family limited partnership, and will it help reduce estate taxes?     Valuing a business       How can I determine what my business is worth for estate and gift tax purposes?   Investment Planning   Articles     Investment basics       Taxation of investments   Decision Tools     Taxes       Capital gains and dividends tax relief   FAQs     Taxes       How did the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 change capital gains tax rates?       Will I have to pay tax on my investment income?   Retirement Planning   Articles     Saving for retirement       Annuities and retirement planning       Borrowing or withdrawing money from your 401(k) plan       Choosing a beneficiary for your IRA or 401(k)       Closing a retirement income gap       Deciding what to do with your 401(k) plan when you change jobs       Estimating your retirement income needs       Evaluating an early retirement offer       Retirement planning--the basics       Saving for retirement and a child's education at the same time       Taking advantage of employer-sponsored retirement plans       Understanding defined benefit plans       Understanding IRAs       What to do after you've been automatically enrolled in your company's retirement plan     Social Security       Social Security retirement benefits       Understanding Social Security   Decision Tools     IRAs       Comparison of traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs       Roth IRA future value calculator       Traditional IRA future value calculator       Traditional IRA required minimum distribution illustrator     Retirement planning basics       How taxation can affect your retirement funds       Investing for retirement       Saving for your retirement     Social Security       How earnings affect Social Security       Social Security figures at-a-glance       Sources of retirement income: filling the Social Security gap   FAQs     Employer-sponsored retirement plans       Can I roll a retirement plan distribution into an IRA?       Can I still have a traditional IRA if I contribute to my 401(k) plan at work?       Does the federal government insure pension benefits?       Should I contribute to my 401(k) plan at work?       What does the term "qualified plan" mean?       What is vesting?     Health care issues       Can I deduct premiums paid for long-term care (LTC) insurance?     IRAs       Can I avoid the 10 percent penalty tax for early withdrawals from a traditional IRA?       It's January, and I forgot to contribute to my IRA. Is it too late?       Should I invest in a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA?       What are required minimum distributions and how are they calculated?       What are the rules for IRA contributions?     Saving for retirement       How aggressive should I be when I invest for retirement?       How should I structure my retirement portfolio?       What are catch-up contributions?     Social Security       Are my Social Security benefits subject to income tax?       How can I get an estimate of my Social Security benefits?       I'm getting remarried. How will this affect my Social Security benefits?       Should I retire now at age 62 and collect Social Security benefits, or should I wait until age 65?       What happens if I start collecting Social Security after age 65?       When I retire, how much will I receive from Social Security?       Will my children receive money from Social Security when I die?   Tax Planning   Articles     General tax planning       Am I having enough withheld?       Surviving an audit       Tax planning for income       Tax planning for the self-employed     Taxes and insurance       Income tax tips: business insurance   Decision Tools     General tax planning       Accelerating deductions/postponing Income       Accelerating income/postponing deductions       Federal individual income tax fundamentals     Tax credits and deductions       General business tax credits       Tax credit sampler   FAQs     General tax planning       Do I have to pay U.S. taxes when I work abroad?       What is my tax bracket?       What penalties and interest will I be charged for paying and filing my federal income taxes late?