Family owned businesses are central to the U.S. economy, contributing 64% of the U.S. gross domestic product, employing 62% of the workforce and creating 78% of all new jobs.1 Yet only 40% of these businesses survive into the second generation, and only 13% will still be around by the third.1

Winston Churchill once said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." This is true no matter how grand or modest a contribution you can afford. And the fact is, your gift or bequest can have a significant and beneficial impact on the lives of others - if you know how to give most effectively.

Taxes. Living expenses. Inflation. Death. That's about as much as most people can predict about their future. But what if you could get a realistic perspective on the ability of your income and assets to meet your long-term needs and objectives? What if you could analyze a variety of 'what-if' scenarios to prepare for all the contingencies the future might hold?

Our approach to investment planning relies on core principles developed and tested since the inception of our firm. These principles are:

• Asset allocation provides the foundation to managing portfolio risk and return potential;
• Tax efficiency and asset location are critical;
• Portfolio expenses must be scrutinized;
• No single money management firm can be all things to all people; and
• Our most important role is to be an objective advocate. Our goal is to control costs, be tax efficient and manage risk. This provides an effective way of helping achieve your financial goals.

The 2012 Retirement Confidence Survey found that only 14% of workers are very confident they will have enough money in retirement, and 70% of workers plan to work for pay after they retire. 1 Further, 66% of workers and their spouses reported they have saved for retirement – a decline from 75% reported in 2009.

Paying for a child's college education is an expensive proposition - but not an impossible one. With the right strategies, you can go a long way to meeting this challenge whether your child is still in preschool or already in high school.

Say the words "life insurance" to some people, and you're likely to get a less than enthusiastic response. But, more and more frequently, people are discovering that life insurance can be a helpful financial planning tool. Life insurance offers a way for you to help provide for your family, protect your business, and make charitable gifts without reducing your estate.

As your business grows and you add staff, choosing benefits and retirement plans becomes more complicated. You have many options to choose from. That variety, however, gives you a better chance of picking a plan that can more precisely meet your needs - such as rewarding key employees, beefing up their savings, and providing incentives for them to stay with your company.

Generally, the goals of estate planning are to provide for financial security in life and to maximize - given the client's goals and objectives - the estate for family and other heirs following death.

The perfect match: Your financial needs and our custom solutions.

Sound financial health. It takes in-depth analysis. It takes careful planning. It takes solutions, tailored to meet your unique requirements. At Lincoln Financial Advisors, we employ a disciplined, structured approach to planning which, by design, ensures that we incorporate all of your needs, goals and objectives, in developing a plan that's appropriate for you.