Karen A. Ibach, CFP® (847) 392-9600

Life Insurance

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

College Funding

Use this calculator to estimate the cost of your child’s education, based on the variables you input.

Cost of Retirement

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

Loan Payoff

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

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The Dynamics That Can Drive Inflation

High unemployment and slow wage growth seem to have kept consumer spending and core inflation from growing very rapidly in the first half of 2011. This article reminds investors to keep the potential risk of inflation in mind, because even modest price increases compounded over time can erode the purchasing power of the assets in their portfolios.

Leaving Your Home Out of the Retirement Equation

Plummeting home prices and increased borrowing cut U.S. home equity by more than 60% during the Great Recession — and housing prices have not yet recovered. This article considers the potential drawbacks of depending on home equity to help fund retirement.

To Roll or Not to Roll: It's Your Choice

Some employers are encouraging departing employees to leave their retirement savings in their employer plans. But employees should make any decisions based on their own needs and concerns, not the former employer's. Read about the pros and cons of rolling over retirement plan assets to an IRA.

Insurance for Two Could Benefit Your Heirs

Survivorship life insurance offers a way to help a couple's heirs pay estate taxes, probate costs, and other final expenses — and could be especially important after 2012 when the federal estate tax is scheduled to be significantly higher. Even if the estate tax doesn't apply to an estate, the insurance proceeds could benefit heirs or a favorite charity.

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