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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Can Home Improvements Lower Your Tax Bill? It Depends
Most home improvements are not tax deductible, but certain types of projects might help reduce your tax burden in other ways.
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Consumer Sentiment: Do Americans See Brighter Days Ahead?
Why do policymakers pay attention to how consumers are feeling, and what’s behind Americans’ lack of confidence?
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Market Measures: Beyond the Dow
In addition to the better-known Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 stock indexes, this article provides an overview of some stock indexes that are commonly used as benchmarks.
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Can You Put the Brakes on Rising Auto Insurance Premiums?
Auto insurance premiums increased more than 18% between July 2023 and July 2024. This article outlines some steps that may help reduce premiums.
Calculators
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Loan Payoff
How much will it cost to pay off a loan over its lifetime?
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Impact of Inflation
Estimate the future cost of an item based on today’s prices and the rate of inflation you expect.
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Taxable Equivalent Yield
Calculate the rate of return you would have to receive from a taxable investment to realize an equivalent tax-exempt yield.