Blog Posts

By Jessica Searcy Kmetty

My 15-year-old son, Tyler started his first ever job at McDonald’s a couple of weeks ago. It’s been entertaining to hear his anecdotes about how each shift has gone when he comes home. Some of his stories have me thinking about all of the skills he’s been taught that have now become the cornerstone of job readiness for him.

Most of us take pre-employment skills for granted, but for students with disabilities, these skills are often not learned through osmosis, but rather, they have to be explicitly taught.

In 2020, the U.S. had a record 22 million millionaires, up from 20.2 million in the previous year. An increase in personal wealth may bring greater financial flexibility; it may also bring greater liability.

Individuals with high net worth, or those who are perceived to have high net worth, may be more likely to be sued. And personal injury claims can reach into the millions.

Umbrella liability insurance is designed to put an extra layer of protection between your assets and a potential lawsuit. It provides coverage over and above existing automobile and homeowners insurance limits.

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.