Human beings are obsessed with setting records. The fastest. The strongest. The first. The longest. It’s exciting whenever a new record gets set. It makes us feel like we’re witnesses to something important, something historic. Something we can tell our grandchildren about. And now, we can add a new record to the list: The Longest…
DetailsIt’s easy to treat Labor Day as little more than the last summer holiday. As one more opportunity to visit the lake. As a day for barbecues or sipping lemonade on the hammock. After all, Labor Day lacks the historical traditions of Independence Day or the gravity of Memorial Day. It’s just not quite as…
DetailsWhat’s in a Phrase: Your Retirement There are certain phrases that have become so pervasive in our culture that we rarely stop to think about what they mean. Many of these sayings contain some very profound lessons that can apply directly to your retirement. Here are some of my favorites. April Showers Bring May Flowers:…
DetailsAs my birthday approaches, I’ve been thinking about certain milestones. Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions. “How old are you?” “I’m four and a…
DetailsWhen we plan retirement some don’t want to hear how much it may help to work a few more months. I’ve just reviewed a new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Their research confirms working a few years longer has a bigger impact on improving retirement income security for older workers than…
Details“Printing ink, not black, solid.” “Yarn (not sewing thread) of synthetic staple fibers, mixed mainly with artificial staple fibers.” “Meat of swine other than hams, shoulders, bellies and cuts thereof, salted, brined, or smoked.” “Organic surface-active products and preparations for washing the skin, in liquid or cream.” You’re probably wondering what in the world I’m…
DetailsDo you have the legal forms that you need for your children who are now adults (or about to be)? We’re about to send Julia, our daughter, off to college in two weeks. At the same time, she will be turning 18 and be living out of state. I have heard too many stories of…
DetailsRoberto Clemente – Baseball Hero As July comes and goes and we enter the dog days of summer, I always enjoy baseball and the pennant races. The playoff race takes a break in mid-July and Joshua and I enjoyed baseball’s stars at the Mid-Summer Classic, also known as the All-Star Game. While it can be…
DetailsQuarterly Market Review The second quarter of 2018 is now officially closed, and with July 4th just past, it’s safe to say the summer season is in full swing. While for many of us the main features of July are cookouts and trips to the mountains or beach, this month also holds a special place…
DetailsSome rules are meant to be broken—like the one about not wearing white after Labor Day. Others should remain sacrosanct, such as the rules of good credit. Those are the kind of rules that can make life easier and happier when you follow them—and help ensure your finances stay in good order, too. Unlike fashion…
DetailsBirthdays are a time for giving gifts. Independence Day is just around the corner and on our nation’s birthday, I thought it appropriate to look into perhaps the most recognizable gift our country has ever received, the Statue of Liberty. It Began with a Medal Lady Liberty is one of the world’s most recognizable symbols…
DetailsI recently received a treatise entitled “Get Out of Your Own Way.” The author of the first section is anonymous; the last part is a great quote by Frank Outlaw. Together, they remind me of the importance of having a positive mental attitude as we journey through life. Be careful what you ask for—you just…
DetailsHappy Father’s Day! As you know, this special day isn’t just a chance to buy Dad some new cologne or a power drill. It’s an opportunity to reflect on what fathers mean to us. The things they’ve taught, the values they’ve instilled, the examples they’ve set. It’s a chance to look in the mirror and…
DetailsIt’s that time of year again and it seems that I’ve heard about more graduations than normal. We’ve had a great two weeks as we celebrated with Julia as she recently graduated from Colorado Springs Christian High School. Grandparents, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews all came to town for the week. We weren’t able to…
DetailsWhen it comes to investing, there’s a lot of terminology and jargon you might see bandied about by financial professionals or the media. Most of these terms are not hard to understand – but they may seem baffling at first glance. Understanding some basic investing terms is helpful, because it can help transform investing from…
