Monthly Newsletters
Monthly Newsletters
How to Give More than Stuff for the Holidays
Think about the best holiday gift you ever received. For some of us, that memory is pretty murky, but chances are you’ll come up with a toy you played with until it fell apart, or the bike you rode until the wheels fell off. Think about the “frame” that memory is in: was the gift exactly what you told your parents you wanted?
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How to Maximize Your Giving with a Donor-Advised Fund
Many of us have memories of family giving practices. For some, it was that dime from your allowance that your parents said goes to the church. For others, it was the yearly (or more often) volunteering trip to help out at the local mission/soup kitchen. Or it might have been a policy of giving one toy to Goodwill for every new one you received as a gift.
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Putting Your Health Savings Account to Work
Seven dollars. That was the per-day cost of a maternity room in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1942. Sure, adjusting for inflation brings us to $110, but that’s still unheard of. Try to find a hospital room for around a hundred dollars today! The bloated cost of healthcare isn’t a new discussion on the American airwaves.
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Leave Them a Legacy, Not Taxes, with a Roth IRA Conversion
The SECURE Act is getting more press attention than retirement accounting has received in… well, probably ever, and was in the news all summer. It’s still being slowly digested by Congress but could change the landscape of retirement finance once it’s enacted.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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