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Most people spend their lives trying to avoid obstacles. That makes sense. Obstacles are uncomfortable. They interrupt plans, force decisions, and often raise questions we would rather not answer. I read The Daily Stoic each morning, and today's message from Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor often called "The Philosopher King," is one of my favorites: “While it's true that someone can impede our actions, they can't impede our intentions and our attitudes, which have the powe

When I sit down with homeowners, lead a seminar, or present a continuing education course to financial advisors, I get a lot of great questions. But first, I have to break through some standard headwinds of what the product used to be to share how it became the consumer-protective version it is today. "No, the bank will not take your house. As long as the borrower fulfills their obligations of paying their property taxes, home insurance, and maintains the home*." *Note: These

Most homeowners have checked their home value online at some point. You type in your address, wait a few seconds, and get a number. Sometimes that number feels encouraging. Sometimes it feels random. And most of the time, it leaves you with more questions than answers. What is my home really worth? How much equity do I have? What could I afford if I moved? Should I refinance? Could I use my equity for something important? How does my home fit into my bigger financial picture?

For weeks, my dad had one question. And despite his repeated inquiries, I didn’t have an answer. “Do you have a golf cart guy?” “Sorry, Dad, I don’t. I have a guy for a lot of other things. You need a plumber? A mechanic? Maybe a CPA? I’ve got a great CPA for you.” Of course, none of those were what he was looking for. He was relentless in his search for “a golf cart guy.” It all stemmed from a gift my dad has: he needs to be of service to others. He wanted a golf cart for my

Most retirement conversations start with numbers. How much have you saved? How much income will you need? What will Social Security provide? How long will the money last? Those are important questions. But they are not the only questions. MIT AgeLab identified three surprisingly simple questions that can help predict future quality of life in retirement: 1. Who will change my light bulbs? 2. How will I get an ice cream cone? 3. Who will I have lunch with? At first glance,