A client received a strange letter in the mail this past week. It was from a bank (with which they have no relationship) stating that her husband’s auto loan had been approved. She wisely did not want to contact the number listed on the letter. She reached out to the bank directly (via the number […]

I’m writing this on another grey and gloomy January day in Wisconsin. Perhaps that is why I chose this title. Or perhaps it is because today’s inflation report may finally be giving markets, investors, and this ever-optimistic financial advisor a glimmer of hope that we are approaching lighter and brighter investing days ahead. December CPI […]

Happy 2023! I realize we are only a few days into the new year. Perhaps you’re still writing/saying 2022, taking down holiday decorations, working on your new year’s resolutions, or struggling getting back into your routine after a nice vacation. All of those are understandable – go easy on yourself! However, if you are all […]

If you were watching the news media over the holidays, you undoubtedly saw many images of airports as the Southwest flight cancellation was extensively covered for quite few days. As I observed the repeated images of passengers waiting in airport boarding gates it occurred to me that there have been a lot of parallels between […]

The end of the calendar year is a busy time for many reasons – holiday parties, shopping, open enrollment, utilization of flex spend dollars, and of course – tax strategizing! I work closely with clients to review their year-to-date estimated taxes and see if there are some strategies they wish to employ before the end […]

2022 has been quite the year investing-wise. There will be no shortage of articles written about what has occurred – and what is likely to come next. This week alone, I’ve been on five webcasts and read over twenty articles. If you are seeking this type of content, may I suggest this article written by […]

Taxes – everyone’s favorite subject! I’ve been working with several clients in the past month to process Required Minimum Distributions. As those amounts are taxable, as part of that process, I consult with their tax advisors to run a quick tax estimate and calculate the appropriate withholding amount. As I’ve worked thru this process, it […]

Santa isn’t the only one who should be reviewing a list this time of year! I’ve been working thru a year-end financial checklist for myself and my clients the past several weeks and thought it may be helpful to share some of the key items. (Note: as always, be sure to consult your advisors to […]

Holiday season – the perfect time to bake cookies, put up decorations, enjoy time with family and friends – and of course check on the funding status of your retirement plans! I recently worked on this with a client and thought it would be helpful to share. There are a variety of retirement plans that […]

Welcome back to our regularly scheduled programming! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving (if you missed the recap of my one-word challenge, you can find it here) It’s been a relatively calm week for markets and the world. Jerome Powell (US Fed Chair) seemingly soothed markets on Wednesday with a speech and former FTX […]