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
Preparing for the Expected
You can plan ahead to protect yourself and your family against the financial consequences of deteriorating health.
Tax Rules When Selling Your Home
The tax rules governing profits you realize from the sale of your home have changed in recent years.
What Is the Dividend Yield?
This calculator helps determine your pre-tax and after-tax dividend yield on a particular stock.
Why Regular Rebalancing Makes Sense
Without your knowing, your investment portfolio could be off-kilter.
Pickleball in Retirement
Learn about the latest sport to sweep the nation with this informative article.
How to Conquer the World - 5 Financial Strategies for Savvy
Learn more about women taking control of their finances with this infographic.
Women and Financial Strategies
Most women don’t shy away from the day-to-day financial decisions, but some may be leaving their future to chance.
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.
Making a Charitable Contribution
There are benefits and limitations when you decide to donate stock.
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Saving for Retirement
This calculator can help you estimate how much you may need to save for retirement.
Bi-Weekly Payments
This calculator estimates the savings from paying a mortgage bi-weekly instead of monthly.
Assess Your Life Insurance Needs
This calculator estimates how much life insurance you would need to meet your family's needs if you were to die prematurely.
Estimate Your RMD
Help determine the required minimum distribution from an IRA or another qualified retirement plan.
Impact of Taxes and Inflation
Estimate the potential impact taxes and inflation can have on the purchasing power of an investment.
What Is My Life Expectancy?
Estimate how many years you may need retirement assets or how long to provide income to a surviving spouse or children.
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Investment Strategies for Retirement
Investment tools and strategies that can enable you to pursue your retirement goals.
Long-Term-Care Protection Strategies
The chances of needing long-term care, its cost, and strategies for covering that cost.
5 Smart Investing Strategies
There are some smart strategies that may help you pursue your investment objectives
Managing Your Lifestyle
Using smart management to get more of what you want and free up assets to invest.
Protecting Those Who Matter Most
The importance of life insurance, how it works, and how much coverage you need.
An Inside Look at Retirement Living
A number of questions and concerns need to be addressed to help you better prepare for retirement living.
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Retiring in a Post-Pandemic World
Imagine your ideal post-pandemic retirement with this animated video.
Should You Ever Retire?
A growing number of Americans are pushing back the age at which they plan to retire. Or deciding not to retire at all.
The Wild West of Data Theft
Learn about cyber liability insurance in this entertaining video.
The Cycle of Investing
Understanding the cycle of investing may help you avoid easy pitfalls.
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.
Retirement Redefined
Around the country, attitudes about retirement are shifting.