By Marc C. Shaffer For more than 40 years, my parents did life together. They raised a family, built routines, shared responsibilities, and made plans as a team. Shortly after my mom’s 70th birthday, my dad and I lost her to breast cancer. Grief changes everything but...
By Marc C. Shaffer If you have ever felt overwhelmed by the number of passwords you need to remember, you are not alone. Between online banking, social media, utilities, insurance, and work systems, password management can easily become a daily frustration. For more...
By John Fales, Principal & Director of Financial Planning Financial planning is not just about numbers on a page or investments in a portfolio. It is a lifelong process that aims to protect your well-being, strengthen your family’s resilience, and help ensure that...
By Ryan Brooke, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional, CIO For most of the time, markets seem to behave in ways that feel predictable. Stocks go up, they go down, and diversified portfolios generally deliver steady growth over the long term. But then there are...
By Marc C. Shaffer As a financial planner, I’ve read countless books about money, investing, and building wealth. Few have resonated as deeply as Carl Richards’ Your Money: Reimagining Wealth in 101 Simple Sketches. The beauty of Carl’s work lies in its simplicity, as...
By Marc C. Shaffer We often think of financial planning in terms of retirement savings, debt payoff, or investments, but sometimes real life brings reminders that protection is just as important as growth. During a recent meeting with a prospective client, I learned...
By Brenda Carrico In recent years, you've probably seen ads warning about "home title theft,” a crime that supposedly allows scammers to steal your house right out from under you. These ads often promote paid monitoring services that claim to protect your property....
By Marc C. Shaffer We recently worked with clients who owned a beautiful vacation property they rarely used… It was meant to be a relaxing getaway, but over time, life got busier, the kids grew up, and the place sat empty most of the year. Even when it went unused,...
By Marc C. Shaffer Did you know that $1 trillion in retirement savings is estimated to be unclaimed due to job changes, company closures, or outdated contact information according to research from Capitalize? I’m always surprised when a new client meets with us a few...
By John Fales Achieving financial success can feel like the finish line of a long race, whether it comes through career achievement, business growth, inheritance, or wise investing. But in reality, wealth isn’t just about building up assets; it’s also about sustaining...