Blake Financial Group
413 Franklin Building
5726 Marlin Road
Chattanooga, TN  37411
Office: 423.752.1795
or 423.648.1897
Fax: 423.752.1796


christopher@blakefinancialgroup.com


karyn@blakefinancialgroup.com

Products We Offer

• Medicare Supplements
• Medicare Prescription Drug Plans 
• Get a Life Insurance Quote
• Life Insurance
• Health Insurance
  • Group Health
  • Individual Health Ins.
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Guaranteed Annuities
• Securities
• Estate Planning

About Blake Financial Group
Blake Financial Group is a local insurance and investment consulting firm specializing in financial, estate and retirement planning. Christopher Blake has been working with senior retirees and growing families in Chattanooga for over 10 years. As an independent firm we have the opportunity to focus on your concerns individually and help you determine what would be best for YOU!

Christopher P. Blake is very involved in the local community and is a founding member of the Scenic City Council of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce. He volunteers his time to be on the steering committee and advisory board which keeps him aware of the constantly changing atmosphere in the marketplace, due to political forces, tax law changes, and interest rates. He has attended many educational conventions and symposiums all across America, and is a qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table - an elite organization of insurance professionals held to the highest standard.

Blake Financial Group's
commitment to YOU:

• always keeping your best interests in mind, not ours
• to keep you informed of the best prices in health insurance and the highest earning interest rates available
• deserving your trust with honest communication
• receiving our quarterly newsletter, keeping you up-to-date on market changes.

As insurance professionals, we offer a full portfolio of high-quality insurance products including life, long-term care, disability and variable products. We assist you by reviewing your current and future needs and recommending the many ways insurance can provide the protection you need for yourself and your loved ones and the peace of mind you deserve.

Products

Life Insurance

Life insurance provides either a stated sum or a periodic income to your designated beneficiaries upon your death. Certain "life events" such as marriage, the birth of a child, or a change of jobs trigger the need to buy or add life insurance. Deciding that you need life insurance is the first step. The next step, deciding what kind of life insurance, is where we can help. We offer a variety of policies to fit a variety of needs.

Health Insurance

Health Insurance is an important aspect of your overall financial and life security. Minimizing the health care costs associated with illness and accidents for yourself and your family is easy to do and you have many options for coverage. Whether you are an individual looking for personal health coverage, a small business wanting to create a health insurance benefit for your employees or a large corporation, I can find the plan that fits your budget and your health care needs.

Long-Term Care Insurance                                         Top

Long-Term Care is the only insurance plan that offers protection from exhausting your savings for a long-lasting illness or disability. Half a million Americans fall into poverty while paying for long-term care. Medicare covers a small fraction of long-term care and it is limited to skilled nursing care, which isn't the same as custodial care - the kind of long-term care most people need. Some private health insurance plans cover a month or two of skilled nursing after a hospital stay, but that's all. To qualify for Medicaid, you must deplete most of your assets and contribute nearly all of your income to meet the program's poverty requirements. Planning ahead with a Long-Term Care policy can protect you and your family from losing your life savings to pay for needed services if you become chronically ill or infirm.

Guaranteed Annuities

Guaranteed Annuities offer two important features of a sound retirement savings plan-relative security and predictability-with the ability of tax deferral. Your investment earns competitive tax-deferred interest guaranteed by the issuing insurance company. By annuitizing, you may enjoy a lifetime income. There may be a 10% tax penalty for withdrawals before age 59 ½. Penalties may apply for withdrawals during the surrender period.

• Traditional
  Conservative investors who are more interested in protecting the principal of their investment and receiving a competitive fixed rate of return may be more comfortable with the safety offered by a traditional fixed-dollar annuity. With a deferred fixed annuity, you lock in an interest rate for an initial period, normally one to three years. When the period ends, the insurance company designates a new rate of return for the succeeding period. Most deferred fixed annuities have a minimum guaranteed rate that will be paid regardless of economic conditions.

• Total Return
  If you are seeking reduced risk but still want the potential for high total return on your investment, you may want to consider a Total Return fixed annuity. These types of annuity products obtain a total return from a flexible combination of current income and capital appreciation, along with the preservation of capital over the long-term using a multi-asset approach. Total Return Annuities maintain a diversified portfolio that includes stocks, bonds and money market instruments. This approach can reduce the risk of loss due to the decline of one portion of the portfolio.

• Equity Indexed
  If you believe in the long-term growth of the stock market, but fear it’s short-term volatility, then an Equity Indexed Annuity may be right for you. Equity Index Annuities credit excess interest to your account based on the movements of an external equity index, such as the Standard and Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) index. Your principal is guaranteed by the issuing insurance company, while you may benefit from participating in the potential gains of the corresponding index. There may be a 10% tax penalty for withdrawals before age 59 ½. Penalties may apply for withdrawals during the surrender period.

