Financial Education Center

Charitable Giving

Charitable giving can play an important role in many estate plans. Philanthropy cannot only give you great personal satisfaction, it can also give you a current income tax deduction, let you avoid capital gains tax, and reduce the amount of taxes your estate may owe when you die.

Funding Your Future with a Fixed Annuity

A fixed annuity is a contract between you and an annuity issuer, usually an insurance company. In its simplest form, you pay money to the annuity issuer; the issuer invests the funds and pays the principal and its earnings back to you or to your named beneficiary. What's fixed about a fixed annuity? The issuer guarantees (subject to its claims-paying ability) a minimum rate of interest on your investment and a fixed benefit amount if you elect to annuitize.

Structures and Strategies: Family Business Succession Planning

Charles Claver, Senior Vice President and Private Wealth Advisor, discusses structures and strategies to implement for passing your business to the next generation successfully.

Veterans Pensions for Retired Servicemembers

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pension program benefits former servicemembers who have limited incomes and, in some cases, health problems that aren't related to military service. The VA also administers a special pension program for Medal of Honor recipients.

As a Servicemember, How Can I Protect Myself Against Identity Theft?

These days, anyone can fall victim to identity theft and servicemembers might be relatively easy targets. Because servicemembers are away from home for long stretches of time and receive a steady source of income, it's easy for scammers to obtain a servicemember's information without being noticed.

Transformation in a Fourth Generation Family-Owned Bank

When most people think about family businesses, transformation and innovation are probably not the first things that come to mind. Doing things the same way as the prior generation did them is how most people probably think about family businesses, and perhaps it is even part of the lore of the family businesses.