Between February 19 and March 13 of this year, the S&P 500 index declined by 10%. This was the first 10% pullback since August to October of 2023. When stock markets decline by 10% or more from their recent highs, especially when it has been nearly a year and a half since the last occurrence, many investors become anxious. However, these corrections are not only normal but also a healthy… Read More
Several weeks from now, Colleen and I will host our children and their spouses for our inaugural Family Financial Meeting. We feel it is the right time to start this valuable practice! They are all in the 30-40 age bracket, making wise financial decisions, and living lives consistent with our faith and values. During this time together, we will share our financial story, talk about God’s faithfulness, and the… Read More
There is an old saying, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” The problem with that old adage? Making lemonade from lemons requires more ingredients than wishful thinking. Recently, Lyle wrote a blog post highlighting a client’s experience dealing with an unexpected job loss and how, through this stressful time, he ended up finding something more fulfilling. In the blog, Lyle wrote one sentence that stood out to me: “At… Read More
Recently, my child, a high school freshman, started a personal finance class at school. As a parent, I’m thankful she has the opportunity to increase her financial literacy in a structured way. Although, it reminds me that many financial lessons are learned through the course of daily life. Some adults have not been taught financial literacy, and for them, those lessons can often be learned the hard way. Why We… Read More
Tax season is upon us once again, and as we start accumulating the various forms and documents filling our mailboxes, the process of tax preparation begins. While it can be daunting, each tax document you receive from income sources, investments, or business entities provides a piece of the puzzle to complete the full picture of your income. We have compiled helpful information on the three most common forms you… Read More
I’m a big ice hockey fan! To be more specific, I’m a big Philadelphia Flyers fan! Of the four major North American sports, ice hockey ranks fourth in popularity. I think for many people, the lack of goal scoring makes ice hockey seem less exciting than other sports. For me, it’s the anticipation of goal scoring that holds my attention. If I get out of my seat for a minute… Read More
Last week, Garry introduced our blog series reflecting on the 2024 investment markets. This week, we’re diving deeper into the stock market’s performance, highlighting key trends and insights. The 2024 Stock Market: Overview 2024 marked another strong year of positive returns for investors. Following the downturn in 2022, patience was rewarded as both 2023 and 2024 delivered substantial gains. In 2024, several stock market indexes achieved outsized returns: the S&P… Read More
As we begin a new year, it gives us an opportunity to look back on the year in markets in 2024. It was a largely positive year across most asset classes, and we will review different parts of the 2024 market over the next few weeks during our Q1 blog series. During preparation for this blog series, I was curious to look back at what the “experts” predicted for the… Read More
It is, once again, the beginning of a new year! The arrival of a new year provides all of us with a chance to reflect on 2024 and consider what we want to see happen in 2025. This process of reflection and planning is very valuable, and it is one of our favorite exercises to walk through with our clients. Here are a few reasons why we feel this exercise… Read More
We wrap up our tax planning series today with an overview of tax payments and penalties. Throughout this series, we’ve explored aspects of tax planning starting with Tax Code Basics, then moving through Tax Brackets, Capital Gains, and then a dive into strategy for Standard vs. Itemized Deductions. As with many items in our tax code, getting your taxes paid is more complex than it would seem. Understanding the Basics: Payments &… Read More
