Will You Be Naughty or Nice To Your Finances This Holiday Season? ‘Tis the season for fun, family, and a lot of spending. Whether you plan to spend money on holiday gifts for the family, are planning a holiday event, or like to use the holiday season as your time for contributing to worthy causes, [...]

Scrooge and the Ghosts of Financial Planning In Charles Dickens's timeless classic, "A Christmas Carol," Ebenezer Scrooge transforms from a miserly old man to a generous and empathetic soul. Along the way, he encounters the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, who reveal important lessons about life and, surprisingly, financial planning. Join [...]

December College Newsletter   For high school seniors, December is an especially busy time. Not only do many schools have their final exams, but there are college applications and essays to finish. December also brings Early Decision acceptances right around the 15th. If a student is accepted by their first-choice college and that college uses [...]

5 Strategies for Managing Financial Stress During the Holidays   The holiday season is a time of joy and headaches, celebration, fatigue, and togetherness mixed with a few knock-down drag-out fights. On top of the emotional rollercoaster ride can come a big wallop of financial stress. From buying gifts to hosting parties and traveling to [...]

November College Newsletter When Should I File the FAFSA?  As you may already be aware, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is not yet open and won't be until sometime in December or possibly January 1st. I've already gone over some of the major changes in September's newsletter.  FAFSA simplification has been a [...]

Creating Your Perfect Retirement Recipe Although achieving your financial goals is more challenging than following a step-by-step recipe, a few common ingredients and preparation methods may help improve your ability to manage financial resources. Here is one recipe for a tasty Financial Dish. Ingredients One cup of clear financial goals Two cups of smart budgeting [...]

4 Thanksgiving Lessons for a Feast-Worthy Financial Plan Thanksgiving is a holiday for spending time with loved ones, being grateful, and perhaps enjoying a bit of overindulgence. There are many financial lessons to be had in planning, preparing, and celebrating this annual feast.1 Here are four Thanksgiving lessons that might help your household's financial plan [...]

5 Do’s and Don'ts for Charitable Giving During the Holidays The fourth quarter holidays are often seen as one of the prime times to take out your checkbook — not only do many charities put in extra efforts helping others this time of year, but donating is also a smart financial move. Giving to a [...]

Trusts and Year-End Planning: A Checklist A trust is a legal vehicle that protects your assets that contains instructions for your assets when you die or become incapacitated. When you set up a trust, you transfer assets from your name into your trust's name while you still retain control of the assets until you die. [...]

6 Scary Money Mistakes and How to Avoid Becoming a Financial Horror Story Managing money may seem stressful at times. Unexpected expenses, changes in employment, and changes in family or lifestyle may all lead to money issues. Making sure you have money saved up for the unexpected is crucial. Here are some other scary money [...]