McDonald & Osborne, PA

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Financial Planning Tools

Access online content and solutions that facilitate the communication of financial planning knowledge and advice that is current, concise, and compliant. Articles offer up-to-date information on a variety of business-related and financial planning topics.

Click on the Articles and Decision Tools below to expand for content: 

 
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
  Insuring a business
   Business automobile insurance basics
   Business interruption insurance
   Business liability insurance basics
   Business overhead expense insurance
   Commercial general liability
   Do you need crime insurance?
   Income tax tips: business insurance
   Insurance tips for business travelers
   Insuring your home business
   Professional liability coverage
   Properly insuring your business
   Should you self-insure your business?
   Understanding your business owners policy
   Why insure your business?
  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
  Business planning basics
   2003 numbers
   Net worth calculator
  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
  Insurance planning
   Business life insurance needs
   Number of policies needed with a cross purchase plan
  Tax planning
   Accelerating deductions/postponing income
   Accelerating income/postponing deductions
  Transferring or selling a business
   Business succession planning alternatives
   Business succession strategy analyzer
   Buy-sell agreement analyzer
   Buy-sell planning questionnaire
   How cross purchase plans work
   How entity purchase plans work
   Planning for succession of a business interest
 
Education Planning
 Articles
  529 plans
   529 plans and financial aid eligibility
   529 plans vs. other college savings options
   529 plans: The ins and outs of contributions and withdrawals
   Choosing a state savings plan
   Estate planning and 529 plans
   Income tax planning and 529 plans
   Making changes to your 529 account
   Opening a 529 account
   The ABCs of 529 plans
  Education planning basics
   ABCs of financial aid
   Can I afford to send my child to college?
   Education tax credits
   Finding money to pay college bills out of pocket
   Going back to school as an adult
   Health insurance for college students
   Helping your child make the transition from high school to college
   How student loans impact your credit
   Research tips when choosing a college
   Saving for retirement and a child's education at the same time
   Sticker shock--creative ways to lower the cost of college
   Student loan basics
   The best ways to save for college
   The college application process
 Decision Tools
  529 plans
   529 plans vs. Coverdell education savings accounts
   529 plans: advisor-sold state savings plans
   529 plans: direct-sold state savings plans
   529 plans: prepaid tuition plans
   State savings plan nonqualified withdrawals calculator
   State savings plans vs. prepaid tuition plans
  Determining how much to save for college
   College savings analyzer
   Finding the funds to pay for a college education
   Higher education figures at-a-glance
  Evaluating college savings options
   Advantages and disadvantages of 529 plans
   Advantages and disadvantages of Coverdell education savings accounts
   Advantages and disadvantages of custodial accounts for college savings
   Advantages and disadvantages of U.S. savings bonds for college savings
   College funding options analyzer
   College savings vehicles compared
  Financial aid
   College application and financial aid calendar
   Comparison of federal higher education loans
   Financial aid calendar
  Tax issues
   Comparison of education tax credits and deductions
   Qualified education expenses defined
   Summary of tax-advantaged college savings options
 
Estate Planning
 Articles
  Assets
   Asset protection in estate planning
   Estate planning and 529 plans
   Transferring your family business
  Beneficiary designations
   Choosing a beneficiary for your IRA or 401(k)
   Designating a beneficiary for life insurance
  Charitable giving
   Charitable giving
   Life insurance and charitable giving
  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
  Life insurance
   Life insurance and estate planning
   Life insurance and terminal illness
   Life insurance: do you need it?
   Planning ahead for life insurance proceeds
   The ins and outs of policy ownership
  Medicaid planning
   Medicaid and nursing home care
   Medicaid and the principal residence
   Medicaid planning basics
  Probate
   Bypassing probate
   Understanding probate
 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
  Charitable giving
   How a charitable lead trust works
   How a charitable remainder trust works
   The best property to give to charity
  Estate planning basics
   529 Plan Federal estate tax calculator
   529 Plan Federal estate tax calculator - (Consumer Version)
   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
  Life insurance
   Life insurance needs analyzer
  Probate
   The probate process: 3 to 9 months after death
   The probate process: 9 to 12 months after death
   The probate process: initial tasks
   Types of post-mortem elections
  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
 