Securities                                                                                                                                           Top

We help investors reach their financial objectives by offering sound advice and access to a full range of investment services. Our experience, expertise and commitment to building and maintaining close relationships has helped us grow our firm and our clients' investments. You will receive one-on-one attention and we work together to create an investment strategy that addresses your needs and objectives and reflects appropriate levels of risk and return. We have the resources to help you invest with confidence and convenience.

• Mutual Funds
  Mutual Funds have become a very popular investment vehicle for individuals and for companies who offer employee benefit investment plans. One of the reasons for this is the ability of portfolio diversification with a relative smaller investment then is necessary for individual stocks or bonds. Mutual fund companies may invest your money into a portfolio of stocks, bonds and/or other securities made up of a variety of different companies. Values may fluctuate and may be more or less then original investment. Mutual funds are relatively liquid and can usually be converted into cash relatively quickly. Mutual funds carry fees and expenses and may have sales charges or surrender penalties. Mutual funds are sold by prospectus only. Please read the prospectus carefully for details on fees, expenses, restrictions and investment objectives.

• Variable Annuities

  Unlike a guaranteed annuity, a variable annuity allows you to allocate your money among an array of portfolios that may invest in U.S. or international stocks, bonds or other securities to help you create a portfolio that may match your investment objectives and tolerance for risk. You have the ability to transfer between portfolios, without tax penalty, as your objectives and market conditions change. Your principal investment is guaranteed by the issuing insurance company (less withdrawals) in the event of you death. A variable annuity may be well suited for growth for investors who are willing to assume higher risks and/or rewards than those offered by a traditional guaranteed annuity. There may be a 10% tax penalty for withdrawals before age 59 ½. Penalties may apply for withdrawals during the surrender period. Values may fluctuate and may be more or less then original investment.

• Variable Life
  A traditional Variable Life policy provides both a death benefit and cash value component, but differs from a Whole Life insurance policy because it allows you to invest the cash value in investment portfolios selected by the insurer. Your invested portfolio may fluctuate and may worth more or less then your investment. If you accumulate significant cash value over the years, you may “borrow” the appreciated funds without paying taxes on the borrowed gains. As long as the policy stays in force, the borrowed funds do not need to be repaid, however, interest may be charged to your cash value account. However, “borrowed” funds may reduce the death benefit of the policy and may require additional premiums invested to prevent policy lapse.

Estate Planning                                                                                                                               Top

Estate Planning involves the orderly arrangement of one's financial affairs so as to maximize the value of the estate when transferred at death, to the people and institutions favored by the deceased, with minimum loss of value because of taxes and forced liquidation of assets. A well-structured estate plan is invaluable. Through it you can control the distribution of your assets and possessions, as well as name guardians for your children or plan care for other dependents. While the process of planning your estate can raise some difficult emotional and personal issues, your heirs will be glad that you did so, and you will be comfortable knowing that your wishes are assured.

• Trust Planning
  Setting up trusts can help you avoid probate, reduce estate taxes, and may also help you set up long-term property management. Probate can take months and can eat up about 5% of the property through lawyer and court fees. If you set up a trust before your death, after your death property can be quickly and quietly distributed to the beneficiaries, and there are no lawyer or court fees to pay. There are several kinds of living trusts. We can help you decide whether you need a living trust and what type would be best for you and your heirs.

• Revocable Living Trusts
  A Revocable Living Trust is "Revocable" because you can change the terms or cancel it at any time. It is "Living" because the trust takes effect while you are still alive. It is a "Trust" because it creates a place where assets are available for your normal use now as well as after your death. It can be used for other reasons in addition to avoiding probate: if you own property in more than one state your heirs can avoid multiple probate proceedings; if you are incapacitated, your successor trustee can manage your affairs; and you can specify the maturity age of your heirs.

• Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
  An Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust helps you reduce the number of assets that will be subject to taxation after your death, by gifting life insurance premiums to the ultimate beneficiaries through a lifetime gifting program. You can avoid transfer tax on any appreciation in the value of the gift between the time of the gift and the grantor's death. Life Insurance is a particularly attractive vehicle for this situation because of the great difference in values before and after the insured's (grantor's) death. Gifts to An Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust are often eligible for the $10,000 annual gift tax exclusion, meaning that no one pays any taxes on the gift, neither the grantor nor the heir.

• Charitable Remainder Trusts
  The Charitable Remainder Trust is an irrevocable trust with both charitable and non-charitable beneficiaries. The donor transfers highly appreciated assets into the trust and retains an income interest. Upon expiration of the income interest, the remainder in the trust passes to a qualified charity of the donor's choice. If properly structured, the CRT permits the donor to receive income, estate, and/or gift tax advantages. These advantages often provide for a much greater income stream to the income beneficiary than would be available outside the trust.