When I was in my 20s my father sold his business and retired. His commitment was to give a portion of the proceeds to charity. But he also wanted that money to have a long-term impact…on worthy local causes and also on his family. So, following some good advice, he and my mother created a […]
A Legacy of Generosity Read More »
A lot of people use the term “financial plan” to refer to “a savings and investment plan.” I always wince. I’ve yet to meet someone who says, “My life goal is to save and invest money.” What people tell me is, “I want to save and invest money so that one day I can …”
The Problem with Most Financial Plans Read More »
This weekend, golf fans everywhere are watching The Masters. The world’s best players—legends like Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson, as well as younger pros like my man, hometown hero Sam Burns—are showcasing their flawless golf swings. (They make it look so easy, don’t they?) In between all the jaw-dropping shots, golf fans will also “ooh”
In Golf (and Finance), the Swing’s the Thing Read More »
Each year the college basketball season concludes with a tournament known as “March Madness.” Part of the appeal is that there’s often a team from a small school that gets on a roll and beats several heavily favored opponents. Fans love these David vs. Goliath storylines. This year, in the men’s bracket, the unlikely underdog
Are You Betting Against the Odds? Read More »
“The stock market is like gambling,” someone told me earlier this week. I understand such feelings. Thanks to inflation, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and other factors, the markets are more volatile than normal. The S&P 500 is a prime example. It fell 12% earlier this year. It has since recovered about half that year-to-date
When Investing Feels Like Gambling Read More »
If you typed the word “inflation” into your favorite search engine, you’d get over 380 million results. Whew. That’s a lot of reading. Let me save you time and confusion. Here are short answers to the five most common questions people ask about inflation. 1. What is inflation? In simple terms, inflation is when our
5 Common Questions About Inflation Read More »
Can you run as fast today as you could 20 years ago? Probably not. We get slower the older we get. And it isn’t just our 40-yard dash time that declines. Our willingness to accept change and tolerate risk both decrease with age. There are always exceptions. But most folks are far more safety-conscious at
The Benefits of Slowing Down Read More »
Why would anyone want to get out of debt? Think about it. You borrow money. You get to use that money now. Then you get to pay it back slowly, over time. Who wouldn’t want that deal? You might expect a financial planner to say getting out of debt is what everyone should do, ASAP.
Why Would Anyone Want to Get Out of Debt? Read More »
If Hollywood made your life into a movie, would people want to watch it? Author Donald Miller got me thinking about stories, characters, and plots with his terrific new book Hero on a Mission. Drawing inspiration from great story tellers of the past, Miller argues that all great stories have four primary characters: the victim,
What Story Are You Telling with Your Life? Read More »
One of the common questions I get from new clients is, “How am I doing financially . . . compared to everyone else in my situation?” Something in us loves to compare—and do whatever “everyone else is doing.” When it comes to finances, this is rarely wise: Right now, some 2 million homeowners are three
Why It’s Bad to “Fit In” Financially Read More »
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