Mortgages

We all know how critical the housing crisis has become. We’ll help you determine whether you qualify for a mortgage based on your current and projected income, and we’ll analyze the advantages or disadvantages of fixed-rate and adjustable mortgages as well as other aspects of home financing. For older homeowners, we’ll discuss options such as using a reverse mortgage as a source of income.

Education Funding

The costs of a college education are continually rising, far outstripping the normal rate of inflation. We will help you determine your best approach to save for your children’s education, which could be either a 529 plan, prepaid tuition plan, or Coverdell account. We’ll also help you take advantage of other tax-favorable treatment of education expenses, such as the Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits.

Retirement Planning

It is never too early to start planning for retirement. If you want to live the same lifestyle--or an even better one--than you do now, you need to start planning for retirement. We will help you compare the relative benefits of stocks, bonds, and other retirement assets, and will explain the differences between such retirement plans as standard IRAs, tax-deferred annuities, and Roth IRAs. We can analyze your projected income and expenses and suggest investment funding techniques to help you ensure your golden years 10, 20, and even 50 years from now live up to your expectations.

Estate Planning

We offer estate planning services to help you minimize federal and state estate tax liabilities, and to determine if you will have a deficit or surplus of assets after taxes and settlement costs have been resolved. We will endeavor to protect your heirs from the unneeded emotional devastation that can be caused by estate tax levies.