Lifestyle

Most of the time when people come into our conference room or call us up, they want help with how to do something. Whether it’s saving money, budgeting, making major purchases or signing up for insurance, they want to know how.

• November 18, 2022

The catalogs, the catalogs! My mailbox has suddenly in the last few days been invaded by the seasonal army of festive holiday magazines, all suggesting that if I only spend $199 (each!) for those themed placemats, my dining room table will be shown off in all its glory just like the one in the picture. The only problem is, what the marketing people at that company don’t know, is that my dining room table has knife and fork marks all over it, and probably a few drops of blood from the kids! So we’ll probably be looking for a full-size table cloth instead. 

• November 10, 2022

Later this month, most of us will be gathering together around the table with our families, whether parents, aunts, uncles and siblings, or the friends and neighbors we consider family because relatives are far away. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, if only for the fact that it’s simple (well, maybe not for the cook!). You put some food on the table, and once you’re done feasting, you find the dessert table full of pies! Then the countdown begins to cold turkey sandwiches.

• November 3, 2022

We are in that time of year when companies start releasing new benefits packages, and open enrollment is almost here. As you look through your new employee book provided by your HR department, you probably see things like additional 401(k) options, accidental death & dismemberment (yikes!) insurance, life insurance, supplemental life insurance, short term/long term disability coverage, along with all sorts of other acronyms you may or may not have any idea what they stand for.

• October 28, 2022

Seems like everything is transitioning right now, whether it’s changes in the weather, changes in the sports being played or teams we watch and root for, or the shift from anticipating the excitement of Keeneland and the upcoming Breeders Cup to savoring the memories we made. We spent a lot of time at Keeneland meeting people and enjoying our community, but now it’s back to the desk full-time – and we truly think change is good. Of course the emptying of the grandstand at Keeneland gave way to the excitement over trick-or-treating!

• October 27, 2022

It shouldn’t come as a shock when I say it is very common for people to job-hop during their 20s and into their 30s before they settle into a long-term position. Typically, people change jobs to gain new experiences, obtain a better title, or for more pay. While these are all very good reasons that, in the long run, should be positives in our financial lives, changing jobs too often can come with a cost.

• October 14, 2022

I recently walked into a big box retailer which shall remain unnamed, and lo and behold, encountered the first Christmas decorations of the season. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. I’m a big kid at heart after all. But I can’t possibly get into Christmas now when I haven’t bought my Halloween candy!

• October 13, 2022

Despite the rising costs of seemingly everything these days, this is the time of year when those of you who are working are trying to squeeze in trips to the lake, weekend getaways and lazy days at the pool – even if you’re staying a little closer to home this year. This truly is the time of year when people think of spending time together and resting after all the hard work of fall, winter and spring. 

• July 14, 2022

A quarter of a century – wow! That’s right, as I’m now working on my 26th year in this business, I’m reminded of how things change, and yet, stay the same. When I first started out in 1997, my Great Aunt Sunny was 75 (she’s about to turn 100!), and I was trained that, when I called people on their home phones, I was to identify myself, tell them what firm I’m with, and ask them this shock & awe question: are you concerned about the price of gas? 

• July 8, 2022