Client Tools Planning Tools At Baer & Edington, we understand that knowledge is power.  We want to help provide provide you with the tools you need to start making informed decisions right here on our site.  Take a look at the articles, FAQs and Java calculators we've provided here and when you are ready to take that next step, contact us to set up an appointment.  Our friendly financial professionals will guide you to a financial move that makes sense for your individual needs.

Business Owner   Articles     Benefits and retirement plans       Benefit plans for small businesses       Disability income insurance for the self-employed       Group health insurance: a valued employee benefit       Group term life insurance       Health insurance for the self-employed       Key employee life and disability insurance       Life insurance for the self-employed       Offering group disability insurance       Retirement plans for small businesses       Split dollar insurance plans       Understanding individual 401(k) plans       What employers need to know about workers' compensation insurance     Transferring or selling a business       Transferring your family business   Decision Tools     Benefits and retirement plans       401(k) plans       Building a retirement plan for your business       Comparison of types of educational assistance       Individual 401(k) Illustration     Choosing an entity       Choosing a business entity       Comparison of LLCs, LLPs, and professional corporations       How C Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, and Limited Liability Partnerships Protect Personal Assets   FAQs     Employee benefits and other issues       How can I boost the morale of my employees without incurring huge expenses?       How can I find good employees for my business?       What are health reimbursement arrangements?       What are incentive stock options (ISOs)?       What benefits should I offer to my employees?     Valuing a business       How can I determine what my business is worth for estate and gift tax purposes?   Education Planning   Decision Tools     Determining how much to save for college       College savings analyzer       Finding the funds to pay for a college education       Higher education figures at-a-glance     Financial aid       College application and financial aid calendar       Comparison of federal higher education loans       Financial aid calendar   FAQs     529 plan basics       Do 529 plans include both state savings plans and prepaid tuition plans?       How long have 529 plans been around?       How many states currently have 529 plans?       What can you tell me about employer-sponsored 529 plans?       What is the Independent 529 Plan?       What's the difference between state savings plans and prepaid tuition plans?       Who can legally offer 529 plans?       Why are these plans referred to as "529" plans?     Borrowing against your 529 account       Can I use the money in my 529 account as security if I apply for a loan?       I know I can borrow against my 401(k), but can I borrow against the value of my 529 account?     Education tax credits       Now that my child is in college, am I entitled to any education tax credits?       What are the Hope credit and the Lifetime Learning credit?     Financial aid       Are any financial aid programs tailored especially to parents of post-secondary students?       Are there any assets that are not counted for financial aid purposes?       Can an UGMA/UTMA account reduce my child's financial aid for college?       Can anyone get a Pell Grant?       Can we negotiate our child's financial aid award?       Do colleges offer financial aid?       How can my child find scholarships for college?       How do I apply for financial aid?       How do I know if I'm eligible for federal financial aid?       How does the federal financial aid process work?       Is there anything I can do now so that my child can obtain more financial aid later?       What are the major federal financial aid loan programs?       What happens if our child's college does not give us all the financial aid we need?       What is a Stafford Loan?     Student loans       Are my student loan payments tax deductible?       Can I refinance my student loan?       How will I ever pay off my student loans?       I'm having trouble paying my student loans. What should I do?       Is student loan interest deductible?       Should I pay off my student loans early with a home equity loan?     Using or withdrawing 529 funds       Can 529 funds be used for general living expenses while at college?       Can the funds in a 529 plan be used for college expenses if my child is only attending part-time?       How do I prove that a distribution request is for my child's college expenses and not for some other purpose?       Must the funds in a 529 plan be used for tuition only, or can they be used for room and board expenses?       My child got a full scholarship to college--now what?       My child is the beneficiary of a 529 plan. Can he use the 529 funds at a foreign school?       My child is the beneficiary of a 529 plan. Can he use the 529 funds for graduate school?       My child is the beneficiary of a 529 plan. Can he use the 529 funds for vocational school?       My child is the beneficiary of a 529 plan. Can we use the 529 funds for her private elementary or secondary school?       My child will be going to college next year and using 529 funds to pay expenses--what do I need to do?       What happens if I need to use the funds in a 529 plan before my child goes to college?       What happens if I open a 529 account for my child, and she later becomes disabled and doesn't go to college?       What happens if my child finishes college and there is money left over in the 529 account?       What happens to my 529 plan if my child wants to postpone going to college for a year or two after high school?       What happens to the funds in my 529 account if my child doesn't go to college?   Estate Planning   Articles     Assets       Asset protection in estate planning       Estate planning and 529 plans     Estate planning basics       Estate planning--an introduction       Facing the possibility of incapacity       Gift and estate taxes       Trust basics       Wills--the cornerstone of your estate plan     Medicaid planning       Medicaid and nursing home care       Medicaid and the principal residence       Medicaid planning basics     Probate       Bypassing probate       Understanding probate   Decision Tools     Estate planning basics       Common incapacity documents       Estate shrinkage       Federal estate tax estimator       Federal transfer tax exemption amounts under the Tax Act of 2001       Steps to estate planning success       Table of federal estate tax brackets and exemption limits   FAQs     Estate planning basics       How often do I need to review my estate plan?       Isn't estate planning only for the rich?       What makes up my taxable estate?     Wills       Can I disinherit relatives I don't like?       Can I transfer my business through my will?       Do I have to accept a bequest I don't want?       Do I need an attorney to prepare my will?       How will estate taxes be paid if I leave no provision in my will?       I want my son to have my valuable collection of baseball cards when I die. How do I make sure he gets it?       What is the difference between a living will and a living trust?       What will happen if I die without a will?       Who should I name as guardian of my children in case my spouse and I should die at the same time?       Who should I name as trustee?   Special Situations   Articles     Divorce       Dealing with divorce       Health insurance and divorce       Insurance concerns of divorcing couples     Loss of a spouse       Claiming life insurance benefits       Organizing your finances when your spouse has died       Social Security survivor's benefits     Terminal illness       Life insurance and terminal illness       Viatical settlements   Decision Tools     Remarriage       Providing for children from a previous marriage       Remarriage and prenuptial agreements       Remarriage with children: income tax considerations       Remarriage: sharing assets and debts   FAQs     Divorce       My husband and I are divorcing after 30 years of marriage. Will I still be able to receive Social Security retirement benefits based on his earnings record after our divorce?       My husband and I are getting divorced. How do we decide whose health insurance policy will cover the children?   Tax Planning   Articles     General tax planning       Choosing an income tax filing status       Help! I can't pay my tax bill       Surviving an audit       Taxation of investments   Decision Tools     General tax planning       Accelerating deductions/postponing Income       Accelerating income/postponing deductions   FAQs     General tax planning       What's the difference between an "injured spouse" and an "innocent spouse"?     Tax deductions       Can I deduct premiums paid for long-term care (LTC) insurance?       How do I deduct and substantiate my gambling losses?       My spouse and I are filing separate returns. Can we both itemize our deductions? If so, how do we split the deductions?       We just bought our first home. What can we deduct from the settlement statement?     Taxes and insurance proceeds       Are life insurance proceeds income taxable?       I receive disability insurance payments. Are they taxable?