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“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Thanksgiving is one holiday in which we are doing what God created us to do. We were made to worship him, and gratitude is a core part of worship. Gratitude positions us to live lives that bring praise to God. Gratitude Grows Contentment An attitude of gratitude shifts the conversation in our [...]

We all encounter moments in this life where we suffer unexpected losses, financially, personally, or physically. But such moments do not have to invoke fear. Recognizing the false fears and replacing them with gratitude helps us to hold all we own loosely before God. FEAR #1: We cannot guarantee growth in our finances. When we have worked hard to set aside a nest egg, fear of losing that nest egg can grip our hearts [...]

The recent market turndown can make us feel like we are not making progress toward our retirement, estate planning, and other financial goals. But that is not what history shows. In fact, if we stand firm we can make progress and stay on track. Staying on Track: History's Track Record The market is impacted by the news and fluctuates regularly. But this has always been the case. Though it can fray our nerves to [...]

Wise parents know that the best time to teach our children about budgeting is while they are young. Giving them an allowance that they are responsible for and able to save and make purchases with helps them to realize that finances are not limitless and that they need to wisely steward what they have in order to provide for their needs more than their wants. Budgeting bears fruit and provides insight into our children's [...]

The final days of summer are disappearing like the sand in an hourglass, faster than we would like. For many of you, children and grandchildren are heading into another chapter of their lives as they embark on the adventure of higher education. Have you done enough to prepare your child for this phase in their life, financially, physically, and spiritually? How we prepare them can be the difference between thriving or surviving these years [...]

Happy Father's Day! In my book, Create a Thriving Family Legacy—How to Share your Wisdom & Wealth with your Children & Grandchildren, I shared my belief that we should “Leave nothing left unsaid that we will wish we had said; things like “I love you”, “I’m so proud of you”, “I’m sorry, will you forgive me” (or whatever is on our hearts and needs to be said).  We believe that one of the best gifts [...]

What is happening in the Investment Markets…and what should we do about it? When I was growing up, I loved riding roller coasters. The faster the ride, the higher the highs and then…the drop that makes your stomach feel like it's separated from the rest of your body. Most people either love or hate roller coasters; not a lot of in-between. But, like roller coasters, when it comes to their investments most people don’t [...]

When we receive a gift we are eager to offer thanks. We recognize the cost that went into such an offering. But some gifts we don't recognize the significance of or we can forget about over time unless we are intentional to reflect and remember. Memorial Day is an opportunity and a reminder to never forget those who paid the ultimate price. And perhaps Memorial Day is a reminder for us to steward other [...]

Feeling optimistic or pessimistic these days about your finances? We have encountered a lot of challenges in recent years and but maybe we probably don't feel like we will ever get back to the place of contentment we were in before. Or maybe we never have felt like we have been content with what we have. But shifting our mindset on finances can help us to get out of the constant underlying concerns that [...]

Living in a world that is more connected than ever, the deteriorating situation in Eastern Europe right now impacts everyone. Markets are all global so tensions elsewhere will also bring tensions to our doorstep and impact our finances. But how we respond to these events will determine the level of that impact. Having a strategy to deal with uncertainty can help us not just respond off the cuff or emotionally. Be Steady Having experienced [...]

When it comes to planning for the future and protecting your retirement from one of the greatest financial risks you will face, the need for assistance with daily activities, there are a multitude of options in 2022. In this article we will focus on one of the first options to appear in the insurance world, traditional “stand-alone” (not linked with a life insurance or annuity product) long-term care insurance. Traditional “stand-alone” long term care [...]

We start the year setting resolutions hoping this time we will meet them. But with the blur of life, perhaps life's circumstances impacted our ability to carry them out? The new year began with a bang for many. COVID struck again, the DOW took a plunge, and winter storms blasted many states. Little by little our big lofty goals for the new year start to fray at the edges. We know instinctively that without [...]