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Holiday Greeting – Happy Birthday, America!
2020 is destined to become an indelible chapter in American history. In just six months, we have suffered a pandemic, encountered economic and financial disruption, and tackled civil justice issues. After all that, we deserve a star-spangled Fourth of July! Happy birthday America! Kick your holiday off with this American trivia quiz: 1. In what battle did British General William Howe’s dog tag along with retreating Americans? (Bonus question: What did General George Washington [...]
Has the Economy Begun to Recover?
As coronavirus restrictions ease and businesses reopen, the American economy should gain steam. Data released in May and June, including employment, payroll, and manufacturing numbers, suggested the economy may have hit bottom in April.1 The Stock Market The stock market, which reflects what investors think will happen in the future, appears confident the economy will recover relatively quickly. After dropping 1,000 points in late February and early March, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index [...]
Father Knows Best After All
Dads can get a bad rap for always being the one to have to say no, whether it was for a purchase being considered or for a privilege. Do phrases like, "You're such a tightwad!" or "All you care about is money!" ring a bell? Sadly, it is often not until children have grown up that they realize WHY Dad said no. We thought it would be great to honor Dad with a list of [...]
7 Practical Things You Can Do to Survive and Thrive Financially in Uncertain Market Conditions
Watching a volatile market fluctuate each day can create a sense of apprehension. But an uncertain market situation can also be a golden opportunity to make lemonade out of the lemons the COVID-19 and Market are dealing us. Below are 7 practical things you can do to survive and thrive in uncertain or volatile market conditions. Roth Conversion…while the values are low It is less expensive for many investors to convert retirement savings from [...]
Life and Finances in a Pandemic World
Life as we know it has changed dramatically during 2020. As the coronavirus spread across the United States, cities and states issued shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus and prevent healthcare facilities from being overwhelmed by critically ill patients. In May, when states started to reopen, Americans began to return to work with eagerness and trepidation. Many were happy to leave isolation and reconnect with friends and colleagues at a safe [...]
Holiday Greeting – Showing Gratitude on Memorial Day
At 3:00 p.m. local time on Monday, May 25, 2020, the National Moment of Remembrance takes place by silently thanking the men and women of the United States military who gave their lives for our country.1 Originally, Memorial Day was known as Decoration Day and was held on May 30, 1868. This date was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle. On this date, 5,000 people decorated the graves of 20,000 [...]
Debt-Free in 5 months
Congratulations to Nick Ellison and his wife, Audrey, for getting debt-free from college debt in 5 months. Watch as they share their testimony on the Dave Ramsey show and let out their "debt free scream".
Holiday Greeting – Moms are Priceless
Whether they stay at home or work for a company, moms rarely have just one job. They’re event planners, coaches, interior designers, chefs, art directors, judges (and juries), housekeepers, maintenance supervisors, network administrators, academic advisors, and so much more. Moms are hard workers. Every year, Salary.com estimates how much a mother might earn. By their calculations, in 2019, the median annual salary for stay-at-home moms would have been $178,201 – an increase of 9.6% from Salary.com’s 2018 calculation.1 [...]
Finding Peace While We Wait
The tension of waiting to see the outcome after over a month of being quarantined is palpable, but God's people are used to waiting . . . In the Old Testament, God's people waited for the promised Messiah, and now as partakers of the new covenant, we wait for His return. Living in the "already but not yet" tension is hard, but we know God's promises are yes and amen. Living in the uncertain [...]
Resources to Help You Through the Coronavirus Crisis
If you have ever been flattened by a rogue wave while fishing or sunbathing on the shore, you probably recognize the emotional responses that have accompanied the pandemic wave crashing across the United States – shock, anxiety, and concern for ourselves and others. We’ve been knocked flat by the unexpected – COVID-19. In just a few weeks, the virus has changed our world in significant ways. We have become familiar with new terms – [...]
Finding Hope in the Hard Places
Empty shelves and countless faces with masks concealing a worried expression pervade the media. Churches no longer meet in person and students are now educated in their homes. The highest unemployment rate since the early eighties and a volatile stock market add to the feeling of instability, and all of these vast changes happened seemingly overnight. And as we wait each day to hear what is the next change that will be part of [...]
Holiday Greeting – A Celebration of Irish Culture on St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day is a day of unity. In the past, St. Patrick was celebrated by Irish Protestants and Irish Catholics. As it has been said, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. See what you know about this celebration of Irish culture by taking our brief quiz.1 1. Who was St. Patrick? a. The Irish monk who founded the monastery at Iona b. A British teenager who was kidnapped and enslaved by Irish [...]
