3 Steps to Financial Fitness

While physical fitness is definitely something to strive for, we hear much less about fitness in other areas of our lives. Since our area of expertise is finance, we thought we’d share with you three easy things you can do right now to crank up your financial fitness. Trust us, these things will PUMP YOU UP! Financially, that is.
Freezing my Kids’ Credit Bureau Files

Prompted by an article Neal sent my way… I embarked on the task of freezing my kids’ credit bureau files. Given this would be something we recommend all of our clients with minor children do, I wanted to do that “eating our own cooking” thing and go through the steps first for my three kiddos, in hopes I could share my experience with you and possibly pass on some useful information.
3 Financial Tidbits for College Freshman

While my parents had been great role models of financial discipline, there are still things I wish I would have known before leaving the comfort of my parents’ home.
Summer Travel Tips from a Financial Planner

When we got married more than a decade ago, we said we would take a trip to Scotland before we had kids. We never got around to it before we had kids. Finally though, everything lined up for us to be able to go this year.
What to do after an Identity Theft Incident

But no matter how hard you pinch, this isn’t something you’re waking up from and in fact, you’ve become a victim of identity theft.
If you find yourself in a situation like this, there’s no time to lose. You have to act quickly to mitigate any further damage.
What Questions can a Financial Planner Answer?

Have you ever had a friend express any of these thoughts or questions?
– We make a lot of money, but we have no idea where it’s going…
– What can I do to shelter more of my income now that I’m in a higher tax bracket?
A Look at 529 Plans

Many of our clients are at a stage of life where they are thinking about how to help children, or more often grandchildren, with the cost of higher education. While there are a variety of ways to do this, one of the most popular tools is through a savings-vehicle called a 529 Plan.
The Basics of Medicare

While we recommend you work with an expert Medicare insurance agent when choosing your specific plan due to the many complexities involved, we thought we would put together a quick overview of the basics of Medicare.
A Financial Teaching Moment with my Five-Year-Old

I don’t know how much of the conversation he’ll remember, but hopefully at least a tiny part will stick with him. And hopefully as he grows, and he hears my husband and I repeat the line “When you’re older, and done with school, and you get a really good job, you can SAVE…”, he’ll eventually have it memorized!
Tired of Renting?

So you have decided to be a homeowner. You’ve been saving and building up enough funds to put 20% down and avoid private mortgage insurance. Now, you want to make sure you have your financial bases covered.