Blogs By Financial Advisors

I love the GPS dashboard device that my wife bought me for Christmas a few years back that tells me where to go and when to turn! I still carry a real, actual, good old paper Rand McNally road map in my car, but my GPS gets me from point A to B without any headaches.

If only planning for our retirement could be so easy! Just select a destination and sit back while you listen to the little woman inside your GPS tell you where to go. But wait, what about that gravel road and then dirt trail that suddenly ends? Do we dutifully followed the GPS directions while the navigation system re-plots a new route based on coordinates that are...

Everyone knows death is inevitable, but nobody truly lives like they believe it. If they did, they would live life much differently. Life insurance is for those of us who want the peace of mind knowing that when we die, our loved ones won't need to worry about paying the bills. Life insurance is for the benefit of others, not ourselves and purchasing it is the most unselfish thing that anyone will ever do for their family. Understanding life insurance can be complicated and sometimes overwhelming to figure out. Simply stated, term types of policies have a specific time frame for temporary needs such as meeting a mortgage or your kids'...

If you have money set aside in a fixed annuity or a CD with the sole purpose of passing it on to your loved ones, you may be missing a huge opportunity to increase your principal. Have you thought about how the money you leave will be paid at your death? Taxes can eat up a large portion and if not prepared for properly, your loved ones could get slowed down by a lengthy and expensive probate process. In general, life insurance passes on income tax-free and in many cases money from life insurance will pass on outside of probate. Many people overlook life insurance as an option and get caught up in which annuity will grow at the highest...

The Ins and Outs of the Life Insurance Purchase Process  - By Scott Whittemore, CFP® 

Why life insurance? 

Life insurance is a very useful both to individuals and businesses, but also to our overall society.  When would cash be more needed than after the premature death of the main bread winner of the family?  The family with life insurance will not suffer financially or be a burden on other people or the government. 

When I picked up the Marin Independent Journal Monday morning, November 30, at my Mill Valley...

For the month of February, www.thewisebuck.com is going to focus on giving you tips about insurance. Life Insurance, Health Insurance, Auto Insurance, Home Owners Insurance, etc. And, while I know this probably isn’t your (or my) favorite or most exciting personal finance topic, it is very important in creating financial independence and safe guarding our financial world. How so?

By properly insuring yourself, you will safeguard yourself and your personal assets from financial catastrophe and unexpected situations. Properly insuring yourself will also bring...

Canada is the United States’ largest trading partner of goods and services with over $518 billions of cross boarder trade in 2007 according to the U.S Census Bureau. This partnership has been accelerating since then time Prime Minister Brian Mulroney declared Canada “open for business” in 1984 with the dismantling of the Foreign Investment Review Agency (FIRA), a Canadian protectionist agency coupled with the passing of the Investment Canada Act (ICA).

According to a recent report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives at the end of December, 2005, 11,501 Canadian-owned companies valued at over $620.7 billion had been...

Insurance was never designed to be a financial investment, but, more importantly, insurance has always been the best financial tool for providing money when people need it the most:

1. Death
2. Disability
3. Health
4. Business Buy-outs
5. Estate Planning Liquidity
6. Retirement

Often, when money is most needed, I have been the professional my clients have notified first. Clients do not call their attorneys, accountants or bankers when they have a financial emergency or tragedy. As terrible as it is to be forced to think about money during a time of need or tragedy, money is what will keep bills...

There are so many options out there when it comes to life insurance. Do you know what type works best for you? Perhaps a dual option is better for you. Before you choose a policy you have to choose an agency and an agent. This can be difficult if we do not already have a good relationship with someone.

Regarding choosing an agent, I recommend looking for someone with a solid character. Someone you know, like and trust. If you do not know any agents, ask a friend for a referral.

Policy Options

1. Term Life Insurance: Term insurance is one of the most requested forms of life insurance due to it’s inexpensive...