Today, I salute my fellow veterans and their families, and thank them for their service to our country. I attended a Veteran’s Day ceremony at Geneva Middle School North this morning – it was thoughtful and touching, and I appreciate the hard work by everyone involved. It was a pleasant reminder of the many reasons […]
Medicare Open Enrollment Period Starts Sooner and Ends Earlier: In years past, open enrollment ran from November 15th through December 31st. This year, it begins on October 15th and runs through December 7th. Changes made during open enrollment are effective as of January 1, 2012. During open enrollment, people with Medicare can make new choices […]
This one day conference will provide insights and sources of information to help caregivers navigate difficult decisions regarding those they care for, especially aging family members. Three sessions cover the following topics: 1) Legal & Financial Issues & Family Conflict, 2) Care Receiver Living Options, and 3) Self Care Options for the Caregiver. During breaks […]
Well, this market brings new meaning to the phrase “Dog Days of Summer.” Despite the market, please be patient and stay the course with your investment allocation. This is not the time to shift investment dollars to cash/emergency funds. For all clients, I recommend you have an investment “bucket” and a ready cash/emergency reserve “bucket.” […]
I recently read Zac Bissonnette’s book Debt-Free U. In his words, this book details “How I paid for an outstanding college education without loans, scholarships, or mooching off my parents.” He is funny, irreverent at times, and spot-on in his advice. The introduction summarizes the growing problem with the availability of student loans and focuses on […]
I recently caught up with Linda Strohschein, an estate planning/elder law attorney in St. Charles. We were discussing the importance of Healthcare Powers of Attorney for young adults (especially college age and college-bound kids), and she mentioned two POA workshops they’ll be providing in the coming months (April and June 2011). This is a great […]
Read Morgan House’s article on tuning out the daily market news. Stick with your low-cost diversified portfolio, review periodically, and in the meantime – enjoy life!
The newly enacted “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010” signed into law on December 17, 2010 is a sweeping tax package that includes, among many other items, an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for two years, estate tax relief, a two-year “patch” of the alternative minimum tax (AMT), a […]
The midterm elections have changed the Congressional landscape, with Republicans winning control of the House of Representatives and picking up seats in the Senate. Even so, it’s too early to know exactly how this will affect open tax issues for 2010 and 2011. Specifically, when the “lame-duck” Congress returns this month, it must decide whether […]
If we’ve not spoken in the last few months, then you may not know that Clarus Financial Planning moved into permanent office space in downtown Geneva. Rather than make it simple, I decided to renovate a very old space into something with a bit more character. It’s a work in progress, but is coming along […]
