Mr. Jones was a self-made man. He was a successful business owner, a loving husband, and a proud father of three sons who had families of their own. Through decades of hard work, he had built a successful business and eventually sold it for $3 million. After the sale, Mr. Jones paid approximately $450,000 in…
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When it comes to money, everyone seems to have an opinion. Talk to your friends, family, coworkers, or neighbors, and you’ll likely hear ten different answers to the same financial question. One person swears by real estate. Another believes the stock market is the only path to wealth. Someone else insists on paying off every…
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Stress has a sneaky way of multiplying itself. You worry about work, money, family, or the future… then you start stressing about how stressed you are. It’s exhausting. Since it’s Mother’s Day season, maybe it’s worth asking: what would your mom say about all this? “Slow down.” “Take it down a notch.” “You don’t NEED…
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It’s a simple question—but for most people, it’s surprisingly hard to answer with confidence. The reality is this: assets are not automatically protected. Without intentional planning, what you’ve worked so hard to build could be exposed to unnecessary risk. The good news? Many of the most common gaps are fixable—once you know where to look.…
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A while back, Money Magazine asked several successful people a simple question: What’s the smartest financial advice you’ve ever received? One response stood out. Richard Branson, billionaire founder of the Virgin Group, admitted that early in his career he simply didn’t know much about finance—and the best thing he learned was to stay humble about…
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A fellow advisor once shared a story that has always stuck with me. He tried to help his grandmother with her financial and life planning, but she refused. “She insisted that John—her advisor and friend for decades—was doing just fine,” he said. “Besides, she couldn’t imagine taking business away from someone she trusted for so…
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Legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said, “It is what we learn after we know it all that counts.” That quote perfectly captures one of the greatest challenges in retirement planning. As human beings, we like to feel respected and knowledgeable—and we really don’t like being wrong. That feeling often grows stronger as we get…
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Let’s be real—everything feels more expensive these days. A few years ago, most of us had at least a little breathing room in the budget. Now? Inflation has eaten that cushion and asked for dessert. You may not be able to control the cost of groceries or gas, but you can control how much of…
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(Probably Not—And Here’s Why) It’s a question most people avoid asking: Do I need life insurance—or more of it? The truth? Nearly 102 million Americans say they’re either uninsured or underinsured. That’s 42% of the country!1 And since that number is based on people self-reporting, the real figure is likely even higher. But here’s the…
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I love starting my day with a little time in the Word, and recently I was listening to a sermon that hit me right between the eyes. The pastor asked a simple but powerful question: Where are you getting your advice? It made me pause. Every day, we let different voices shape our thoughts and…
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