Companies marketing retirement often portray couples holding hands as they walk on the beach or sailing on the high seas with their hair blowing in the wind. These commercials give us the impression that retirement is an extended vacation filled with fun and leisure. Several months ago, I wrote a blog article exploring nine real-life retirement transitions and the factors influencing individuals’ decisions to retire. At the end of that… Read More
“Being joyful isn’t what makes you grateful. Being grateful is what makes you joyful.” – Ann Voskamp Gratitude has been on my mind recently. While it may not come naturally to many of us, myself included, gratitude can truly have a significant and broad impact. Practicing gratitude helps me to appreciate the small details in life that I otherwise may tend to overlook, particularly given the busyness of daily life…. Read More
Within the past week we have experienced the “Super Tuesday” Primaries and a State of the Union speech that sounded much like a campaign event. Friends, like it or not, we are speeding headlong into another Presidential election year. This will be the 8th Presidential election that has occurred since Master’s was founded thirty years ago! It is safe to say that the most common question we have gotten… Read More
Since 2008, I’ve been a Facebook user. Admittedly, I lean more towards the “social media stalker” category than an active participant, yet I’ve amassed 348 Facebook “friends”. Occasionally, I’ll share a post or comment, but mostly I use it to keep tabs on old friends, especially those who aren’t nearby, and to follow updates from my favorite sports teams and other interests. Continuing our series on Core Values, this final… Read More
This is the fifth installment in our blog series devoted to discussing how our personal life values impact our decisions. The value that I will be highlighting today is a popular one amongst our clients: Integrity. There are various aspects to the value of integrity: a chair can be described as “having structural integrity” if it can hold the weight of a person sitting on it without issue. In a… Read More
As we continue our blog series on values, we move on to Family as another value we see often. This value may seem simple at its surface, but the concept of Family means many different things to different clients. For some, it encompasses only their immediate family members, while for others, it extends to include close friends or distant relatives. What is interesting is when we bring the topic of… Read More
In today’s world, it seems like every time I make a purchase with a credit card, there’s an option to add a tip. It often leaves me wondering whether I should tip and if so, how much. Generosity is a core value in our family, so my default inclination is to leave something, even if I’m unsure whether the extra money will truly reach the server or if the… Read More
For our clients participating in Master’s Total Wealth Planning services, our values discernment exercise helps to identify each client’s five core life values. We have found that many of our clients have named Faith as one of their core values. Today’s blog post will discuss the impact that Faith can have on your financial planning decision-making process. One of Webster’s definitions for faith is – “something that is believed with… Read More
You have probably heard a saying that goes something like, “Show me your checkbook and your calendar, and I will tell you what you value most”. This saying exposes the reality that our actions reflect our values. Two places where this is most evident are how we spend our time and how we spend our money. Over the next 5 weeks, we will be working through a blog series on… Read More
I began my soccer journey in seventh grade, playing through high school and college. Even after college, I continued playing in adult indoor and outdoor soccer leagues. My decision to continue playing was simple: as long as I contributed positively to my team and had fun, I would stay in the game. However, just before turning 49, I faced the realization that my frustration after games was outweighing the joy,… Read More
