To Inspire:  Bruce Feiler has long explored the stories that give our lives meaning. Galvanized by a personal crisis, he spent the last few years crisscrossing the country, collecting hundreds of life stories of Americans in all 50 states who have been through major life changes—from losing jobs to losing loved ones; changing careers to […]

To Inspire: What makes a good life? Many people surveyed have said money or fame. Some have said success at work. But Robert Waldinger gave a Ted Talk to discuss a Harvard research project that has actually lasted more than 75 years studying this exact topic. Since 1938, researchers have studied two groups of men, […]

To Inform:  Growing up, one of the most joyous weeks of the year was the week of the county fair. I raised hogs as 4-H projects and the fair was a culmination of a few months of hard (and pungent) work. I’ll always have a fondness for hogs and not just because they are the […]

To Inspire: Have you ever seen the Giant Sequoias in the northwestern United States? Also known as Redwoods, they are among the world’s largest and oldest trees – often growing to 300 feet in height (the height of a 26-story office building); 35 feet in width; and with bark that can be 3 feet thick! […]

To Inform:  There is certainly not a shortage of topics to talk about as it pertains the economy and markets right now. Rising COVID cases in certain states, renewed lockdowns, the potential end of the recession which started in February (a bunch of June economic data was V-shaped and showed expansion), or the recent leadership […]

To Inform:  Death and taxes; we know the saying. In spite of the certainty, all of us fail to give our estate plan the attention it deserves. It’s easy to avoid and none of us enjoys thinking about our…well, you know. On top of that, you’ve already signed your estate documents so you’re done, right? […]

To Inspire: We’re heading into this Fourth of July weekend with a history lesson on the Statue of Liberty and a story of perseverance by an American craftsman. The Statue of Liberty, as most of you probably know, was gifted to the United States by France, in honor of the U.S. centennial of independence. Built […]

To Inspire:   The motivational speaker and author Napoleon Hill wrote that “within every problem or obstacle lays the seed of an equal or greater opportunity or benefit.” And Norman Vincent Peale used to say, “When God wants to send you a gift, He wraps it up in a problem. And the bigger the gift […]

To Inform: There is a lot going on so this will be a bit longer WealthNotes, but let’s break down these three questions. Are We Seeing a 2nd Wave of the Virus? The headline in today’s Wall Street Journal is clear – cases of COVID-19 are reaccelerating across various areas of the U.S. Part of […]

To Inform:  “There is no one right portfolio, but there is one that is right for you.” This quote from author Larry Swedroe is worth remembering, especially when markets are experiencing bouts of volatility. Our holistic approach of weaving your portfolio, plan, and purpose together as a cohesive roadmap to financial security acknowledges this principle. […]