Financial Services

Annuities are tailor-made for providing guaranteed lifetime income. Technically, an annuity is a contract with a life insurance company, which in return for your investment agrees to pay income for a specified time or for your entire life. "Immediate annuities" pay income immediately. "Deferred annuities" defer the income phase, leaving time for an accumulation phase at a fixed rate (fixed annuities) or through investments in stocks and bonds (variable annuities). Growth on deferred annuities is tax-deferred, with income taxes due only when you take out money. (Note: A 10% federal tax penalty may apply to withdrawals taken before age 59½ .) Annuities generally provide other benefits as well, such as guaranteed death benefits and, with variable annuities, "living benefits" that can guarantee a potentially rising income that’s protected against market downturns. These benefits can guarantee retirement income as long as you live, or as long as you and your spouse live, regardless of market ups and downs. Living and death benefits may be optional, and available for an additional fee. Guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.

Banks provide consumers with services related to investing and lending. Full-service banks have multiple lines of business that typically include Personal Banking, Savings Accounts, Credit Cards, Mortgages, Private Banking, Premium Finance, Certificates of Deposit and Money Market Accounts.

Loans and lines of credit are financial transactions in which a lender advances money to a borrower, who agrees to repay the money with interest by a specified time. Loans are usually secured by collateral, whereas lines of credit are unsecured lending. Typically, a loan is obtained for a very specific purpose and the funds are drawn down one time only. With a Line of Credit, the borrower may draw down multiple times up to the limit of the loan, and there are usually few restrictions on how the money can be used. The most common types of Loans and Credit are Home Loans, which include Home Equity Lines of Credit, Home Equity Loans, Home Mortgages and Home Refinance Loans.

Investment Services are offered to high-net-worth clients by banks and financial institutions. These services include providing advice on mutual funds, wealth management and real estate investment, as well as planning for long-term care and education funding