Gerard Martin, Financial Advisor

Waddell & Reed, Inc.
Investing. With a Plan.®

Welcome to my Web site, where you’ll find a wealth of information in the form of newsletter articles, calculators, and more.

I 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. This Web site has been created to help you gain a better understanding of the financial concepts behind insurance, investing, retirement, estate planning, and wealth preservation. Most important, I 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.

Gerardo Martin, Financial Advisor.

College Funding

Use this calculator to estimate the cost of your child’s education, based on the variables you input.

Savings Accumulation

Estimate the future value of your current savings.

Roth IRA Conversion

This calculator can help you determine whether you should consider converting to a Roth IRA.

Cost of Retirement

Use this calculator to estimate how much income and savings you may need in retirement.

More Calculators →

For Better, For Worse: Communicating About Retirement

A recent study indicates that couples are not communicating clearly about retirement goals and strategies, even as they approach retirement age. This article offers suggestions to open a dialogue and encourages couples to discuss their retirement needs and desires with each other and with their financial advisor.

Roth IRA Conversion Mistakes Can Be Costly

One popular way to fund a Roth IRA is by transferring assets from a traditional IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement plan. This type of transaction, called a Roth IRA conversion, is simple in theory but can be complicated in practice. If you make certain mistakes, you could lose some key advantages.

Federal Estate Tax Is Much Lower — For Now

The federal estate tax was repealed in 2010, then reinstated by the 2010 Tax Relief Act with new provisions for 2011 and 2012. This article discusses the temporary provisions, the options for estates of 2010 decedents, and potential changes in future years that could subject many more estates to the federal estate tax than under current law.

New Rules Are in the Cards

In 2010, the federal government issued a dizzying array of rules and reforms affecting consumer credit cards, debit cards, and gift cards. This article explains some of the important developments resulting from enactment of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009.

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