Government Benefits
 Articles
  Medicare and Medicaid
   Coordinating long-term care insurance with government benefits
   Health insurance in retirement
   Medicaid and nursing home care
   Medicaid and the principal residence
   Medicaid planning basics
   Medicare
  Other government benefits
   Government-sponsored disability insurance programs
   Receiving unemployment benefits
   What employers need to know about workers' compensation insurance
  Social Security
   Social Security disability benefits
   Social Security retirement benefits
   Social Security survivor's benefits
   Understanding Social Security
 Decision Tools
  Medicare and Medicaid
   Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care
   Medicare figures at-a-glance
   Medicare, Medigap, and Medicaid
  Social Security
   Disability income needs worksheet
   How earnings affect Social Security
   Social Security disability insurance (SSDI): awards and applications illustrator
   Social Security figures at-a-glance
   Sources of retirement income: filling the Social Security gap
   What are your chances of becoming disabled?
 
Investment Planning
 Articles
  Choosing investment vehicles
   Annuity basics
   Creating an investment portfolio
   Investing in bonds
   Investing in stocks
   Mutual fund basics
   Other investments
   The best ways to save for college
   Understanding mutual fund share classes
  Investment basics
   Handling market volatility
   Investment planning--the basics
   Six keys to successful investing
   Taxation of investments
   Understanding investment terms and concepts
   Understanding risk
  Investment goals
   Asset Allocation
   Can I afford to send my child to college?
   Common investment goals
   Dollar cost averaging
   Retirement planning--the basics
 Decision Tools
  Creating an investment portfolio
   Annuities
   Asset allocation pie chart illustrator
   Building an investment portfolio
   College funding options analyzer
   Common types of mutual funds
   Exchange traded funds and mutual funds compared
   Investing for retirement
   Major asset classes
  Investment planning basics
   Common investment mistakes to avoid
   Consumer price index inflation calculator
   Growth of annual deposits calculator
   Investor Profile and Asset Allocation Calculator
   Simple rules for investing
   Steps to financial planning success
  Taxes
   Capital gains and dividends tax relief
   Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003: Highlights
 
Personal Finance
 Articles
  Buying a car
   ABCs of auto insurance
   Buying a car
   GAP insurance
   How safe is that new car?
  Financial basics
   Establishing a budget
   Getting started: establishing a financial safety net
   Working with a financial advisor
  Managing credit and debt
   Choosing a credit card
   Contemplating bankruptcy
   Credit traps for the unwary
   Debt consolidation
   How student loans inpact your credit
   Understanding your credit report
  Owning a home
   Applying for a mortgage
   Buying a home
   Buying a home both you and your insurer will love
   Opening the door to homeowners insurance
   Refinancing your mortgage
   Selling a home
   Tapping the equity in your home
   Tax benefits of home ownership
   Your home as a source of dollars in retirement
 Decision Tools
  Owning a car
   Auto insurance analyzer
   Auto loan payment calculator
   How to save money on your auto insurance
   Should you buy or lease your car?
  Owning a home
   Homeowners insurance quiz
   How to save money on your homeowners insurance
   Is my home mortgage interest fully deductible?
   Less common mortgage options
   Mortgage payment calculator
   Popular types of mortgages
   Should you refinance your mortgage?
  Saving, spending, and borrowing
   Consumer price index inflation calculator
   Credit cards--advantages vs. disadvantages
   Deciding which credit card to get
   Growth of annual deposits calculator
   Loan amortization calculator
   Net worth calculator
   Personal cash flow worksheet
 
