Independence is the Difference
Brian D. McLean, Independent Financial Advisor
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 professionals to pursue your financial goals.
We’re here to help educate you about the basic concepts of 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.
Newsletters
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Setting a Retirement Savings Goal
Only 51% of workers or their spouses have tried to estimate the savings they would need to live comfortably in retirement. This article offers a simple worksheet to help calculate a savings target.
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New FAFSA Favors Grandparent College Giving
Changes to the 2024–2025 Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) allow grandparents to help with college expenses without affecting financial aid eligibility based on the FAFSA.
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Much Ado About RMDs
This article provides an overview of the changes the SECURE 2.0 Act made and a brief explanation of how to calculate required minimum distributions from tax-advantaged retirement accounts.
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Mutual Funds: What’s in Your Portfolio?
Mutual funds offer a convenient way to invest across a wide range of market activity. This article provides an overview of different types of mutual funds in order of typical risk.
Calculators
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Mortgage Acceleration
This calculator can help you determine how soon you can pay off your mortgage.
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Roth IRA Conversion
This calculator can help you determine whether you should consider converting to a Roth IRA.
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Home Affordability
Estimate of the maximum amount of financing you can expect to get when you begin house hunting.