To me, the word budget is not a friendly one. It sounds restrictive and limiting. So when I discuss this topic with clients I prefer to use the term ‘cash flow planning’ instead. Isn’t that more elegant? For our fall blog series, we will be focusing on Household Cash Flow Planning, digging into the tools and strategies we recommend to our clients to create sustainable tracking of your financial goals…. Read More
A Road Map For Success
I’m a strong believer in goal setting. The first recollection I have of being introduced to the idea of goal setting was at the end of my freshman year of high school. My high school soccer coach challenged each member of the soccer team to write down personal goals for the upcoming fall season as well as goals for our high school soccer career. I don’t remember specifically what I… Read More
The Challenges of Aging Well
I’ve been blessed by the love and influence of my parents throughout my life. Several years ago we began having some very direct conversations about aging well and the potential risk of one, or both of them, needing care in the future. We spoke honestly and clearly regarding expectations. I’m glad to say that we recently moved my Dad & Mom into a lovely cottage at a local retirement and… Read More
Reflecting God’s Generous Heart
Recently, I listened to a short radio program from Chuck Bentley of Crown Financial Ministries. He was talking about the fact that the Bible describes God as generous and that creation reflects this generosity. The trees give off oxygen for us to breathe, the sun produces heat and light, clouds provide rain, and vegetation provides food. The list goes on. The way that God has created the world reflects his… Read More
Needing Each Other
When is the last time you went to the gym? Where are you taking your next family vacation? How much money do you hope to save next month? The questions you just read have made it much more likely that you will go to the gym, take a family vacation and save more money in the near future. For many of us, talking about money is not a conversation friends… Read More
T.G.I.F.
Thank goodness it’s Friday (T.G.I.F.). That’s what I heard from one of my early morning workout comrades on Friday. Why are we so thankful to get to Friday? Does it in part have to do with our outlook on work? I have observed three unhealthy attitudes toward work. First, it’s a necessary evil. I need to make a living so I have to work. Work is simply a means to… Read More
It’s the Principle of the Thing
Principles trump feelings, especially in the area of investment decisions. When faced with an investment decision, we should always ask, “If I do this, will I be violating any proven principle?” In his book Investing for the Future, Larry Burkett relates a story about a man who had been retired from Sears for ten years. Over the years he had accumulated a significant amount of Sears stock, and that holding… Read More
A Team Approach
It’s probably no secret that the majority of my office mates are deep into sports. I tend not to share their passion. I just don’t get it. But then, they don’t quite understand my obsession for the fiber arts. So when the Bracket for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (I actually Googled that so I had it correct – that’s how much I am not into sports!), I uttered this… Read More
New Tax Law for Business Owners
Business owners, take heart! The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 is now in effect and may offer a boost to your bottom line. Changes in the new tax law affect business owners of both large and small companies in significant, and in most cases, positive ways. We will focus on the big picture changes in this blog post. We’ll look first at C corporations which are taxed at… Read More
Child Tax Credit Expanded & 529 Plan Changes
Today’s blog focuses on several significant changes that will directly impact those of you who have minor children or grandchildren who are college-age or younger. We will explore the Expanded Child Tax Credit and discuss some significant changes to 529 (College Savings) plans. Under the new tax law, the Child Tax Credit has been expanded from $1,000 per qualified child to $2,000 per child (under the age of 17). In… Read More
