Group Benefits Professionals in the Houston area for more than thirty years. We are a full service financial services and Insurance firm.

  

Welcome to The Apical Meristem Company, a financial services company focusing in small group and individual benefits,  retirement and estate conservation strategies.

As personal financial and insurance professionals, we can:



  • Help you determine your insurance needs and find the right products for you
  • Help you clarify and define your goals
  • Recommend solutions that fit your needs
  • Deliver timely information
  • Explain how changing financial conditions affect you
  • Monitor your financial progress
  • Make investment planning easier  


Feel free to browse our site. You'll find a variety of articles, calculators, and research reports that we hope will answer your questions or stimulate your interest.



If you have any questions, please call us at 713.532.6373or e-mail us at pat@patmione.com.  We will be happy to help. We look forward to talking with you.

 The Company Name

"How was your company named?"

That has been the most frequently asked question since the business was formed on June 1, 1997.  Erin Mione gets credit for coming up with the name.  She was taking Biology at the time and thought the words sounded "neat".  When asked what they meant, she said that the apical meristem is the part of the plant that makes it grow.  Because we work with growing companies and the individuals that help those companies grow, we thought it was a good fit.
Calculators

Lease Interest

What's the interest rate on the lease you're considering?

Taxable Equivalent Yield

Calculate the rate of return you would have to receive from a taxable investment to realize an equivalent tax-exempt yield.

Estate Taxes

Use this calculator to estimate the federal estate taxes that could be due on your estate after you die.

Loan Payoff

How much will it cost to pay off a loan over its lifetime?

More Calculators →

Newsletters

Finding a Good Time to Invest

When a prominent stock market index closes above an important threshold, many investors who have been sitting on the sidelines may see it as good time to invest, but they may have missed a significant part of the rally. Waiting for the "right" moment to invest could prove to be a costly and ineffective strategy.

What Kind of Investor Are You?

Although most Americans seem to understand that investment involves risk, there is a wide spectrum in how much risk each investor is willing to assume. Among the factors to consider are comfort level, time horizon, and net worth. This article helps investors to consider their appropriate level of risk.

To Roll or Not to Roll: It's Your Choice

Some employers are encouraging departing employees to leave their retirement savings in their employer plans. But employees should make any decisions based on their own needs and concerns, not the former employer's. Read about the pros and cons of rolling over retirement plan assets to an IRA.

Tax Law Keeps S Corporations Attractive

S corporations are more common than C corporations and partnerships, perhaps because they are not subject to the corporate tax. Instead, profits and losses flow directly to shareholders, who are currently taxed at lower individual income tax rates. Read why reorganizing as an S corporation may be a smart move.

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