The Standard Newsletter
Rebecca Wiggins
As the warm summer days are upon us, I think about all of the hard work and growth that have happened last Spring—growth that would not be possible if not for the diligence, creativity and passion of our staff, Board and task force volunteers. Together these teams work to support... Read More >
Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus, Rick Zwelling
I was prompted to read this book while reading an article in TIME magazine called “The Joy of Less.” The article highlighted statistics that demonstrated the extent to which large swaths of our society is engaged in consumerism. For example: U.S. children make up 3.1 percent of the world’s population... Read More >
Jim Blankenship, Jean M. Lown, Ph.D., CFP®
Do you speak Social Security? Can you explain: Do over? Deemed filing? File and suspend? If not, it’s time to read A Social Security Owner’s Manual by Jim Blankenship, CFP®. Blankenship wrote the book for the general public, but it is a great resource for educators and counselors. As a... Read More >
Lisa Philios, AFC®
Life as you know it, living in a dual income household, has now changed. There is now a child in your life and you are now a one income family with additional expenses and less income. And then there were Three. Per Statista, the average American family size is three,... Read More >
Susan Bross
When my brother was small, he would always start some explanation for a wrong-doing by saying, “There I was minding my own business when....” I smile whenever I hear someone using that phrase because it reminds me of the countless excuses I’d hear from him about some incident or another. It’s not... Read More >
Jill Anne Ladouceur
An anniversary can be a time of happy celebration, but it can also be a reminder of sorrowful events that stir all kinds of emotions, such as the loss of a loved one or a divorce. The latter can nudge to the surface memories, both happy and sad, regrets, and... Read More >
Barbara O’Neill
Research theories can help inform behavior change efforts. One commonly cited theory is the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM), which states that people go through five stages of change ranging from being unaware of the need to make a change (precontemplation) to continuing to perform an action that was previously taken... Read More >
Al Bingham
Bankruptcy impacts a credit score more than any other singular event in a credit report. While the bankruptcy itself is a key factor adversely affecting credit scores, other sub-components also play roles in determining a credit score. An estimated 35 percent of a FICO® credit score is Payment History, which is... Read More >
Michael Gutter
Now that the school year has ended, summer is upon us, and vacations begin, it is a wonderful time to stop and reflect. I know we all have had a busy few months, and I hope you are taking a moment to appreciate all that has been accomplished. I can... Read More >
Ron Lundquist
As financial professionals, it is of course incumbent upon us to provide advice to clients that will improve their financial situation. That advice might be to pay more than the minimum monthly payment on credit cards, or to make sure that income tax exemptions properly reflect reality, so a client does not... Read More >