I received word on Wednesday an acquaintance passed away. She lived a simple quiet life, raised her children well and loved her grandchildren and friends. What she left them may be no surprise to some. She was an independent woman with a heart for service. She loved her family and gave them anything they wanted…
This is a text message I received from a friend the other day: “My husband just called me. He was moving concrete steps onto our porch and felt a pop in his back and has called EMS to go to the hospital because he can’s stand or really move.” That injury has put a self-employed…
For the average family estate planning something readily discussed, but should be a necessary part of family planning. When the family grows or changes, the dynamics of what will happen to the family’s assets changes, and regular reviews need to be done. Business owners take inventory and make plans for what will happen on an…
Outdoor sports are in full swing as the temperatures start to warm, at least for a few days at a time. It’s that time of year when spring sports like baseball, softball, track, soccer and lacrosse are an every night occurrence. When parents aren’t running to a sporting event they’re trying to get the yard…
It seems as though the semesters run one into another and the bills just keep coming. Paying for college seems never to end. The good news is, since we have life insurance we don’t have to borrow a lot in student loans or pay high interest rates to a bank for parent loans. What does…
For most of my adult life I’ve managed bi-annual dental visits and made sure my children started seeing the dentist early as well. It wasn’t until I took my daughter for braces that I found out the real benefit of those twice yearly visits. In that visit to the orthodontist, he explained much more about…
Most people plan to work until they can reasonably retire; then having saved a nice pension enjoy the fruits of their labors. No one plans to have to retire early because of a disability. In reality, 43 percent of people on long-term disability are injured or become ill without ever reaching retirement age. Most often…
“Can you take me to the emergency room? I fell and twisted my knee. I can’t walk on it, let alone drive.” When the call came, I was fortunate that I was able to help and took my friend to the ER. My friend was sent for x-rays and later for an MRI, physical therapy…
We get them every month; those statements that remind us that we’ve got student loans or had some other emergency that took a credit card to pay for. What I often forget is that I have a savings account of sorts, that I have been paying into for a number of years, building cash value…
Recently here, I mentioned a man who didn’t find out he was diabetic until he lost his foot to the disease. So often we are not prepared for the unexpected. Accidents, critical or chronic illnesses that leave people unable to provide for themselves or their families as they had in the past. There are solutions…