Stuff that parents might want to know

By Diane Sague Ehnes

Do you need a will? It depends. Do you know what’s going to happen with your assets after you are no longer here? Remember, these assets include your children.  read more »

By Diane Sague Ehnes

It’s technically life insurance awareness month, so I feel it’s my duty to touch upon this topic. I know, it’s not so fun to think about the possibilities of an untimely death – but it’s such an important piece of your financial health. And I also know that many of you just abhor insurance of any kind. Believe me, I understand. But amuse me, and let’s explore the topic a bit…  read more »

The State of the Market: WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU?

By Diane Sague Ehnes

The current financial market being what it is, I have heard concern, and many questions about how the economy could impact family finances. Don’t worry; it’s not all doom and gloom. Is it a good time to invest?  read more »

Part 3: The Little Saver Bank

Now that you have a sense of the importance of teaching your kids about money, maybe you’re off and running with a plethora of ideas, and your kids are so excited about their new ventures. Or, you’re thinking “Boy, I wish there was a system that I could use to help me.” Well, there is. It’s called The Little Saver Bank. I love this little bank.  read more »

Part 2: How to Make Money & The Value of Money
By Diane Sague Ehnes

If your children are old enough, I’m sure you can relate to this story: One day, my son wanted me to buy him a specific “cool car” at the store. After explaining that I did not have the money for it, he simply said, “Well mom, just open your wallet and get some out.” Oh how I wish it were so simple, my dear.

How Money is Earned:  read more »

Start a Good Habit While Your Children are Young:
Teach them about Money
By Diane Sague Ehnes

Children who learn about money and how to save at an early age are at a great advantage to develop the building blocks for sensible financial decision making throughout their lives.
There are countless ways in which we can teach our children about money. We’ll be looking at several of them in the next few issues – this month we only scratch the surface but will hopefully get you started on the right path, if you haven’t already begun.

Talk About Money  read more »

When it comes to investing, we all hear these words: “Make sure you are well diversified… Make sure your assets are properly allocated … Don’t put all your eggs in one basket…”

Asset allocation and diversification work hand in hand. Very simply put, asset allocation means your investments are spread across different asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, and cash equivalents. Diversification is having different investments within those broad asset classes.  read more »

By Diane Sague Ehnes

We all have that list of family and friends for whom we must get the perfect holiday gift. As you’re making your lists, make a list of possible year-end tax planning strategies for yourself and your family.

Some strategies you may include on your list:

Make sure you have applied for Social Security numbers for all dependents; to claim the tax credits on dependents, they must have registered numbers.  read more »

Financial Planning 101:

Develop a Roadmap to Help Navigate Life’s Journey

Most people think financial planning simply means investing money for retirement. And while it is a bit of that, it’s also a whole lot more. A comprehensive financial plan is like a personal financial roadmap, taking you from now into and through retirement, and leading you to all the destinations along the way.  read more »

The Roadmap to Financial Health