To Inform: Like a spring morning rejoicing in the retreat of winter, we rejoice in the recent close of so-called “tax-season”. This past Tuesday, tax off-season began for most people. For financial professionals, especially CPAs, tax off-season is at best fleeting and at worst non-existent, much like springtime in our home state. Most folks, though, […]

To Inspire:   I just finished my Forty Days in The Desert retreat—an intense period of self-reflection and a focus on growth and transformation. Transformation begins when we take responsibility for our own life. Responsibility connotes the ability to make decisions and act on them; to have a choice. Life is all about choices—in decisions, […]

To Inform: We get a lot of investment research emails each week and if there was a common theme the last few days, it was the phrase “peak inflation.” Earlier this week inflation data came out for March. For the month, the consumer price index (CPI) surged +1.2% which equates to a whopping 8.5% on […]

To Inspire: Easter weekend is here! As a kid, I loved getting dressed up for Easter (although my favorite was getting my palm branch on Palm Sunday). And I loved going home to an Easter egg hunt and Easter basket full of chocolates and small gifts. As an adult, of course, I understand the real […]

To Inform:  I once had a boss whose mantra was “everything is cyclical.” She would say this when we were discussing investment trends and asset classes that were either in favor or out of favor. There is great wisdom in understanding this. The Byrds did an excellent cover of Ecclesiastes 3 in their 1965 hit […]

To Inspire: It’s Master’s week at Augusta and as I (Matt) write this, Tiger Woods has finished his first round and is one under par. While I’m not a golfer or even a big fan of golf, I am a big fan of heroic comebacks and learning what qualities people draw on to make those […]

To Inspire: The United Nations recently released its 10th annual World Happiness Report. The report is based on data from more than 150 countries worldwide, and ranks each country based on a list of factors. This year, for the fifth year running, Finland topped the list; the United States moved up three spots to 16th. […]

To Inform: When a crisis hits, whether through war, natural disaster, pandemic, or other triggering event, many people feel a natural inclination to help those who are most affected. This topic feels pressing today amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and also the tornadoes in New Orleans. We all want to help, so let’s […]

To Inspire: In this issue of WealthNotes we continue sharing excerpts from Matthew Kelly‘s newest book, The Generosity Habit: How Daily Giving Can Change Your Life and Transform the World. Let’s start with Matthew’s definition of the generosity habit: “The habit is simple. Give something away every day. It doesn’t need to be money or […]

To Inform: I am often asked by people, “how much money do I need to retire?” It is such a fascinating question for me that leads me to ask them a few questions such as, “How much money do you spend every year? What do you want to do in retirement? What makes you happy? […]