Bales & Eckel Financial Group

Retirement Management Professionals

 

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 retirement professionals to pursue your financial goals.

We’re here to help educate you about the basic concepts of retirement and 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 and retirement strategies.
Calculators

IRA Eligibility

Use this calculator to determine whether you qualify for the different types of IRAs.

Roth IRA Conversion

This calculator can help you determine whether you should consider converting to a Roth IRA.

Cost of Retirement

Use this calculator to estimate how much income and savings you may need in retirement.

Retirement Plan Early Distribution

Estimate how much would remain after paying income taxes and penalties if you took an early distribution from a retirement plan.

More Calculators →

Newsletters

HOT TOPIC: Are Housing Troubles Standing in the Way of Growth?

In the wake of past recessions, the housing industry provided a meaningful economic boost. This time around, the pace of the recovery has been more sluggish than expected, and ongoing weakness in the housing sector may be to blame.

Small Companies Face Costly Cybersecurity Threats

For many small businesses, the Internet is an important tool, but cybersecuity risks are growing. 40% of all targeted Internet attacks are now directed toward companies with fewer than 500 employees, and just over half of small businesses have a basic cybersecurity plan. This article provides tips to the small business owner about how to shore up their online defenses.

Averaging Ups and Downs

Stock market volatility was the norm in 2011, and that can be hard on an investor’s nerves. Utilizing a dollar-cost averaging strategy may help even out your portfolio’s ups and downs, as explained in this article.

New Opportunity Under the Federal Gift Tax

The 2010 Tax Relief Act raised the lifetime gift-tax exclusion to $5 million. This means it could be a good time to make the most of tax-free gift transfers. If so, it's important to understand the annual and lifetime gift exemption limits, as well as which gifts might not be subject to them.

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