Planning Tools provided below consists of useful articles and decision tools for helping you make better decisions, in both business and personal plans, with additional links to common FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions).  Start here then contact one of our qualified professionals who will review our service offerings available for assisting you and/or your company with the plan and tools needed to achieve your objective goals! CURRENT TOPICS:  Business Owner, Estate Planning & Tax Planning.  Check back for quarterly changes!

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       Split dollar insurance plans       Understanding individual 401(k) plans       What employers need to know about workers' compensation insurance     Starting a business       Advantages and disadvantages of self-employment       Choosing an entity for your business       Funding a business       Hiring your first employee       Qualifying for the home office deduction       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 disability insurance       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       Comparison of types of educational assistance       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   FAQs     Employee benefits and other issues       How can I boost the morale of my employees without incurring huge expenses?       How can I find good employees for my business?       What are health reimbursement arrangements?       What are incentive stock options (ISOs)?       What benefits should I offer to my employees?     Starting a business       Don't most small businesses fail?       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?   Estate Planning   Articles     Assets       Asset protection in estate planning       Estate planning and 529 plans       Transferring your family business     Estate planning basics       Estate planning--an introduction       Facing the possibility of incapacity       Gift and estate taxes       Trust basics       Wills--the cornerstone of your estate plan     Medicaid planning       Medicaid and nursing home care       Medicaid and the principal residence       Medicaid planning basics   Decision Tools     Business planning       Business life insurance needs       Business succession planning alternatives       Choosing a business entity       How cross purchase plans work       How entity purchase plans work       Number of policies needed with a cross purchase plan       Planning for succession of a business interest     Estate planning basics       Common incapacity documents       Estate shrinkage       Federal estate tax estimator       Federal transfer tax exemption amounts under the Tax Act of 2001       Steps to estate planning success       Table of federal estate tax brackets and exemption limits     Trusts       Advantages of trusts       How a grantor retained income trust (GRIT) works       How an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) works       How an irrevocable trust protects assets   FAQs     Estate and gift tax       How can I determine what my business is worth for estate and gift tax purposes?       How can I minimize taxes on my estate?       How will estate taxes be paid if I leave no provision in my will?       I intend to make tuition payments directly to my grandchild's college, and I know this will reduce my estate. But would it be better to contribute to a 529 plan instead?       I just made a gift. Do I have to file a gift tax return?       If I am the account owner when I die, will the value of my 529 account be included in my estate?       The death benefit from insurance on my life will be paid to an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT). What if those funds are needed to pay my estate taxes?       What is a family limited partnership, and will it help reduce estate taxes?       What is the applicable exclusion amount?       Will the value of my 529 account be included in my estate or my beneficiary's estate?     Life insurance and estate planning       Are life insurance proceeds income taxable?       The death benefit from insurance on my life will be paid to an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT). What if those funds are needed to pay my estate taxes?       What is a life insurance trust and why should I consider establishing one?       When I die, is my beneficiary required to take a lump-sum payment of my life insurance death benefit?       Will my beneficiaries have to pay taxes on the proceeds of my life insurance policy?     Probate       Does property owned jointly avoid probate?       What is probate and why do I want to avoid it?     Trusts       Can an UGMA/UTMA account reduce my child's financial aid for college?       Should I establish a trust for my child's college education fund?       What is a Crummey power?       What is a life insurance trust and why should I consider establishing one?       What is a living trust?     Wills       Can I disinherit relatives I don't like?       Can I transfer my business through my will?       Do I have to accept a bequest I don't want?       Do I need an attorney to prepare my will?       How will estate taxes be paid if I leave no provision in my will?       I want my son to have my valuable collection of baseball cards when I die. How do I make sure he gets it?       What is the difference between a living will and a living trust?       What will happen if I die without a will?       Who should I name as guardian of my children in case my spouse and I should die at the same time?       Who should I name as trustee?   Tax Planning   Articles     General tax planning       Am I having enough withheld?       Choosing an income tax filing status       Help! I can't pay my tax bill       Income tax planning and 529 plans       Surviving an audit       Tax benefits of home ownership       Tax planning for income       Tax planning for the self-employed       Taxation of investments       Year-end tax planning     Tax credits and deductions       Education tax credits       Personal deduction planning       Qualifying for the home office deduction       Understanding personal tax credits     Taxes and insurance       Income tax tips: business insurance       Tax planning for annuities       Tax planning tips: auto insurance       Tax planning tips: disability insurance       Tax planning tips: life insurance       Tax tips: health insurance       Tax tips: homeowners insurance       Tax tips: long-term care insurance   Decision Tools     General tax planning       Accelerating deductions/postponing Income       Accelerating income/postponing deductions       Federal individual income tax fundamentals       Remarriage with children: income tax considerations     Tax credits and deductions       Comparison of education tax credits and deductions       General business tax credits       Is my home mortgage interest fully deductible?       Tax credit sampler   FAQs     General tax planning       Am I having enough tax withheld from my paycheck?       Are my Social Security benefits subject to income tax?       Are scholarships and grants subject to federal income tax?       Do I have to file a federal income tax return?       Do I have to pay U.S. taxes when I work abroad?       How did the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 change capital gains tax rates?       I don't have the cash to pay my taxes. What can I do?       I have investment property. What does basis mean, and how do I determine the basis of my property?       I received a state tax refund last year. Must I include that amount as income on my federal return this year?       My spouse passed away this year. When I file my taxes, what filing status should I claim?       What is my tax bracket?       What is the alternative minimum tax?       What is the basis of property received as a gift?       What is the kiddie tax?       What penalties and interest will I be charged for paying and filing my federal income taxes late?       What's the difference between an "injured spouse" and an "innocent spouse"?       Will I have to pay tax on my investment income?     Tax credits       Can I take the credit for the elderly or disabled?       Can I take the tax credit for child care?       Now that my child is in college, am I entitled to any education tax credits?       What are the Hope credit and the Lifetime Learning credit?       What is the child tax credit?       What is the difference between the child tax credit and the child and dependent care tax credit?       What is the earned income credit and who qualifies for it?     Tax deductions       Can I deduct home office expenses?       Can I deduct premiums paid for long-term care (LTC) insurance?       Can I deduct the cost of improvements or repairs I've made to my home?       How do I deduct and substantiate my gambling losses?       I paid my mother's real estate taxes last year. Can I deduct this on my tax return?       I refinanced my principal home last year and paid points. What are points, and can I deduct them on my tax return?       If I prepay next year's taxes this year, can I deduct them this year?       If I work at home occasionally, am I entitled to a home office deduction?       Is student loan interest deductible?       My spouse and I are filing separate returns. Can we both itemize our deductions? If so, how do we split the deductions?       My town has assessed against me a real estate betterment for new sewer lines installed in my street. May I deduct this amount on my tax return?       We just bought our first home. What can we deduct from the settlement statement?     Taxes and child support/alimony       Are alimony payments considered taxable income?       What are the tax implications of child support payments?     Taxes and home ownership       Can I deduct the cost of improvements or repairs I've made to my home?       How do I figure the tax on the sale of my home?       I refinanced my principal home last year and paid points. What are points, and can I deduct them on my tax return?       I rent my home out for two weeks each year. Do I have to show this rental income on my federal income tax return?       If I prepay next year's taxes this year, can I deduct them this year?       My town has assessed against me a real estate betterment for new sewer lines installed in my street. May I deduct this amount on my tax return?       We just bought our first home. What can we deduct from the settlement statement?     Taxes and insurance proceeds       Are life insurance proceeds income taxable?       I receive disability insurance payments. Are they taxable?