Blog Posts

By Marc C. Shaffer

Charitable giving can be done at any level, and it takes all types of donors for charitable organizations to survive.

Many donors find themselves with a desire to give, and then make their donations based on their ability to give. But, moving beyond the desire and ability to creating a strategy for giving that is part of your financial plan may help you give more.

According to Giving USA’s 2021 report, approximately $471.44 billion was given to U.S. charities in 2020, which was up 5.1 percent from the previous year. This giving was done in the form of individual donations, bequests, foundations and corporate giving.

Understanding where and how you’re giving can help you visualize your current impact and help while you’re developing a strategy for maximizing these gifts.

By Jessica Searcy Kmetty

Sometimes we stumble across a book and it turns out to be really good! I’m thankful that I saw a friend was reading The Energy Bus from a post on Facebook and since I love reading, I wanted to check it out.

The Energy Bus is about a manager who became complacent in his complaining and walking aimlessly through life with a bad attitude. His behavior was sabotaging his success in work, life and his marriage and relationship with his kids. His car breaks down one day and needs to be serviced and he finds himself on public transportation with an enthusiastic group of strangers. It’s a how-to guide for fueling your life, work and organization with positive energy.

By Jessica Searcy Kmetty

A child turning 18 is as much a milestone for them as it is for their parents or guardian.

When your child turns 18, they could find themselves in a variety of life stages. They could be heading off to college, starting a job and forging out on their own, or even still be in high school and living in your home.

For parents, no matter where your child finds themselves at this age, you will now be in a position where information about them isn’t available to you. At 18, parents are abruptly cut off from their child’s protected information, such as medical, financial and academic records.

By Marc C. Shaffer

Life has changed and many have changed their mindset along with it. One major point of change has been careers – what they can offer, what’s important to you and what career it will take to live the life you want. During the pandemic, many people realized the desire for greater flexibility in their life and decided to start their own business. Pandemic entrepreneurs.

By Jessica Searcy Kmetty

There is a confidence “gap” when it comes to women taking charge of their finances, and the lack of confidence and action could leave women vulnerable in many situations.

Over half of American women say they have no idea where to begin when it comes to taking an active role in their financial decision making and only about 20% report feeling prepared to make wise financial decisions.

A wave of empowerment is running through mainstream media these days. Women are preaching to the younger generations to NOT let a partner control the financial decisions, not rely on a partner or parent for money, and to take an active role in the financial management of their family. With increasing lifespans, higher divorce rates and women not marrying as often, more than 80% of women may face being solely responsible for their own financial wellbeing.