To Inspire: It’s almost Valentine’s Day! Next Tuesday, February 14, is Valentine’s Day. You know the traditions associated with this day – giving roses, candy, and sending cards. But how much do we know about Saint Valentine, the inspiration of this day that celebrates love? Here are a few surprising facts about Saint Valentine: There […]

To Inform: The Rodney Dangerfield classic, Back to School, finds our protagonist Thornton Melon attempting the “Triple Lindy.” Mr. Melon attempts and completes a dive that anyone in the real world would be a fool to try. A person asks in the crowd what Mr. Melon is attempting. When told it’s the “Triple Lindy” she […]

To Inspire:   In recent years  I (Matt) have used two planners – the Franklin Planner and more recently the Full Focus Planner. Both are very good and I’m sure many of you have or do now use one or the other. But for me, they were lacking something that lays beneath my priorities and […]

To Inspire: How many songs in the world last 250 years? “Amazing Grace,” a song sung millions of times each year, turned 250 years old on January 1, 2023. Not born of American Black spirituals as many believe, the song started in Olney, England. John Newton, a slave trader who nearly died in a shipwreck […]

To Inform: While we gathered with family, friends, and loved ones just a few weeks ago for the holiday season the U.S. Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. Although this Appropriations Act is largely a spending bill gaining notoriety for its $1.7 trillion price tag, it includes legislation within it known as “Secure […]

To Inspire: As many of you know, we love to give books to our clients and friends. Books can change lives and good books can change lives for the better. One such book is Arthur Brooks’ newest offering, “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.” Brooks […]

To Inform:  Last night we hosted a Portfolios at Your Place event where we unpacked eight key themes we think are key to navigating financial markets in 2023. Over the next several weeks, we will unpack those themes with our readers. Let’s look at two today. Inflation is Deflating Across almost every indicator you would […]

To Inspire: While I don’t make a lot of “official” New Year’s Resolutions, being a little more organized and having a little less clutter is always a goal. So, I couldn’t resist checking out something called the 1-minute rule, which some people claim can make your life easier. Here is the 1-minute rule: If a […]

To Inform: In small pots in my basement there are a dozen American Chestnuts germinating. I investigate the pots daily, ensuring they’re getting enough moisture and enough light to properly germinate and send stems above the surface. Several have sent root radicles out of the chestnut with “green shoots” soon to appear. While a budding […]

To Inform: As we start 2023, we get a lot of questions about what the year may look like from a market perspective. “What do you think will happen this year?” “What does your crystal ball say?” I think investors are especially interested given what a difficult market year 2022 was. Last year has the […]