In doing some reading about Certificates of Deposit in an investment journal that I receive, I saw a reference to an article on the web site of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It addresses several issues that an investor should consider in connection with purchasing a CD from a bank or brokerage firm, including the following:

• Find out when the CD matures
• Investigate any call features.
• Understand the difference between call features and maturity
• For CDs available through a brokerage firm, identify the issuer. This point is important as it relates to FDIC insurance in the amount of $100,000.

We have added links to our site to "A Shopper's Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance (published by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners)" and the "2008 Choosing a Medigap Policy" published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. These can be found under the heading "Insurance Planning." These publications should be helpful to those of our clients who are faced with the prospect of decisions concerning these forms of insurance.

The IRS has created a web page to help explain the new Economic Stimulus package. Click here for information on the following topics:

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