This week, our beloved dog sitter, Erika, is taking a much-deserved break from her regular routine…Milo included.  So, Milo has been happily jumping in the car every morning to drop the kids at school and then come with me to Meridian. As much as Milo loves the together time, I am missing our dog sitter. 

There has been a lot of talk about a corporate bond “bubble” in the investment world recently. This can be particularly concerning for more conservative investors, who often assume that bonds represent the safe haven in their portfolios. While we don’t see large amounts of evidence of a bubble, it does make

As I write this blog, Hurricane Lane is approaching Hawaii and residents are facing the largest storm in 26 years.  News footage is dominated with charts of the storm’s path, balanced with residents buying water and other staples or evacuating. When this is posted, Hurricane Lane should be well past Hawaii and

Unfortunately for Wells Fargo, the company (specifically Wells Fargo Advisors) was in the news for all the wrong reasons again today. And, before I go any further, let me say that I have friends and colleagues that work at Wells Fargo and are great people! As with many things in life, it comes down to […]

I write this post from Williamsburg as I deliver my three kids to my parents to stay this coming week—the annual parent-free visit with grandparents!  My kids look forward to this week all summer…I am not sure my parents share the same enthusiasm… On the trip down, Melanie and I had a nice talk about […]

As with many providers of statements for all things, the Social Security Administration wants you to “go green.” Many of us have learned by now that’s code for ‘we want to save the trees, but we also want to save money.’ Unless you are receiving benefits or are almost eligible to receive benefits, you

As I write this, we are packing up to head out on a small road trip to visit friends and clients.  Thankfully, with electronic devices, our kids are mostly self-entertained on the road, but invariably—about an hour into the trip–the littlest will pull out the age old question—”are we there yet?” We are sort

Believe it or not, that’s how much you can die with before having to worry about federal estate taxes. And, if you’re married, you and your spouse can double that to $22,360,000. So, why would anyone worry about doing any estate planning or creating a trust if there is no tax benefit? Two main answers: […]

  Happy 4th of July eve!  Tomorrow we celebrate our nation’s fight for independence with BBQs, pool parties, and fireworks—and oddly enough lots of hot dogs.  Apparently, Americans consume over 150 million hot dogs on July 4th.  Pretty impressive.Our forefathers fought for independence from outside and