As hard as it is to believe, the first day of school is less than a month away in Fayette County. Although we want you all to fully enjoy the remaining weeks of summer, I would encourage you parents out there to take a little time and think about your strategy regarding your kids and money. Especially as the little ones get older, it might to be time adjust a few things and get them more involved and thinking about how money works.
With the recent long Fourth of July weekend, many of you stopped and took time off to spend time with family and friends at the lake, ocean or golf course. Perhaps you found yourself reflecting on something – perhaps the first fireworks show you attended as a child, or your favorite baked beans recipe, or an other-worldly dessert your beloved grandma or favorite aunt used to bring to the celebrations.
Tips & tricks for your next overseas getaway.
Last week, we talked about saving for vacations and I shared the strategy I used when I was first starting out. This week, we wanted to talk about planning your dream vacation – once you’ve got the funds saved up, of course! So, we talked to Meredith Bley of The Travel Authority to get her tips and tricks for travelers, and find out her top destinations for overseas vacations.
“First, I always ask people some questions to get them thinking about what kind of trip they want,” Meredith said. “Do you want to focus on art and architecture, food and wine, history, or do you want to relax and take in the local culture and scenery?” She also encourages people to think about the pace of their vacation. “Some people want a fast-pace where they only spend one or two nights in each city, and some people like to have a base they can go back to,” she explained.
Meredith likes Spain as a European destination for its beauty and diversity of landscape and things to do. “Spain has 3 million acres of vineyards and 5,000 miles of coastline,” she said, making it ideal for wine lovers and beach dwellers alike. For those wanting luxury, the Basque region has more Michelin-rated properties than any other place in the world, she added. The country offers a moderate climate and is home to religious sites that are sacred to all three major world religions – Christianity, Judaism, and Muslim faiths, making it an ideal vacation destination for many different people.
Planning ahead is crucial, especially when traveling abroad, Meredith said. Working with a travel agent can get vacationers access to sites they probably wouldn’t otherwise be able to get into, she added. “The Alhambra palace in Grenada only allows a limited number of tourists each month, so if you show up without planning ahead, you might not get in. I can set up an itinerary to help avoid these kinds of pitfalls,” Meredith said. She also knows of a 10-room hotel in southern Spain that’s an inclusive, organic resort featuring vineyards, horses, and lots of other amenities. “They do no advertising,” so a simple Google search won’t get you a room here. Those looking for a city adventure need look no further than Barcelona, where several of the city’s architectural marvels, including the gothic church La Segrada Familia, require advance tickets. “Barcelona has become hugely popular,” she said.
Other favorite activities Meredith loves to recommend to her clients include traditional Spanish cooking classes and trips to local markets for the ingredients, and of course sampling the famous jamon (ham) from the region’s Iberian black pigs who are fed a special diet. “You can’t leave without trying the ham!” she said.
Of course, if what you’re looking for is simply drinking wine and people watching, well, Spain offers plenty of both.
Looking for more tips and insider access for your vacation? Meredith Bley is available at 513.645.1855, or Meredith.Mosser@TheTravelAuthority.com.
Now. I’m going to pack my bags.
Those of you who know me know that I run at about 220 volts most of the time, whereas most of my friends and family seem to run on the more reasonable 120 volts (think, a 60-watt lightbulb). Sometimes they have trouble keeping up with my… enthusiasm for everything.
I feel like a broken record when I keep saying that these days, it seems like it always comes back to Trump tweets. But, that’s the world we live in, right? No US president has paid more attention to where the Dow Jones Industrial Average is on a day-to-day basis. Everyone wants the economy to do well, and the president wants to be in a growing economy, and no one else has ever shared opinions about where things are on a moment-by-moment basis as businesses are handling their day-to-day operations.
Integrating and embracing technology in financial planning.
The other day, I went old school with my kids – we watched the original Knight Rider! My boys were unimpressed to begin with, until woah! It’s a car that talks, and processes everything but human emotions, and self-drives. At this point, my son said, “I guess that’s where the idea for Tesla came from.”
By now, I’m sure you’ve read an article or three on the recent Lyft initial public offering (IPO), unless you’re in a foreign country somewhere, in which case, I’ll explain: Lyft is a ride-sharing app where regular people make side money using their own cars to taxi people around. Trust me, once you use it, you’ll get it!
Whether you’re currently working with us or not, I hope that, as you’ve read our weekly thoughts, you’ve learned a little about what we do at Family Financial Partners, and about our philosophies when it comes to helping people organize their financial lives and work toward their dreams.
It’s finally feeling like spring in Kentucky, and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for it! And now that we’re emerging from our winter hibernation, I wanted to give you all a staff update, and a reminder about what to expect when working with Family Financial Partners. We take a true team approach to our business, helping us serve you in the best and most efficient way possible.
Today, I want to talk a little about the emotional side of why I got into this business in the first place. Now, you’re thinking, “Dave, aren’t you a numbers guy?” And the answer is yes. I am. I love the financial markets, and helping people work toward their financial goals, whatever they think their “magic number” might be. However, although it’s true that I chose this profession and then chose to start my own company because I enjoy crunching numbers, I also chose this profession because I truly do love to help people.
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