Thoughts About Family and Planning
As I write this column, all of our family has joined us out of town for the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays. Four kids, two husbands, one fiancé, four dogs (plus our two dogs), two cats and maybe a partridge in a pear tree. No grandkids yet, and no pressure. We were married ten […]
Budgeting for Christmas
Christmas, to me, has always lent an opportunity to be merry, spread joy and spend time with both family and friends that I do not see on a regular basis. For my wife and I, this year will be extra special as is it will be our first Christmas as parents. We have been blessed […]
Hefty Medical Bills? Knowledge Pays
I’ve never had more to be thankful for this Thanksgiving – I have my whole family. Six weeks ago, I almost didn’t. My 4 year-old caught the flu last month and required a visit to our rural ER. Unbeknownst to us, he was in critical condition with a collapsed lung and a cascading list of […]
Veterans Benefits
With Veterans Day approaching, I’m reminded of the incredible commitment and sacrifice that our veterans give for our freedom. I am proud of my late father, a proud Marine, as well as my brother who served in the Air National Guard. These heroes, among many others, continue to provide our country freedom and security. There […]
Form 1099 – What You Should Know
Unbelievably, year-end is right around the corner. The first line of business in January 2023 will be to file and issue any necessary Form 1099s. Although I am fairly new to the profession and my role as a CPA, I have quickly come to realize that taxpayers do not particularly like sending or receiving 1099s. […]
2022 Year End Financial Planning Checklist
After a long, hot summer, fall is finally in the air. Crisp autumn mornings and pumpkin spice everything will be ringing in the holidays in no time. With the hustle and bustle of fall activities, the holidays and year end, spare time becomes even more of a premium. I will share with you a short […]
Do You Have the Right Suit Maker?
Finding someone you can trust with your money can be tricky. Go online and search “financial advisor near me” and you’ll get dozens of results. The search results will all seem to have a common theme: financial advisor, wealth management, etc., but as a consumer what do all these terms really mean and how can […]
The Cost of your Lifestyle
There is a saying that encourages you to know where you have been to know where you are going. Or, as William Wordsworth more eloquently said “Life is divided into three terms – that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from […]
Update Beneficiaries via Baby Steps
A lot is running through your mind when you leave the hospital and bring home a new baby. Whether it is your first, second, etc., or last child, making sure that your beneficiary designations are up to date is likely not a thought on the forefront. Between bottles, diapers, and baby snuggles, it can be […]
Opportunities in a Complicated Economy
The second-quarter GDP report released July 28th raised a red flag – the economy shrank for the second consecutive quarter. However, the August 5th jobs report pegged unemployment at only 3.5%, a sign that the US economy is still strong. So what’s the deal? Are we in a recession or not? The answer is complicated. […]