Is Investing in the Stock Market a Form of Gambling?
This article was first published by my colleague at Christian Financial Advisor Network, Ben Wacek. This topic has been on my heart to share for a long time. Jun 30 Written By Ben Wacek, CFP®, CKA® Currently, the S&P 500 Index (a popular gauge of health for the US Stock Market) is down in value by […]
Another Market Downturn
Last month I shared an article about what to do in a market downtown (last financial blog), and I wished I didn’t have to revisit this conversation, but the last few days are showing us this is not yet over. In summary, we talked about the high rates of inflation. New numbers came in and […]
What To Do in a Market Downturn
If you have been paying attention to the news in general lately, there is a lot of talk in what is happening in the economy and financial markets. We are seeing inflation at 40-year record numbers. We’ve heard that the federal reserve has increased interest rates by 0.5%, which is an increase at an increment […]
5 Questions to ask before hiring a financial advisor
I’ve been hearing this recently as a reason people don’t pay attention to their finances. The reality is that many of us were specifically taught about finances in school. Some have been privileged to have others guide us along the way, but this is not something that is widely talked about. And depending on cultural background, talking...
Keeping up with the joneses
I recently ran into a guy who collects bottles in my neighborhood. I like to talk to people from all walks of life, because I know there is a lot we can all learn from each other. Once he stopped by my home to collect some bottles and I got to talking to him, and […]
My faith home
Nearly five years ago, I stepped out of my comfort zone and started writing a faith blog. In my mind I had no business writing, as I was not a writer. Today, I’ve written consistently over the last five years, and I’ve published three books in the process. Lately, I have been feeling the call […]
Financial progress – over time
When I first saw this picture, something clicked for me. I had recently published a blog post that was titled “Slow Progress is Still Progress”. My daughter and I had seen a man walking and she observed that he had only moved a short distance since we had first seen him, and I reminded her […]
Budgeting basics
The thought of creating a budget, or even thinking about a budget causes some people serious anxiety. Many of us hear the word budget and immediately think of “financial handcuffs” or cutting back on the things we love. The irony is, if used properly, a budget provides the framework and visibility for reaching your future […]
Teaching kids about finances
I have a seven year old. She loves to spend. This is not something that has just started. When I took her to the stores when she was younger, she would ask to swipe and sign. She was between 2 and 3. This has not changed. She uttered her first word as we were walking […]
Roth ira conversion- action today for a better future
A Roth Conversion, simply defined, is taking some, or all, of your pretax retirement savings and transferring to a Roth IRA account. To recap, a Roth IRA, is a qualified retirement account where you have previously paid the taxes on the contributions, investments grow tax deferred and qualified withdrawals starting at 59 ½ are tax...