2022

By now, most of us have at least heard of Simon Sinek and his maxim— which is also the title of his bestselling book—“Start with Why.” The main idea that Sinek has captured so effectively is that companies and people can achieve great success by truly understanding the purpose behind what they do, and then ordering all their efforts from that starting point. As Sinek puts it, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”

Depending on the “money culture” of the home you grew up in, it’s likely that you’ve encountered one of two attitudes toward debt: either you view it as a “slush fund” to be tapped when there’s something you want that you don’t have enough cash to buy; or you think of debt as an evil that must be avoided at all costs.

Let’s be honest: It has not been a fun year in the markets. With the S&P 500 down more than 20% from its highs in January (and other major indices in similar territory), good news has been about as scarce as hen’s teeth. But they say that every cloud has a silver lining, and, as it turns out, there’s a bit of good news for investors, even when the markets are in the doldrums, as they are currently.

What is a parent’s role in raising smart, confident, and successful children? What matters? What doesn’t? Though author Margot Bisnow was the mother of two happy and driven entrepreneurial sons, these are questions she once never thought to ask. But then she interviewed 70 successful entrepreneurs – and their Moms – and found that many parents’ approach to ‘helping’ their children is counterproductive.

With the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to consider your year-end charitable giving options. A little advance planning now can save you money when it comes time to write your check to Uncle Sam, next April 15. We offer tips and ideas for maximizing the benefit to your favorite charity while minimizing the tax bite.

The popular image of retirement tends to emphasize numbers: a balance in a 401(k) or IRA; a date on the calendar; a quantity of years with the company; a pension plan vesting schedule. For most of us, the questions we ask ourselves as we approach retirement also tend to focus on concepts of numbers and quantity: Do I have enough saved? How much debt should I pay off? What will my medical costs be? What kind of budget should I set? And on it goes.