It’s not every day that a meeting of the US Federal Reserve Bank becomes a spectator sport. However, today (June 15, 2022), there was considerable buzz around this event. There was a countdown clock, endless commentary/predictions, and a televised press conference. Jay Powell (Chairman of the Federal Reserve) is now a well known celebrity (for […]

It’s severe weather season in Wisconsin. Earlier this week, we had a major thunderstorm roll through in the late afternoon. The storm clouds encompassed the sky, blocked out all the light, caused quite a bit of worry, and left some damage in their wake (fortunately, most areas weren’t as hard hit as had been anticipated). […]

On Memorial Day, I rose with the sun and took a walk thru Elm Grove Park and the surrounding neighborhoods. It is my favorite time of day to walk – when the world hasn’t quite woken up and everything is beautifully still. Sometimes I listen to the sounds of nature as I walk, but on […]

This week’s question is a popular one – with an equally unpopular answer. Question: What do you mean by emergency savings and how much should I keep in that account? Answers: It depends I know, I know. “It depends” can be a very frustrating answer and it is one that I find applies to many […]

Like many of you, I’ve had to come up with new ways to workout during the pandemic. I’ve switched from in-person spin classes to at-home rides using the Peloton app. For those of you not familiar, these rides are part workout/part media production, as the instructors take you thru ride prompts while also interspersing wisdom […]

Each quarter, we will share three things that we are keeping Top of Mind. This quarter, we are sharing some personal finance topics and reminders 1.) Mortgage Refinance – As interest rates remain low, it is a good time to review all debt you may have (including your mortgage) and determine if refinancing would be beneficial. […]

“Are we there yet?” When I was a kid, within about 20 minutes of any road trip, I would inevitably shout this question from the back of the station wagon. As we enter our sixth month of “life since COVID-19,” I’d venture to guess we are all asking ourselves this question in many areas of […]

If you are looking for a guiding light, read on! I recently re-read some market commentary from late 2019 (including my own) and it’s shocking to think of all we’ve been through in the investing world since those words were written. The world has been upended by a virus that is yet to be contained, […]

Here we are.  Still crossing the figurative bridge (read earlier posts here and here) over a vast valley of uncertainty.  We’ve come a long way in our journey, enduring global economic shutdown, skyrocketing unemployment, considerable strife and tragic loss of human life, and seemingly never ending uncertainty about what comes next. Even though life seems […]

Each quarter, we will share three things that we are keeping Top of Mind Here’s our latest list: 1.) 20 for 2020 – I shared this concept with you last year as well, but I loved the concept so much I have made it an annual tradition. I was first introduced to this concept on the […]