Monthly Newsletters

3 Money-Smart Strategies for 529 College Savings Plans

Between squeaky new shoes, fresh pencils, packs of index cards, trendy new backpacks and other learning supplies, back-to-school shopping in the U.S. is expected to exceed $27 billion this year – about $510 per household. That’s a lot of Trapper Keepers.

Monthly Newsletters

Celebrating True Financial Freedom

Fourth of July! We stand in the haze of firework smoke and barbecue grills enjoying our family, sweating in the heat. On this most nostalgic of holidays, we celebrate the independent spirit of what it means to be an American. More than a one-time political event in distant history, this is the freedom to stand on our own two feet and pursue our unique destiny.

Financial Advising, teaching children about money

Monthly Newsletters

Teaching Kids about Money in the Summer Months

Summer arrives – bees, picnics, nostalgia and the chaotic sound of kids everywhere. It’s enough to bring back memories of sweating behind a lawnmower or scrubbing grandpa’s car to get a few precious dollars to spend at the mall or the movies.

Monthly Newsletters

May 2019 Economic Update

In this month’s recap: the S&P 500 returns to record territory, key economic indicators show strength, oil continues its ascent, and existing home sales decline. Read More Here

Monthly Newsletters

4 Ways to Make the Most of Your Tax Refund (and What Yours Says About You)

If you’ve worked in business, healthcare, ministry or almost any corporate entity in the last generation, chances are good you’ve taken a personality test – perhaps even a few. You found out you’re an ENFP or an INTJ or an Otter/Lion, or a Steady Wing 2 who needs to focus on your Bright Side. These tests tell you how you digest information, how you play with others and often things you didn’t know about yourself.

Monthly Newsletters

April MPL: Identity Protection Month

Have you ever received an email from a “friend” or “member of a foreign royal family” who is stranded in a foreign country? They lost their wallet and passport and their only form of communication is email. They are reaching out to you in desperate need of a wire transfer for a plane ticket home.

Monthly Newsletters

Spring Cleaning for Your Estate Plan: Is Everything in its Place?

Many of us are “celebrating” the warmer weather this time of year by sweeping away dust bunnies and vacuuming behind the couch. Spring cleaning has been part of our annual rhythm for centuries, from ancient religious traditions to scrubbing coal soot off the walls in Victorian times.

Monthly Newsletters

March MPL: Retirement Planning Month

According to recent Gallup polls, the average American is retiring at age 66, which is up from age 63 in a 2014 poll. (1) By all accounts, data suggests that American’s are working (and living) longer.

Monthly Newsletters

Retirement Fund Catch-Up Contributions: An Ace Up Your Sleeve for the Long Game

For many of us, retirement planning is a persistent boogie man in the back of our minds. The statistics on people’s lack of retirement preparation are staggering, and the official retirement age seems to increase by the minute. Life expectancy is getting longer, and resources seem to be getting scarcer. Any hand that savers and wage-earners play at this point in life seems like a bet against the house, sure to lose.

Monthly Newsletters

From Washington to Your Wallet: How the Federal Funds Rate Affects Personal Finance

If you’ve watched the headlines at all in the last month, you know the markets aren’t sitting still. From the worst Christmas Eve on record to the Dow’s largest jump ever just a few days later – losses and gains seem to have less pattern every day. Experts are divided on how 2019 will look, but predictable isn’t the word any of them are using.

Monthly Newsletters

Are You Ready?