Pay Yourself First: What to Do When You Receive a Raise
February 26, 2024  | By David Lowe

Many companies conduct performance reviews and announce employee pay raises toward the end of February or in March. As a smart, creative go-getter, you most likely have great news on the way! But how do you put your higher pay…Read More

Qualified Charitable Distribution: Philanthropic Impact Meets Tax Savings
January 2, 2024  | By David Lowe

Good news: Through hard work, savings and diligent investing, you retired with $1 million or more in pre-tax IRA funds! Bad news: The government wants its piece of the pie and starts taxing your IRAs in your 70s. Now back…Read More

What to Do With a Lump Sum of Cash?
September 4, 2023  | By Kevin Smith

Having a pile of cash in the bank is usually a good thing, but it requires some stressful decision making. How much can we spend (YOLO!)? How much should we save? What about taxes? Should we pay down our mortgage?…Read More

Inflation and Your Cash Flow
November 15, 2022  | By Kevin Smith

The combination of high price inflation, higher interest rates, and a stock market recession is rippling through household budgets across the world. The impact varies quite a bit depending on sources of income, debt levels, property ownership, insurance coverage and…Read More

Should I Pay Off My Mortgage?
August 15, 2022  | By David Lowe

Debt can be a complex and emotional topic. That is true even for mortgages and other “good debt” (a term sometimes used for money owed on an asset that is likely to increase in value). For many Americans, the mortgage…Read More

Emergency Fund: Not Too Much, Or Too Little
May 27, 2022  | By Manisha Gupta

Dave Ramsey has been telling America for years on his financial radio show to keep an emergency fund that covers at least a few months of expenses. Thank you, Dave! You saved a lot of people from financial ruin with…Read More

I Bonds: Thriving During Inflation
April 29, 2022  | By Manisha Gupta

Concerned about inflation, perhaps for the first time in your lifetime? For many families we work with, it’s been decades since even the adults have seen inflation rising this quickly. But, the U.S. government has a nifty, old-school instrument available…Read More

Talking Money with New Graduates
August 6, 2021  | By Manisha Gupta

By Manisha Gupta, AWM Financial Planning Lead & Candidate for CFP® certification Summer is an exciting time for freshly minted graduates embarking on their own. Finally, the moment that you have been waiting for is here. Your child is going…Read More

The 5% Savings Challenge
January 20, 2020  | By Kevin Smith

Ready to crank up the dial and build wealth faster? The best way to make financial progress is to set an achievable goal and create a system so you don’t have to think about it. Saving an additional 5% seems…Read More