To Inspire: Fortitude. It’s the strength of mind that enables a person to experience adversity with courage. In this issue of Wealth Notes, we share excerpts of an article on fortitude written for Success Magazine (September/October 2020 issue) by author, speaker and renowned teacher, Simon Bailey. Excerpts The Latin root of the word is fortis, […]

To Inform: One of my favorite questions I sometimes receive from clients is “what is something happening out there that no one is talking about?” With most eyes focused on the election and the negative economic impact of COVID-19, I think something which is flying under the radar are the individuals out there taking risks […]

To Inform: The 2020 Tax Holiday and What to Do About It Did that long-awaited vacation you planned for 2020 get cancelled because of Covid-19? You’re not alone. Fortunately, you can send (some of) your taxes on vacation instead. For this year only, required minimum distributions (RMDs) have been suspended, which might mean that your […]

To Inspire: It’s amazing what a group of people can accomplish when they’re all working toward a common goal. Back in 2015, the small community of Galva, Illinois pulled together for what came to be known as The Amazing Harvest. Local farmer Carl Bates, 55, was diagnosed with a “fast, aggressive cancer.” When the word […]

To Inspire: I (Matt) am a big fan of James Clear, author of Atomic Habits and creator of the Habit Journal. Every Thursday I receive his 3-2-1 email blast which consists of 3 of his own ideas; 2 quotes from others; and 1 idea for the reader to ponder. Here’s a recent 3-2-1 that I really liked […]

To Inform: Earlier this week the Federal Reserve announced they are planning to keep interest rates low for years to come, with the Fed’s own projections implying short term interest rates will remain at zero through 2023. Specifically, here is text from the Fed’s statement: “the Committee decided to keep the target range for the […]

“How do we fix the plan?” That’s a question those of us in the Retirement Plans business hear a lot. Let me start by saying that most of the time, the plan isn’t “broken” but may just need an injection of life. Often, a slight tweak to one (or two) of the key plan provisions […]

To Inspire: Tomorrow marks the 19th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States. Where were you? I was a young marketing research manager at that time and it still feels like yesterday. I still remember specific conversations and looks on people’s faces as the events unfolded. I remember a colleague named […]

To Inform: When you think of infrastructure investments where does your mind go? Bridges to nowhere? Members of Congress lined up at the trough to capitalize on pork barrel spending? I can see why those things may come to mind, but the kind of infrastructure one ought to think about are the income generating, already […]

To Inspire: Looking for ways to spend your three day Labor Day weekend? Below, Edward Grinnan, Editor-in-Chief of Guideposts Magazine and author of The Promise of Hope, shares some of his favorite personal development websites and authors. Check some of them out and make it a great weekend! Favorite Personal Change Websites: Guideposts.org  True stories […]