Paying for college soon?

A group of people that are standing up with hats on

I attended a webinar yesterday hosted by Joe Messinger, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, co-founder of Capstone College Partners. He and his company provide expert advice and train other advisors in helping their clients navigate college funding.  Their mission is to end the student loan crisis one family at a time. We fully support his mission of […]

Consider writing an ethical will

A person is writing on paper with a pen.

Over the holidays, consider writing an ethical will for those you love. If you are like me, this month will be busy for you.  At my house, we are buying gifts, mailing holiday cards, preparing our home for guests, decorating, and grocery shopping.  My wife, Kerry, and I are also busy keeping up with our […]

How to cut your budget while keeping your kids 

A boy writing on paper with a pen.

Marriage and budgets are tough enough.  Throw a few kids in the mix, and you may find yourself feeling like your money is slipping away.  Kids come with a lot of needs and wants and no ability to produce income. It is a both a joy and a challenge to meet their needs and to […]

How to cut expenses while keeping your marriage (Part III)

A woman and man sitting at a table with a laptop.

You are on the budgeting home stretch!  You have read Part I and Part II and completed those first steps. Before you continue reading, pat yourself on the back and give your partner a hug or a high five.  You have come together to tackle your budget. That can be a source of stress for […]

How to cut your budget while keeping your marriage (Part II)

A woman and man are looking at papers.

You and your partner have done the hardest work of making a budget: you have talked about why you want to budget and what is important to you.  You have created a list of all of your expenses and sorted them by category.  You may have downloaded one of the budgeting tools mentioned in this […]

How to cut your budget while keeping your marriage (Part I)

A man and woman sitting at a table with papers.

Making and sticking to a monthly budget is hard. Choices can be very difficult to make, especially when there are two people involved whose preferences are not the same. This series of articles will lay out a process for working through those choices together, while bringing your relationship closer in the process. Remember the Why […]

Talk about aging while you are still young

A man and woman smiling at the beach.

  No one wants to talk about what is going to happen as they get older. The realities of aging that we all face are not fun to imagine and can be awkward to broach with our loved ones.  It is also easy to think, “I will get to that some day.” The best time […]

You Are Dust

A person is holding something in their hand

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, a day for showering love on family, friends, and even strangers. In my faith tradition, yesterday was also Ash Wednesday, the first day of the 40-day period leading up to Easter. Along with many others, I went to my church to receive ashes on my forehead and hear the message “Remember […]