MAP Estate Planning

Welcome to our website.  You'll find information in the form of articles, calculators and reports, as well as occasional comments on various aspects of  financial planning under the Our Opinion section.

We hope your visit will motivate you to take advantage of  the opportunities and potential rewards that you'll discover when you take a proactive approach to your financial planning.

We created this website to assist you in gaining a better understanding of the financial concepts of insurance, investing, retirement, estate planning and wealth management.  Importantly, we want you to recognize the value of working with objective planners.


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Calculators

Loan Payoff

How much will it cost to pay off a loan over its lifetime?

Home Affordability

Estimate of the maximum amount of financing you can expect to get when you begin house hunting.

Mortgage Refinancing

Determine whether you should consider refinancing your mortgage.

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Newsletters

HOT TOPIC: Looking Ahead in 2012

2011 was a year of slow economic recovery, market volatility, and political conflict over the budget, the national debt, and taxes. All of these challenges continue to face us as we begin the new year. This article presents an overview of some of the issues that bear watching in 2012.

Tracking the Rise of Target-Date Funds

Investments in target-date funds have grown during the last decade. They are often the default choice in employer-sponsored retirement plans and viewed favorably by some investors for their helpful approach to asset allocation. This article explains the advantages and disadvantages of these funds and cautions potential investors about several common misconceptions.

Growth, Value, or Both

The average annual return for large-cap value stocks was about 2.1% higher than for large-cap growth stocks, yet growth stocks outperformed value stocks in 13 out of 30 years. This article examines the difference between the two approaches and describes why holding both may help investors take advantage of a variety of market conditions.

Keeping Pace with Social Security

In 2012, Social Security beneficiaries will receive a 3.6% cost of living increase for the first time in three years. But a recent study suggests that benefits are lagging far behind real expenses. This article explains how Social Security benefits are indexed and what older workers and retirees might expect from the program in the future.

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