Karen L Pong, Certified Financial Planner (tm)
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 important, 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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How Taxes Impact Your Retirement-Income Strategy
Retirees face unique challenges when managing their income, particularly when it comes to taxes. This article provides an overview of tax-related issues, from taxing Social Security to the new RMD rules and determining when to tap taxable and tax-advantaged accounts.
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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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A New Year, A New Opportunity to Save with a 529 Plan
This article explains how a 529 plan can help a family save for college, including recent changes that have made these plans more flexible.
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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.
Calculators
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IRA Eligibility
Use this calculator to determine whether you qualify for the different types of IRAs.
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Required Minimum Distributions
Estimate the annual required distribution from your traditional IRA or former employer's retirement plan after you turn age 73.
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Taxable Equivalent Yield
Calculate the rate of return you would have to receive from a taxable investment to realize an equivalent tax-exempt yield.
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Cost of Retirement
Use this calculator to estimate how much income and savings you may need in retirement.