Understanding Today’s Financial Environment
Welcome, I’m Michael Hammen, a financial professional and owner of Advantage Financial & Tax Services in West Des Moines, IA. We understand that individuals and households face increasingly complex financial challenges as we navigate our way through life.
A few questions you may have. For example:
Are we saving enough for retirement? How does retirement savings impact my tax situation? How much can I save each year? What can I expect to receive at retirment in the form of income? How can I save on my income taxes each year? Can I save for my kids/grandkids college expenses? How much life insurance do I need? and other simular questions.
Our professionals have years of experience in financial services. We can help answer many of those questions, and assist you moving forward.
Helpful Content
The Anatomy of a Supplemental Health Plan
Here’s a guide to explain all the parts of Medicare.
Lots of Variables with Fixed-Rate Mortgages
When selecting a fixed-rate mortgage, a borrower has to determine how many years to finance the loan.
How to Appeal Your Property Taxes
For homeowners who think their property taxes are too high, there are ways to appeal.
The Anatomy of a Supplemental Health Plan
Here’s a guide to explain all the parts of Medicare.
Making Sense of U.S. Household Net Worth
A look inside the U.S. government's statistics on household net worth.
Does Your Child Need to File an Income Tax Return?
When your child has income, there’s a good chance that he or she will need to report it and pay taxes.
Retirement Income and the Traditional Portfolio
Experiencing negative returns early in retirement can potentially undermine the sustainability of your assets.
Is a Variable Annuity Right for Me?
Pundits go on and on about how “terrible” or “wonderful” annuities are, but they never talk about whether annuities are right
How to Make the Tax Code Work for You
When you take the time to learn more about how it works, you may be able to put the tax code to work for you.
View all articles 
What's My Potential Estate Tax?
This calculator helps estimate your federal estate tax liability.
Home Mortgage Deduction
Use this calculator to assess the potential benefits of a home mortgage deduction.
Potential Income from an IRA
Estimate your monthly and annual income from various IRA types.
Lifetime of Earnings
Estimate how much you have the potential to earn during your working years.
Bi-Weekly Payments
This calculator estimates the savings from paying a mortgage bi-weekly instead of monthly.
Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings
Use this calculator to compare the future value of investments with different tax consequences.
View all calculators
Managing Your Lifestyle
Using smart management to get more of what you want and free up assets to invest.
Tax Management Strategies
Learn more about taxes, tax-favored investing, and tax strategies.
Protecting Those Who Matter Most
The importance of life insurance, how it works, and how much coverage you need.
Investment Strategies for Retirement
Investment tools and strategies that can enable you to pursue your retirement goals.
Principles of Preserving Wealth
How federal estate taxes work, plus estate management documents and tactics.
Long-Term-Care Protection Strategies
The chances of needing long-term care, its cost, and strategies for covering that cost.
View all presentations
It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times
All about how missing the best market days (or the worst!) might affect your portfolio.
16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds
Pundits say a lot of things about the markets. Let's see if you can keep up.
Surprise! You’ve Got Money!
Here’s a quick guide to checking to see if you have unclaimed money.
How to Retire Early
Retiring early sounds like a dream come true, but it’s important to take a look at the cold, hard facts.
What Our Kids Can Teach us About Saving Money
Would you guess that Millennials are effectively saving for retirement? Well, they are.
The Fed and How It Got That Way
Here is a quick history of the Federal Reserve and an overview of what it does.