Happy 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 □…
DetailsNo one ever wants to think about their plumbing. Picture it: all those pipes inside and beneath your house, criss-crossing like a maze of tunnels. Rattling whenever you flush the toilet or run the dish washer. Rusting as they get old. Freezing every winter. Now ponder the incredible load those pipes must bear. Gallons of…
DetailsEvery January, it’s customary to look back at the year that was. What were the highlights? What were the “lowlights”? What were the events we’ll always remember? Most importantly, what did we learn? Rather than write a long recap of the entire year, let’s first look at this chart: Month Notable Events January Donald Trump…
DetailsYou may have seen my recent Facebook post about a Financial Health Day. I wanted to take a moment to share some of my thoughts. This is a great idea for many. Too many times dealing with financial matters can be as painful as cleaning the chicken coop (I’ll be doing that this weekend!). Batching…
DetailsJanuary is the perfect time to self-reflect and focus on a few areas where you can improve your life. One of my goals for the year is to start running again. In 2016 I had to redo some of my life insurance and when I look back at the insurance physical it shows my weight.…
DetailsHappy New Year! Like it or not, the Republicans in Congress were able to pass a new tax bill just in time for Christmas. There is something in it for nearly all of us – it is more like a tax cut. It’s the most significant overhaul of the tax code since 1986 – and…
DetailsUnderstanding some of the main changes to the tax code. Before we dive into the new bill, it’s important to understand that most of the following changes affecting individuals and couples are set to expire in 2025. Thereafter, tax rates and other provisions revert to their current form unless extended by a future Congress. Most…
DetailsAs the year comes to an end, we’d like to send wishes to you and yours for a joyous and Happy New Year! Greg, Cathy, and Jenn! Holiday Schedule We will be closed for the New Year holiday starting at noon on Friday, December 30th and all day Monday, January 2nd. We will reopen Tuesday morning at…
DetailsAs the end of the year approaches in Colorado Springs we’ve had very little snow. I’ve watered our lawn twice in the last week. Will the snow we hope for ever really come this season? I’ve noticed the threat of winter weather typically forces people into one of three categories. First, you’ve got the “Meteorologist-in-training.” …
DetailsI came across this classic story not long ago. It’s called “Three Questions” by Leo Tolstoy, and it was written in 1905. Now, I know what you’re thinking: Isn’t Tolstoy the one who wrote War and Peace? One of the longest books ever? And it’s true: Tolstoy wasn’t known for being concise. Fortunately, “Three Questions”…
DetailsBy the President of the United States of America: a Proclamation. Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor — and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their…
DetailsAs you know, Veterans Day is drawing near. While thinking about the day and what it represents, I came across a quote that really struck me: “War is for the participants a test of character: it makes bad men worse,and good men better.” – Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain Some of the best people I know are…
DetailsThe World’s Toughest Race Imagine this scene for a moment. The ultra-marathon of 543.7 miles of endurance running from Sydney to Melbourne, Australia in 1983 was about to begin. Picture the registration table with world-class athletes signing in wearing shoes and running clothes of companies who backed them for the race. Along came a man…
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