Articles

More than 80% of investors would appreciate having basic, unbiased investor education and information.^1
1 FINRA Investor Education Survey, 2007

Welcome to our research center! We've put together a library of information on important financial topics that we believe you'll find helpful.

Simply click on one of the general financial topics below and you'll find a selection of easy-to-understand information sheets about related financial concepts and strategies.   This information is updated regularly to reflect the latest facts, figures, legislation, and economic trends.

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• Estates & Trusts

  Estate Planning
  Living Trusts
  Avoiding Probate
  Charitable Gifts
  Controlling the Distribution
  Paying Estate Taxes
  Benefits of A-B Trusts
  Gifting Strategies
  Charitable Lead Trusts
  Charitable Remainder Trusts
  Wealth Replacement Trusts
  Family Limited Partnerships
  Property Ownership
  Eliminating the Estate Tax
  

  Retirement

  How Much Do I Need to Save
  A New Chapter for Retirement
  SIMPLE IRAs
  Stretch IRAs
  IRA Rollover
  Roth 401(k)
  Profit-Sharing Plans
  Money Purchase Pension Plans
  403(b) Plans
  Why Purchase Annuities
  Split-Annuity Strategy
  Annuity Living Benefits
  1035 Exchanges
  Unforgettable Birthdays
  Your Business and Retirement
  Planning Options
  Future of Social Security
  Social Security Income
  Keogh Plans
  SEP IRAs
  Equity-Indexed Annuities
  Retirement Plan Distributions
  Traditional IRAs
  401(k) Plans
  Managing Retirement Plans
  Save Now or Later
  Roth IRAs
  

• Tax Planning

  Capital Gains Tax
  Estate Tax
  Gift Tax
  Retirement Plan Limits
  Estate Tax Repeal
  Required Minimum Distributions
  Charitable Trust Tax Benefits
  Retirement Plan Taxes
  Withdrawing Before Age 59.5
  Tax Deferral
  Tax-Advantaged Investments
  Tax Deductions
  Tax-Advantaged Alternatives
  Tax Strategies for Retirement Plans
  Tax-Free Investments
  Mutual Fund Profits
  Tax-Free Insurance Upgrades
  

  Investing

  Dividends
  Exchange-Traded Funds
  Growth Stocks vs. Value Stocks
  Mutual Fund Taxes
  Stock
  Zero-Coupon Bonds
  Annuity Taxes
  Bond Ladders
  Common Stock vs. Preferred Stock
  Diversification
  Types of Bonds
  Bonds
  Bond Ratings
  Stock Indexes
  Mutual Funds vs. Stocks
  Mutual Funds
  Closed-End Funds
  Mutual Fund Loads
  Annuities
  Fixed vs. Variable Annuities
  Investment Risks
  Asset Classes
  Asset Allocation
  College Savings Plans
  College Investment Options
  Managed Investments
  Dollar-Cost Averaging
  529 Plans
  

• Cash Management

  Cash Management Basics
  Doubling Your Money
  Cash Management Tools
  Money Market Funds
  Managing Cash
  Biweekly Mortgages
  Reverse Mortgages
  Smart Financing Ideas
  College Financial Aid
  Savings Alternatives
  Effects of Inflation
  Home Equity Loans
  

  Risk Management

  Why Purchase Life Insurance
  Annuities as an Insurance Product
  Property and Casualty Insurance
  Business Owner Policies
  Life Insurance for Business Owners
  Split-Dollar Life Insurance
  Last-Survivor Life Insurance
  Disability Insurance for Business Owners
  Types of Life Insurance
  Term Life Insurance
  Whole Life Insurance
  Universal Life Insurance
  Variable Life Insurance
  Auto Insurance
  Insurance Claims
  Maximizing Insurance Benefits
  Insuring Your Future
  Protecting Your Home
  Assessing Disability Insurance
  Types of Health Care
  Additional Liability Coverage
  HMOs and PPOs
  Evaluating Insurance Companies
  Long-Term-Care Costs
  Medicare Coverage