Patrick B. Lough, CFS, CLTC, ChFC

Charter Financial Planning

Welcome to our Web site, where you'll find a wealth of information in the form of newsletter articles, calculators, and research reports.

We hope your visit will help you understand the opportunities and potential rewards that become available when you take a proactive approach to your personal financial situation.

This Web site was created to help you gain a better understanding of the financial concepts behind insurance, investing, retirement, estate planning and wealth preservation.  Most importantly, we hope you see the value of working with a skilled professional to pursue your financial goals.

We're here to help educate you about the basic concepts of financial planning, to help you learn more about who we are, and to give you fast, easy access to market performance and data.

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Mortgage Refinancing

Determine whether you should consider refinancing your mortgage.

Lease Payment

How much would your monthly lease payment be?

IRA Eligibility

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

More Calculators →

Key Retirement and Tax Numbers for 2026

This article provides 2026 contribution limits for retirement plans and various tax deduction, exclusion, exemption, and threshold amounts.

Retroactive Social Security Benefits: A Chance to Turn Back Time

Beneficiaries who postpone claiming Social Security past full retirement age have the option of receiving a lump-sum payment for up to six months of benefits when they finally apply.

Index Funds: Traditional and Not-So-Traditional

While all index funds attempt to track the performance of a market index, there are hundreds of indexes and at least two alternate approaches to traditional indexing.

Foreign Stocks Outperformed in 2025

Although U.S. stocks have provided a higher return over the past 20 years, foreign stocks outperformed in seven of those years, including 2025.

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Check the background of this financial professional on FINRA's BrokerCheck
Check the background of this financial professional on FINRA's BrokerCheck