Protection Planning
 Articles
  Annuities
   Annuities and retirement planning
   Annuities: traps for the unwary
   Annuity basics
   Annuity distributions
   Fixed annuity contracts
   Funding an annuity: what are the options?
   Guaranteed annuity contracts
   Qualified and nonqualified annuities
   Shopping for an annuity
   Tax planning for annuities
   Tax-deferred annuities: are they right for you?
   Variable annuities
   What are annuity subaccounts?
  Automobile insurance
   ABCs of auto insurance
   Auto accident checklist
   Auto insurance for 20-somethings
   Auto insurance for the hard-to-insure
   Baby on board: keeping your child safe in the car
   Buying a new car? Asking these questions might save you money on your auto insurance
   Comparing auto insurance policies
   Dealing with the damage: the auto repair process
   Deer and moose are deadly road hazards
   Driving defensively at any age
   Filing an auto insurance claim
   Five ways to fight auto insurance fraud
   GAP insurance
   How automobile insurance premiums are determined
   How much auto insurance coverage do you need?
   How safe is that new car?
   Insuring a teenage driver
   Insuring your boat
   Insuring your personal watercraft
   Insuring your snowmobile and ATV
   Is your teen ready to drive?
   Lawsuits: what every driver needs to know
   Liability coverage under your personal auto insurance policy
   Medical payments coverage
   Motorcycle insurance
   No-fault insurance
   Policy options
   Preventing car theft
   Rental car insurance
   Shopping for auto insurance
   State-by-state minimum coverage requirements
   Tax planning tips: auto insurance
   Understanding your personal automobile policy
   Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
   Who's covered under your auto insurance policy?
   Will your auto insurance premiums go up after an auto accident?
  Business insurance
   Business automobile insurance basics
   Business interruption insurance
   Business liability insurance basics
   Business overhead expense insurance
   Commercial general liability
   Disability income insurance for the self-employed
   Do you need crime insurance?
   Funding a buy-sell agreement with disability insurance
   Funding a buy-sell agreement with life insurance
   Group health insurance: a valued employee benefit
   Group term life insurance
   Health insurance for the self-employed
   Income tax tips: business insurance
   Insurance tips for business travelers
   Insuring your home business
   Key employee life and disability insurance
   Life insurance for the self-employed
   Offering group disability insurance
   Professional liability coverage
   Properly insuring your business
   Should you self-insure your business?
   Split dollar insurance plans
   Understanding your business owners policy
   What employers need to know about workers' compensation insurance
   Why insure your business?
  Disability insurance
   Beyond the basics: disability income insurance riders
   Comparing disability income insurance policies
   Disability income insurance: typical policy features
   Do you need disability income insurance?
   Government-sponsored disability insurance programs
   Group disability insurance
   How disability income insurance policies define disability
   How much disability income insurance should you have?
   Long-term vs. short-term disability income insurance
   Lowering the cost of disability insurance
   Noncancelable and guaranteed renewable policies
   Surviving the underwriting process for disability income insurance
   Tax planning tips: disability insurance
   The fundamentals of disability insurance
   Understanding waiting periods
   Where to get disability coverage
  General insurance topics
   Accidental death and dismemberment insurance
   Buying insurance: what savvy consumers should know
   Choosing an insurance provider
   Fighting insurance fraud
   Finding and using insurance company rating information
   Finding and working with an insurance agent or broker
   Handling a dispute with your insurance company
   Insurance concerns of divorcing couples
   Insurance contract basics
   Insurance needs in retirement
   Pet insurance
   Shopping for insurance
   Travel insurance
   Types of insurance
   Umbrella liability insurance
   Why buy insurance?
  Health insurance
   Alternative therapies
   Archer medical savings accounts
   Buying short-term health insurance
   Comparing health insurance plans
   Coping with medical bills
   Coping with rising prescription costs
   Dental insurance
   Getting health insurance when you're hard to insure
   Group health insurance
   Health insurance and COBRA: sometimes you can take it with you
   Health insurance and divorce
   Health insurance for college students
   Health insurance for travelers
   Health insurance in retirement
   Health insurance made simple
   HMOs and PPOs: what's the difference?
   Individual health insurance
   Limitations, exclusions, and riders
   Lowering the cost of health care
   Making the most of your group health benefits
   Mental health benefits
   Planning a family? Get to know your health insurance policy
   POS plans
   Prescription plans
   Preventing sports injuries
   Tax tips: health insurance
   Trends in managed care
   Understanding managed care
   Understanding your health insurance policy
   Vision care insurance
   Where to get health insurance
  Homeowners insurance
   Are you covered if . . .?
   Buying a home both you and your insurer will love
   Comparing homeowners policies
   Conducting a home inventory
   Earthquake insurance
   Filing a homeowners insurance claim
   Fire prevention and safety tips
   Flood insurance
   Home security tips
   How much homeowners insurance coverage should you have?
   How to save money on homeowners insurance
   Insuring a condo or co-op
   Insuring a manufactured home
   Insuring a new home during construction
   Insuring your home during remodeling
   Insuring your personal computer or laptop
   Insuring your vacation home
   Insuring your valuables
   Leaving your home alone for the winter
   Liability insurance under your homeowners policy
   Mold: are you covered?
   Natural disasters: are you prepared?
   Opening the door to homeowners insurance
   Renters insurance
   Shopping for homeowners insurance
   Tax tips: homeowners insurance
   Understanding your homeowners policy
   When homeowners are dogowners
   Who is covered under your homeowners policy?
   Windstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes: are you covered?
   Winterizing your home
  Life insurance
   Cash value life insurance
   Claiming life insurance benefits
   Comparing life insurance policies
   Credit life insurance
   Designating a beneficiary for life insurance
   How does cash value in a life insurance policy really work?
   How much life insurance do you need?
   Life insurance and charitable giving
   Life insurance and estate planning
   Life insurance and terminal illness
   Life insurance at various life stages
   Life insurance basics
   Life insurance for children
   Life insurance: do you need it?
   Life insurance: the application process
   Making policy loans and withdrawals
   Planning ahead for life insurance proceeds
   Reading and understanding your life insurance policy
   Shopping for life insurance
   Surrendering your life insurance policy
   Tax planning tips: life insurance
   Term life insurance
   Term vs. cash value life insurance
   The ins and outs of policy ownership
   Traditional whole life insurance
   Types of life insurance policies
   Understanding insurance company illustrations
   Universal life insurance
   Variable life insurance
   Variable universal life insurance
   Viatical settlements
  Long-term care insurance
   Coordinating long-term care insurance with government benefits
   Do your parents need long-term care insurance?
   Five things to watch out for when buying long-term care insurance
   If long-term care insurance isn't right for you: other options
   Long-term care insurance: how does it work?
   Should you buy long-term care insurance?
   Tax tips: long-term care insurance
   Understanding long-term care insurance
   Understanding long-term care riders and options
   Using life insurance riders to pay for long-term care
   What do long-term care insurance policies cover?
 Decision Tools
  Annuities
   Advantages and disadvantages of tax-deferred fixed annuities
   Advantages and disadvantages of variable annuities
   Annuities
   Fixed vs. variable annuities
   How a fixed deferred annuity works
   How a variable annuity works
   Immediate vs. deferred annuities
   Understanding annuity expenses
  Automobile insurance
   Auto insurance analyzer
   How to save money on your auto insurance
  Business insurance
   Business life insurance needs
   How cross purchase plans work
   How entity purchase plans work
   How insurance preserves assets
   Number of policies needed with a cross purchase plan
  Disability insurance
   Disability insurance benefit period
   Disability insurance cost-of-living rider
   Disability insurance waiting period
   Disability insurance waiver of premiums
   How much disability insurance can you buy?
   Individual/group disability policy alternatives
   Likelihood of suffering a disability by age 50
   Noncancelable and guaranteed renewable disability policies
   Recurrent disability provision
   Residual and partial disability benefits
   When do you qualify for disability benefits?
  General insurance topics
   How insurance preserves assets
   Personal liability umbrella insurance
  Health insurance
   Comparison of typical health plans
   Which health plan is right for you?
  Homeowners insurance
   Disaster checklist
   Fall/winter home maintenance checklist
   Home inventory checklist
   Homeowners insurance quiz
   How to save money on your homeowners insurance
   Personal liability umbrella insurance
  Life insurance
   Advantages and disadvantages of cash value insurance
   Advantages and disadvantages of term insurance
   Comparison of level term and annual term premiums
   Comparison of men's and women's mortality
   Comparison of types of life insurance
   How insurance companies are rated
   How traditional whole life insurance works
   How universal life insurance works
   How variable universal life insurance works
   How variable whole life insurance works
   Life insurance needs analyzer
   Net worth calculator
   What is your life expectancy?
   What is your life insurance rating?
  Long-term care insurance
   Comparing long-term care insurance policies
   Inflation protection options
   What to avoid when buying a long-term care insurance policy
 
