Blog

By Todd Youngdahl, CFP® and Maura C. Schauss, CFP®

We welcomed Dr. Rene Hackney of Parenting Playgroups as our guest speaker this month to tackle the important family topics of chores, allowances and online spending.  For those who were unable to join us, here are some key takeaways from Dr. Rene's workshop along with several resources to support you in teaching your children about money.

By Craig Strent

The new tax plan impacts all areas of your financial life. We want to help you prepare for the changes and optimize your tax planning. As such, we reached out to Craig Strent of Apex Home Loans, a mortgage specialist with over twenty years of experience, to give us a deep dive into how the new tax laws will affect your mortgage options.

Happy New Year to you and your family! Can you believe it's already 2018? Life seems to speed by faster every year. 

By Todd Youngdahl, CFP®

On Wednesday, December 20, 2017, the House passed a tax bill, which will be signed into law by President Trump. Since the campaign trail, President Trump has spoken frequently of tax reform and this bill entails a number of changes to the U.S. tax code that will impact both corporations and individuals.

Early Beginnings

Grace has been involved with graphic design almost her entire life. She began in high school working on the school newspaper, helping with the yearbook, basically getting her hands into anything that involved design.

It’s that time of year when the ghosts and goblins appear and start to spook our children…and sometimes us!  Along the same lines, we continue to get questions about how long this bull market will continue and when will it get spooked? There are few things in investing (and life) that are guaranteed.

What is the number one rule of personal finance? Spend less than you earn. If you have worked hard for decades, followed a budget, and adhered to this rule, you may find yourself in the enviable position of earning more money each month than you need to cover your expenses. It’s a fortunate problem to have, but one that forces you to decide how to allocate your extra cash.

By Todd Youngdahl, CFP®

Life insurance is one of those financial products that often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Most of us purchase a policy, then forget about it, thinking we have done our due diligence and crossed that off the financial responsibility to-do list.  

If you have a credit report (and most of us do), there’s a good chance that you were one of the estimated 143 million Americans affected by the recent Equifax Data Breach. If you have been affected, it’s important to be proactive to protect your credit now.