Blog

by Carolyn Walder

“Your choices of action may be limited—but your choices of thought are not.”  

—Esther Hicks, Motivational Speaker and Author

by Carolyn Walder

by Diana J. Batchelor

Congress passed some meaningful and significantly impactful tax legislation as it recessed for the holidays in 2019. In one of the new laws, passed on December 19, you will find the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (SECURE Act).

by Carolyn Walder

Many folks have probably read some version of the “2019 Year-End Checklist” that you need to consider for your finances. Well, this blog is going to take that one step further! While it is good to review these checklists to see if you have done what you wanted to accomplish this past year, it is much more helpful to start off the new year examining what you want to accomplish in the New Year so you have time to plan and schedule these events instead of frantically running around at the holidays! Here are some areas that you should consider …

by Donna Reid Washington, MHS, LPC, AbD

“The most important investment you can make is in yourself.”  —Warren Buffett

As we approach the holiday season and the end of the year, keep your financial and mental health in mind. Though easier said than done, try to minimize stress where you can.

by Carolyn Walder

As many of our clients know, we have been harping on the importance of estate planning and the need for more than just a Will. However, did you know that a properly prepared and executed estate plan may not be enough? Consider your Power of Attorney: even though you (the Principal) may have a Power of Attorney (POA) drafted to enable another person (your attorney-in-fact or AIF) to take care of your financial affairs when you are unable to, certain government agencies and financial institutions insist on more to enable the AIF to execute his or her duties! This blog discusses those situations and gives you the tools to enable you to be completely prepared!

by Carolyn Walder

by Tonya Mason Branch

Budget: an estimate of income and expenditure for a set period of time.

My daughter is in her fourth year of college. Throughout her high school and college years, she has excelled in math, breezing through algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. But the one course that she has not taken is consumer math. A consumer math course applies basic math skills to real life situations, like shopping, calculating taxes, estimating monthly budget, calculating an interest rate for a loan, etc. It is all about teaching young adults how to responsibly spend and save, preparing them to make better financial decisions.

by Amy Thompson

REAL ID is a joint effort by the federal government and U.S. states to improve the trustworthiness and accuracy of state-issued identification documents. Beginning October 1, 2020, the federal government will require you to present a REAL ID compliant ID for domestic air travel or to access secure federal facilities or military bases. So, even though your current driver’s license may currently be sufficient for you to use domestic air travel and access to federal facilities and military bases, it may not be acceptable in October 2020. If you have another Transportation Security Administration (TSA)-accepted ID, such as an unexpired passport or valid Department of Defense ID, you do not have to get a REAL ID driver’s license for domestic travel. (For a complete list of acceptable IDs for domestic air travel or to enter federal facilities or military bases, go to https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification.)

by Carolyn Walder

What if we were to tell you that managing your portfolio a specific way could earn you more money over the long term without any more risk?  Would you be interested?