Retirement Planning
 Articles
  Health care issues
   Buying supplemental health insurance--Medigap
   Coordinating long-term care insurance with government benefits
   Health insurance in retirement
   Medicare
   Should you buy long-term care insurance?
   Understanding long-term care insurance
  Housing issues
   Housing options for older individuals
   Your home as a source of dollars in retirement
  Saving for retirement
   Annuities and retirement planning
   Borrowing or withdrawing money from your 401(k) plan
   Choosing a beneficiary for your IRA or 401(k)
   Closing a retirement income gap
   Deciding what to do with your 401(k) plan when you change jobs
   Estimating your retirement income needs
   Evaluating an early retirement offer
   Retirement planning--the basics
   Saving for retirement and a child's education at the same time
   Taking advantage of employer-sponsored retirement plans
   Understanding defined benefit plans
   Understanding IRAs
   What to do after you've been automatically enrolled in your company's retirement plan
  Social Security
   Social Security retirement benefits
   Understanding Social Security
 Decision Tools
  401(k) plans
   401(k) plans
   Individual 401(k) Illustration
  Health care issues
   Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care
   Medicare figures at-a-glance
   Medicare, Medigap, and Medicaid
  IRAs
   Comparison of traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs
   IRA eligibility flowchart: 2007
   IRA eligibility flowchart: 2008
   Roth IRA future value calculator
   Traditional IRA future value calculator
   Traditional IRA required minimum distribution illustrator
  Retirement planning basics
   Building an investment portfolio
   Consumer price index inflation calculator
   Growth of annual deposits calculator
   How taxation can affect your retirement funds
   Investing for retirement
   Investor Profile and Asset Allocation Calculator
   Net worth calculator
   Personal cash flow worksheet
   Saving for your retirement
  Social Security
   How earnings affect Social Security
   Social Security figures at-a-glance
   Sources of retirement income: filling the Social Security gap
 
