We Look at Your Whole Financial Picture
Welcome to our website! Please browse around. Become a knowledgeable taxpayer and help us help you. Remember we want you to contact us with your "Here's what we're thinking about doing" questions--not your "guess what we just did" comments. Taxes are only part of your financial picture. Investments,* insurance, estate planning, long term care, and other areas can contribute to your long term plan development. It's not too late to start saving for retirement or to get assistance in how to take your retirement savings in a tax-advantaged way. We have articles on this website to help educate you and we're here to advise you about your particular situation. Investment and financial planning services are offered by Lori Rust through her affiliation with Avantax.
Helpful Content
Avoiding Cognitive Decline
Try these activities to keep your brain sharp.
Financial Aid for Students 101
Help your college-bound child explore scholarships, grants, and more with this article on paying for higher education.
How to Appeal Your Property Taxes
For homeowners who think their property taxes are too high, there are ways to appeal.
Breaking Down the Parts of Medicare
Medicare is broken down into four specific parts—but what do they mean? This article will help you understand each piece.
Dog Bites Neighbor. Now What?
Even dogs have bad days. So, what happens when your dog bites a neighbor or passing pedestrian?
Social Security: Maximizing Benefits
There are other ways to maximize Social Security benefits, in addition to waiting to claim them.
How to Make the Tax Code Work for You
When you take the time to learn more about how it works, you may be able to put the tax code to work for you.
Please Leave Home Without It
Concerns over identity theft continue to grow, especially with data breaches at major companies and financial institutions.
Split Annuity Strategy
Here's one strategy that combines two different annuities to generate income and rebuild principal.
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Saving for College
This calculator can help you estimate how much you should be saving for college.
Contributing to an IRA?
Determine if you are eligible to contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA.
Social Security Taxes
Estimate how much of your Social Security benefit may be considered taxable.
Comparing Investments
This calculator compares the net gain of a taxable investment versus a tax-favored one.
What Is My Life Expectancy?
Estimate how many years you may need retirement assets or how long to provide income to a surviving spouse or children.
Interested in a Fuel Efficient Car?
Estimate how many months it may take to recover the out-of-pocket costs when buying a more efficient vehicle.
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Protecting Those Who Matter Most
The importance of life insurance, how it works, and how much coverage you need.
Principles of Preserving Wealth
How federal estate taxes work, plus estate management documents and tactics.
Managing Your Lifestyle
Using smart management to get more of what you want and free up assets to invest.
An Inside Look at Retirement Living
A number of questions and concerns need to be addressed to help you better prepare for retirement living.
5 Smart Investing Strategies
There are some smart strategies that may help you pursue your investment objectives
Long-Term-Care Protection Strategies
The chances of needing long-term care, its cost, and strategies for covering that cost.
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Perception vs. Reality
There’s an alarming difference between perception and reality for current and future retirees.
Estate Management 101
A will may be only one of the documents you need—and one factor to consider—when it comes to managing your estate.
Making Your Tax Bracket Work
Have you explored all your options when it comes to managing your taxable income?
The Other Sure Thing
Though we don't like to think about it, all of us will make an exit sometime. Are you prepared?
Keeping Up with the Joneses
Lifestyle inflation can be the enemy of wealth building. What could happen if you invested instead of buying more stuff?
Safeguard Your Digital Estate
If you died, what would happen to your email archives, social profiles and online accounts?