My Advice for New Empty Nesters
Empty nesters respond to this life change in a few different ways, many of which we see in our office first hand. Many parents, especially mothers, become depressed, sad or lonely.
Entries by Craig Arfsten
Thinking about Retiring? 5 Steps to Get Started
So you’re thinking about retiring. That’s a big decision. There is a good chance you’ll be retired for as long as you worked. Think about that – 20 to 30 years – that’s a long time to be without a paycheck. So I want to offer pointers for those considering retirement and what you can […]
How to Control Your Finances When the Sky is Falling
As the Dow reaches another all time high it seems like a good time to reflect on the past 12 years. Think about it: five years ago we thought the world was going to end. Today, we have recovered from the second worst market correction since the Great Depression. Sometime during the past 12 years, […]
Debt Ceiling 101
Here we go again! We just avoided the fiscal cliff and now we’re headed for the debt ceiling. Misinformation and half-truths are the headlines of the day as the political rhetoric rises. So in this Prosper On I want to set the record straight.
Prosper On: The Year-Long Hangover – Tax Changes for 2013
American taxpayers will have more than just a hangover to deal with come January first. With new tax laws taking effect at the start of 2013, even the non-party goers could be feeling the pain. These changes are broad, significant and far more complicated than they have been in years past. While the details are […]
Fiscal Cliff 101
Those who can explain complex ideas in simple ways always amaze me. That’s why I took an interest in the book “The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money”, written by Carl Richards. He has the ability to simplify complex personal financial concepts with a drawing on the back of a […]
4 Financial Tips to Teach Your Kids
When I meet someone with good money habits it’s usually because they have someone important in their life, a family member or friend, who took the time to share their financial values and experience. For those fortunate people, money management skills come easy. These skills were ingrained as a child and will serve them well […]
The Italian Job
As financial advisors we have the good fortune of working with people and their families at a very personal level. I often hear personal stories, some of which are very inspirational and insightful. Sometimes they even help me to live a better life. As some of you may know, I took a trip to Italy […]
The Biggest Loser
After JP Morgan announced a $2 billion trading loss last Thursday (due in part to a risky strategy focusing on credit derivatives) several parties are feeling the pain. But to determine who is the biggest loser we have to look at each of them individually. The first is JP Morgan –they’ve lost $4 billion of […]
Latest Commentary
Finding Financial Happiness, Part 2April 22, 2024 - 10:22 amLast month we discussed how Americans are still overwhelmingly dissatisfied with their finances, despite record net worth and increased income. That conversation focused on spending, and how increased inflation in housing, groceries and other necessities has made those higher incomes feel insufficient. For people feeling the angst of the uncontrollable (interest rates, inflation, etc.), I […]
