Baxter Financial Education

Welcome to edbaxter.com!

The informational website from Edward Baxter.

Here you’ll find a wealth of information in the form of newsletter articles, calculators, and research reports. This is also the gateway to my book, "Swindle Proof" The Investor Protection Handbook. Swindle Proof is designed to assist investors by providing a framework for preserving your assets.

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. 

We’re here to help educate you about the basic concepts of financial management 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.

Tax-Deferred Savings

Compare the potential future value of tax-deferred investments to that of taxable investments.

IRA Eligibility

Use this calculator to determine whether you qualify for the different types of IRAs.

Credit Card Debt

How Long Will It Take to Pay my Balance?

Capital Gains Taxes

Estimate short-term and long-term federal capital gains taxes

More Calculators →

Retirement Plans for Small Businesses

With standard 401(k) plans, the amount a company's owners can contribute to their own retirement account is often restricted by how much other employees contribute to the plan. With the safe harbor option, owners may be able to make larger contributions for themselves in exchange for making tax-deductible contributions or "matches" for employees.

Balancing Stability and Growth

An investor who is 2 or 3 decades from retirement could decide to be more aggressive in pursuing investment growth than someone approaching retirement. Even though investors address this by transitioning to a more conservative asset allocation, they still need to seek growth while balancing the desire for principal preservation. This article offers some factors to consider.

Another Year, Another AMT Patch

The 2010 Tax Relief Act adjusted AMT exemption levels for 2010 and 2011 to help prevent an estimated 21 million middle-income taxpayers from being subject to the alternative minimum tax. Will Congress enact another patch for 2012?

HOT TOPIC: Current Economic Conditions and the Prospect for Inflation

Inflation jumped up to 3.2% in April. That’s still below the 50-year average but it may be little consolation for anyone who has been to a gas station or a grocery store recently.

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