Planning for Taxes — Inflation Edition
Mary Speakman Mary Speakman

Planning for Taxes — Inflation Edition

The inflation rate has come down from the forty-year highs we experienced in 2022, but it is still elevated. While it’s hard to find a silver lining to such high growth rates, with taxes, there are some positive impacts of higher inflation.

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Organize Your Financial Clutter in 2024
Mary Speakman Mary Speakman

Organize Your Financial Clutter in 2024

Getting organized is one of those goals that can seem like it would be life-changing – if you could just get it done.

So why is it so hard to get started on organizing your money? Maybe because money is tied to deep emotions and is woven into all our relationships. Organizing your pasta by shape in matching containers? Easy and satisfying. Looking over your spending and deciding what to reprioritize? Scary and hard.

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What’s New With the FAFSA?
Mary Speakman Mary Speakman

What’s New With the FAFSA?

It’s been a multi-year process, but the FAFSA Simplification Act (FSA) passed back in 2021 is finally showing results, and the new FAFSA has been rolled out online starting December 31, 2023.

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Are You Confident About Your Financial Future?
Mary Speakman Mary Speakman

Are You Confident About Your Financial Future?

Northwestern Mutual's annual Planning and Progress Study is out, and the results this year are very interesting. The study examines U.S. adults by generation to understand attitudes and behaviors toward money, financial decision-making, and financial security.

Given the volatility of the last year, the results reflect more uncertainty. But they also indicate that while each generation has different goals, needs, and attitudes toward money, seeking financial advice from a trusted resource is a constant.

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The Benefits of a Living Inheritance
Mary Speakman Mary Speakman

The Benefits of a Living Inheritance

Just as donating assets to charities while living can be gratifying to the donor and can put funds to work immediately, creating a gifting strategy that transfers assets to family and other people has similar benefits.

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Financial Wellness is Wellness
Mary Speakman Mary Speakman

Financial Wellness is Wellness

Wellness, in all its many facets, is increasingly becoming part of daily life.

Taking an approach that places financial wellness alongside other methods to achieve a balanced, happy life can help unite all the pieces together and can pay dividends by relieving what, for many people, is a major source of stress.

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How Do You Create Lasting Wealth?
Mary Speakman Mary Speakman

How Do You Create Lasting Wealth?

No matter how high your salary, successful your business is, or big the windfall – is it enough to create lasting wealth? How about generational wealth?

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