Money IQ
The Cheese Tax
10 Fun Tax Facts to Brighten Your Tax Day Happy Tax Day! While taxes may not be the most exciting topic, there are some interesting and fun tax facts that you may not know about: The first income tax in the US was introduced in 1861 to help pay for the Civil War. The tax […]
Sarah YakelApr 18, 2023
So Tired…
This weekend, the Yakel family had an odd weekend free. It has been forever since we have had a full weekend with no commitments, and so I built a long to-do list of all sorts of things that had been neglected in the past flurry of activity (dishes, laundry, organizing!). But, wh
Sarah YakelMar 21, 2023
Gotta Start Somewhere
Much like my New Years Resolution to start saying “yes” to more activities (more on that later…) – everyone’s got to start somewhere. Why not use the energy of the new year to get started on your financial journey? While no two people are the same and everyone is going to have a
Sarah YakelJan 18, 2023
Should I Pay Off My Debt?
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
Sarah YakelNov 15, 2022
Getting the Job Done
Inflation numbers, interest rates, and earnings have received a lot of attention around their impact on the crazy markets we continue to experience in 2022. However, I thought it was pretty interesting that last week a key piece of data was released which played into the continui
Sarah IrvingNov 8, 2022
Ch-ch-changes
If you are an avid reader of our blogs (if avid readers of our blogs even exist!), you may recognize this blog’s title from a previous post years ago. For those who aren’t aware, it refers to the song Changes by David Bowie. One of my favorite lyrics in that song is “turn and fac
Nathan GilbertOct 25, 2022
How to Create a Budget
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
Sarah YakelOct 11, 2022
What’s in an Index?
As much as I try to avoid the noise and focus on what matters to our clients and the investments we hold, I still find myself getting frustrated when I see the financial (and many other) news outlets reporting on the levels of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (aka The Dow or DJIA
Nathan GilbertAug 3, 2022
You Are My Sunshine – My Only Sunshine
Happy Summer Solstice! I just returned from a wonderful week at Lake Michigan with my family. I love them dearly and a great way to look after them is to make sure I have beneficiaries named on my accounts. Beneficiary designations are the way that certain types of assets are pas
Sarah YakelJun 21, 2022
Bright Sunshine Day
Are solar panels worth it? This week’s blog features a client request on how to calculate if it’s a wise decision to have solar panels installed at your home. Yellow ribbon back home at the yellow barn after earning the last score for our USDF Bronze Medal! Most of us are aware o
Sarah YakelMay 25, 2022
Capital Gains – Wallstreet Weight Lifting
If something you own goes up in value and you sell it, then you’ve made a profit. That profit is called a capital gain, and a capital gains tax is the tax you may owe on that profit. This tax isn’t just for wealthy investors. Capital gains tax can apply to anything of value, even
Sarah YakelMar 29, 2022
Tax Time?
As the calendar turns to 2022, many people immediately start to think about filing taxes. While it’s generally a good thing to avoid procrastination (which I try to tell myself all the time!), you must wait for a) the IRS to actually accept your return and b) your tax forms to ge
Nathan GilbertJan 18, 2022