Education Center

As you prepare for our initial meeting, consider the topics discussed in these brief summaries and how they relate to your long- and short-term financial goals.



Making Your Retirement Everything You Dreamed It Would Be

Imagine waking up on your first day of retirement. What will you do all day? Play golf? Romp with the grandkids? Go sailing or take a trip? You'll need a plan to turn your dreams into reality. On that first morning, you'll want to awaken to a retirement lifestyle that is as comfortable, or more, as when you were at the peak of your career.

Right now is a great time to start thinking about your ideal retirement lifestyle. It's likely you will be retired longer than those who are retired today. Putting aside more today can help you live comfortably during a longer retirement.

We're experienced in helping people prepare for a bright future. We offer you products to help make your retirement everything you envisioned and more. You work hard to set aside money for retirement. We can help you make it go even further.


Advantages of Donating Life Insurance Proceeds

Charitable giving is a chance to help your church, school, or favorite cause and gain personal satisfaction in the process. Life insurance provides a way to help you multiply the value of your gift beyond what you might be able to give outright.

Say you want to donate a certain amount of money to your alma mater. If you used the money instead to pay the premiums on an appropriate life insurance policy and named the school as the beneficiary, the death benefit may be worth more than the amount you had originally intended to give. The larger amount might help create a scholarship in your name or help the school pay construction costs for a new building.

Using life insurance as a gift can help preserve your other assets for heirs. Premiums can easily be paid from your annual or monthly budget. This way, any major assets that you intended to benefit and provide for your heirs can remain in the family while your desire to make a large donation can be met as well.

Provided you kept the policy in force during your lifetime, the death benefit usually is paid quickly, with minimum delays to the beneficiary. Life insurance proceeds typically are not subject to probate or estate settlement costs.

If a qualified, non-profit organization purchases the policy but you pay the premiums, some or all of your premium payments may be tax deductible. (Laws vary from state to state, so it's a good idea to consult with your legal and tax advisers.) Plus, the death benefit typically won't be counted as part of your estate for estate tax purposes. When you retain ownership of the policy, the policy’s proceeds are included in your estate, but the amount paid to charity may be deductible as a "charitable bequest" if your heirs owe estate taxes.

If your selected charity purchases a permanent life insurance policy with you as the insured, the charity may be able to borrow some of the policy's cash value, which typically builds up over time, but the loan will reduce the available death benefit if not repaid before your death.

When you make the gift of life insurance, no one has to know about it except you and the charity. Not even your family has to know, if that's what you desire. When a death benefit is paid, the courts typically aren't involved, there may be no public record of the gift, and it's extremely difficult for surviving heirs to dispute.


Planning a Legacy for Loved Ones

After decades of working hard, saving, and investing, it's common to want to share what you've accumulated with those around you. If you are one of millions of Americans who are concerned about leaving something to family members or a favorite charity, now is the time to begin planning your legacy. Employing the appropriate giving strategies now may help increase the value of your gifts both to yourself and your intended heirs.


Educating Your Children

If you have children and you want them to attend college, the first day of classes will be here sooner than you expected. When that day comes, you'll likely face one of two scenarios. It could be that you'll wave good-bye as your child's car pulls out of the driveway packed with school supplies and dorm furniture, knowing that you've planned well for the expenses — expected or otherwise — that the next four years are certain to bring.

Or you could wave good-bye with a lump in your throat, wondering if the next four years will be filled with loan applications, financial aid requests, and the specter of having to scrimp and save to make each tuition payment.

Fortunately, we offer a selection of products to help you avoid the second scenario. We understand how important it is to you to educate your children, and we are committed to helping you meet that goal.


Protecting Your Home

Part of the American Dream is to own a house. But having a home that you work to make a special place, where you raise a family and spend your happiest moments, is much more than just having a roof over your head. It's a major financial commitment to own and maintain a home, so it's important to think of it as one of your most important investments — one that needs to be protected. Planning to safeguard your investment in your home is critical to help ensure it will be there to protect your family for years to come.

One way to help ensure your family can pay off the mortgage if something should ever happen to you is to consider insurance products for mortgage protection. The death benefit from the appropriate Permanent Life or Term Life insurance policy can help your family retire the mortgage and help preserve their current lifestyle and their dreams for the future. Protecting your family's future now may help you put your fears to rest so you can focus on living like you want to.

There are many financial products and services out there to choose from. As a financial representative, I can help you decide which are most appropriate for your situation and help you make adjustments as your needs change in the future.