From my desk…
… with love,
~Sarah
Life Insurance: How Much Is Enough?
It’s one of the first questions that comes to mind for me when I hear of someone dying prematurely. Did they have life insurance? Was it enough? These questions are all fresh in my mind especially, with the recent death my husband’s uncle. He died as a result of a...
Structuring Your Estate Plan
Once you have a general idea of how you’d like your assets to be handled upon your death; it’s time to put it in writing. I recommend hiring an attorney who can draw up all of the legal documents for you. Yes, you could use a site like Legal Zoom, but I recommend...
Helpful Considerations In Naming A Guardian
If you are a parent of a minor child, this is probably the hardest question for you to answer. Who will you name as guardian for your children if you should die? Like me, it may be the reason you’ve held off on updating your will. As I mentioned in my previous post,...
Finally Ready to Face Estate Planning
Jeff and I are going to Disney! A much needed little trip for just the two of us. This also means I am finally dealing with a task I’ve put off for far too long, our estate plan! Although, it’s unlikely that we both would die prematurely and even more unlikely...
Power of Thankfulness
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love the simplicity of being with loved ones and sharing a meal together. I love what Thanksgiving represents. Being thankful is a great mindset to maintain throughout the year but I find it’s nice to have the reminder...
Financial Literacy Is Not An “Elective”
I had the privilege of speaking to a group of first-year students at Corning Community College last week. I've been participating in presenting basic financial education to groups of students for years now. We present tips on how to set financial goals, how to...
A Meaningful Christmas
My Christmas list for Luke is done and has been sent off to family and friends. It’s full of carefully considered items; toys and books all selected to aid in his development and feed his passions. I can’t say we’ve gotten a list together for the older kids quite...
The Ultimate Automatic Budgeting Plan
We all don't have the minds of engineers who enjoy creating spreadsheets and spending hours of time analyzing data. (Though I have a special place in my heart for the engineer minds!) It wasn't too long ago that I worked with a very special client. (Who also holds a...
So NOT Fun, but Oh, So Important!
Tracking expenses, I don’t believe that anyone would say that is fun. In fact, that task is probably the furthest from fun, which is why so many people avoid it. I haven’t exactly found a way to make the tedious task any more fun but I do have some tips to make it...
It Pays to Pay Attention!
I feel like I spent my entire morning on the phone. It started with our health care provider’s billing office because we received a bill which had not first been submitted to insurance. I was there with Jeff the day of his appointment where we completed all the...
Shopping With A Financial Planner
I often wonder what my friends think when they ask me to go shopping with them. Are they worried I’ll judge them? Is shopping with a financial planner like going out to eat with a nutritionist? Will they think I’m mentally calculating how much they are spending and...
Define Your Goals
I start at the same place in every initial meeting I have with my clients. We discuss their goals. Often times, this is the first time they have actually taken the time to really think about their goals. They may have a general idea but haven’t explored many...
