Budgeting is more than spreadsheets and numbers; it’s the art of aligning your goals with your financial reality. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of helping many individuals and organizations create budgets that don’t just look good on paper, but actually work in practice. What I’ve learned is this: [...]
Last week while meeting with a couple who were looking to get serious about their finances, one of them asked me for advice on how to cut spending from their budget without feeling it. I had to think about that for a little while because the reality is reducing expenses [...]
Hopefully you all had a wonderful holiday season filled with many of the traditions you and your family enjoy. One new holiday tradition that I can do without however, is the threat of a government shutdown that seems to come back every December as Washington struggles to pass an annual [...]
There has been a debate raging for many years amongst associates in our firm about whether it is better to pay more for items of higher quality because they work better and last longer, or to buy lower priced items and pocket the difference in price. Regular readers can probably [...]
In economic times like these, I think it’s fair to say we are all looking for ways to save money. With prices continuing to go up on most things, that can certainly be difficult. Today, I thought I would share with you a few different areas where you may be [...]
Although I hate to admit it, I am officially middle aged. As tough as it is to no longer be young, it does come with certain benefits too. I consider myself blessed to be at an age where I not only have young children in my life, but also parents [...]
Earlier this month I attended the annual Kingdom Advisors conference again. Kingdom Advisors is an international organization of attorneys, accountants and financial advisors who study the Bible’s financial wisdom. This meeting is a highlight of my year because we hear great speakers and learn new insights about making financial decisions [...]
I really can’t believe I am saying this, but the Chiefs winning their 3rd Super Bowl in 5 years may not have been the most exciting Kansas City sports news that has happened this month. As an avid baseball fan, perhaps I am a bit biased, but I think the [...]
DIY Anyone? Recently I wrote about investors who have an advisor obtain much better results over time than those without one. I referenced the study by Vanguard about this, but I have noticed a newer one by the Russell Investments organization today. It attempts to quantify how much value can [...]
I think after years of writing this column for the Examiner it should be pretty apparent talking about money comes easily for me. In fact, it’s something I really enjoy doing. However, recent research from Empower shows I am in the minority of people who feel comfortable talking about the [...]
