Author: Sarah Yakel

Every year I’m on it in terms of shopping for big gifts. Typically taking advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. I do however leave the “stocking stuffers” until the last minute. There’s the traditional oranges and candies, but after that I get lost. Another pair of socks? Chapstick? Gift cards? In

It’s no surprise to anyone that we are in holiday season! 😊 From Halloween to Thanksgiving…and then on to Christmas and New Years…it is just months on end of celebrations and annual traditions.  My kids remember each one…we had to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade…and get a Christmas tree the day

Debt complicates not only our finances, but our emotions too. Much of the stress surrounding debt simply comes from not addressing it in the first place. It’s time to change that! Paying Down Debt Paying down debt can make you more financially secure and give you more flexibility when deciding what to do with your

With traditional investments struggling this year, we have been fielding many questions about buying real estate.  The question is often “Is real estate a good investment?”—and for us, the answer is “maybe”. On the surface, it seems that investing in the stock market returns more over time—below is the

Not everyone has a budget and you certainly might have worked very well without one prior to now, but being aware and making a cash flow plan is a fantastic tool for helping you chart a path forward! Step one: Lay it all out there If you haven’t had any conversations about money in your […]

This week, the world watched Queen Elizabeth, one of the longest reining monarchs in history, be buried surrounded by family, friends, world leaders, and her beloved corgis.  The amount of national and world history that she saw from her front row seat is stunning…this chart from Britannica.com captures just a

This summer has been a challenging one, with quite a few family members, friends, and clients of ours all struggling with care challenges for aging parents, spouses, or friends.  We’ve watched the struggle of figuring out how to let someone age in place with dignity, and it is a huge burden for family or friends

If you’ve turned on the TV, seen a newspaper, been on social media at all–or followed this blog–you are already aware that it has been a rough year so far in the markets.  In fact, it has been historically awful.   The challenge in times like these is to stay focused and clearheaded when our […]

Vesting… you’ve heard the term, but do you know what it means? No, not that kind of vest This term typically applies to employer-sponsored retirement plans (such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s, etc.). While all of the money you personally contribute to these accounts is yours to invest, keep, and take with you if you were to