DetailsPicture It: There are over 140 national cemeteries in the United States, each reserved primarily for military veterans and their spouses. Most states also have special cemeteries set aside for veterans. And of course, there are the thousands of soldiers laid to rest in simple family plots, with countless more buried where they fell in…
DetailsDoing Things the “Right” Way As the PGA Tour continues, I couldn’t help but think about how competitive we’ve become. For those of us who are sports fans it can often be disheartening to see how far some people will go to gain an advantage over their competition. The modern sports world is full of…
DetailsIt’s May, and that means Mother’s Day! As you know, Mother’s Day is a chance to tell our Moms how much we love and appreciate them. A chance to say “thanks” for keeping us clothed and fed, safe and warm. Yes, mothers sure do a lot, don’t they? But did you know that most mothers…
DetailsFirst I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who made our first Shred Day a success. We couldn’t have done it without the Housing and Building Association, Federal Document Shredding, and our setup and cleanup crew. But most of all, it wouldn’t have been a success without all of YOU! Thank you for taking…
DetailsThe Three Biggest Social Security Mistakes I See Because I work a lot with Social Security you might imagine how agitated I was when The Office of Inspector General released a report in March showing that 9,224 Social Security recipients were underpaid approximately $131.8 million according to CNBC. The research found that claimants were not…
DetailsUS and China Trade War The headlines are filled with rumors of a trade war between the United States and China. You’ve probably heard by now that both nations have announced tariffs on many of each other’s goods. This has many economists concerned about a trade war. A trade war, in case you’re not familiar…
DetailsSpring Season in Laos – The Songkran Festival Good news! Spring has officially started. Around March 21st the spring or vernal equinox occurs, traditionally marking the beginning of the spring season. I always remind the kids because from this time forward, the days continue to grow longer with sunlight taking precedence over darkness. Spring brings…
DetailsHe is Risen, He is Risen Indeed! Each holiday is special in its own way, but of them all, there is no other celebration like Easter. Easter is about resurrection of life, rebirth, hope, spring and every other good thing that comes along with it. As you prepare for your Sunday Easter celebration we encourage…
DetailsWalk out? Walk up? What’s all this about? Many of you (especially those with high school children) will have heard about the walk out that happened across the country at 10 AM yesterday. High school students across the country ‘walked out’ to protest gun or school violence. Which I hope we can put an…
DetailsHow Is This Plan Going To Affect You? Please open your economic textbooks to page forty-seven, class, because it’s time to talk about something you probably haven’t thought of since college: tariffs. On Thursday, March 1, President Trump announced a new plan to institute a 25% tariff on steel imports and a 10% tariff on…
DetailsShakespeare on Finance For centuries, people have studied Shakespeare for his wit and his wisdom. Shakespeare never actually wrote about finance, of course. But I believe many of his most memorable lines contain important financial lessons. Let’s look at a quote from perhaps the Bard’s greatest play of all: Hamlet. “This above all – to…
DetailsEmotional Currency As this New Year gets underway, consider this wisdom, widely attributed to Charles F. Banning: If all the gold in the world were melted down into a solid cube, it would be about the size of an eight-room house. If a man got possession of all that gold—billions of dollars’ worth—he could not…
DetailsDo you make this common mistake with your investments? Last week I sent an email following the big gyrations in the market. The opening line was, “Hello volatility, my old friend.” A cousin of volatility is risk. Different people can tolerate different amounts of risk. Someone who thoroughly understands long-term investing may have a relatively…
DetailsHello volatility, my old friend. By now, you’ve seen or heard the headlines, full of scary-sounding words like rout and storm, plunge and crash. Whatever you want to call it, investors have certainly endured a rough time over the past few days. The Dow, dominating the media’s coverage as usual, dropped more than 600 points…
DetailsYour “Financial Plumbing” Questionnaire What areas of your financial plumbing are you most concerned about checking in 2018? □ Reducing tax liability □ Increasing retirement savings □ Saving for child/grandchild □ Caring for a loved one □ Charitable giving □ Establishing a travel budget □ Moving to a new home/area □ Health care expenses □…
Details