Special Situations
 Articles
  Career planning
   Evaluating a job offer
   Evaluating an early retirement offer
   Health insurance and COBRA: sometimes you can take it with you
   Receiving unemployment benefits
  Caring for an aging parent
   Caring for your aging parents
   Do your parents need long-term care insurance?
   Facing the possibility of incapacity
   Housing options for older individuals
   Medicaid and nursing home care
   Medicaid and the principal residence
   Medicaid planning basics
   The sandwich generation: juggling family responsibilities.
  Divorce
   Dealing with divorce
   Health insurance and divorce
   Insurance concerns of divorcing couples
  Loss of a spouse
   Claiming life insurance benefits
   Organizing your finances when your spouse has died
   Social Security survivor's benefits
  Marriage
   Establishing a budget
   Getting started: establishing a financial safety net
   Merging your money when you marry
  Planning for travel
   Health insurance for travelers
   Rental car insurance
   Travel insurance
  Raising a family
   And baby makes three
   Baby on board: keeping your child safe in the car
   How much life insurance do you need?
   Planning a family? Get to know your health insurance policy
   Saving for retirement and a child's education at the same time
   Teaching your child about money
   Teaching your college-age child about money
   Teaching your teen about money
   The best ways to save for college
   When your child has special needs
  Sudden wealth
   Sudden wealth
  Terminal illness
   Life insurance and terminal illness
   Viatical settlements
  Unmarried couples
   Financial tips for unmarried couples
 Decision Tools
  Caring for an aging parent
   Housing options for aging parents
   Tips for caregivers
  Financial basics
   Auto loan payment calculator
   College funding options analyzer
   College savings analyzer
   Credit cards--advantages vs. disadvantages
   Growth of annual deposits calculator
   Loan amortization calculator
   Mortgage payment calculator
   Net worth calculator
   Personal cash flow worksheet
   Saving for your retirement
  Insurance basics
   Auto insurance analyzer
   Comparison of types of life insurance
   Disability income needs worksheet
   Homeowners insurance quiz
   Life insurance needs analyzer
   Which health plan is right for you?
  Remarriage
   Planning for marriage to someone with children
   Providing for children from a previous marriage
   Remarriage and prenuptial agreements
   Remarriage with children: income tax considerations
   Remarriage: sharing assets and debts
 
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