Northern States Brokerage LLC

Helping You Succeed / Growing Your Business

Life Insurance

How much life insurance would you need to produce a sufficient income stream for your family?

Estate Taxes

Use this calculator to estimate the federal estate taxes that could be due on your estate after you die.

LTCI Cost of Waiting

Estimate the potential cost of waiting to purchase a long-term care insurance policy.

Required Minimum Distributions

Estimate the annual required distribution from your traditional IRA or former employer's retirement plan after you turn age 70.

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Doing Your Heirs a Favor

Although a will and a trust specify disposition of assets, many other details of an individual’s final wishes might be explained in a letter of instructions. This article offers some topics to consider addressing in the letter to help loved ones make decisions and take care of final arrangements.

Retaining MVPs with Executive Bonus Life Insurance

An economic recovery is likely to bring more job opportunities to top performers, but it could prove costly for businesses to replace productive employees who decide to leave. An executive bonus plan funded with cash-value life insurance can be used to reward and retain an organization's most valuable employees.

HOT TOPIC: Will Federal Reserve Tactics Help the Ailing U.S. Economy?

This article looks at policy tools that the Federal Reserve has used in the past and may use going forward in its attempts to spur economic growth. It also explains the possible implications of a long-term, low-interest-rate environment for investors, savers, and retirees.

There’s Still Time to Catch Up

Worker confidence in affording a comfortable retirement fell to a record low in 2011, but investors aged 50 and older may be able to make up for lost time by maximizing contributions to retirement plans and taking advantage of catch-up contribution limits. The accompanying chart shows the potential difference in accumulation by taking advantage of catch-up contributions.

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