Rising inflation has made personal budgets a hot topic again. And the internet is full of articles on the elements needed to create an effective budget: income, fixed expenses, variable expenses, and unplanned expenses. Those things are important, and plenty of financial experts can tell you how to incorporate them into a budget. But there are other… Read More

Sustainability is one of those business buzzwords that creates a lot of confusion. You’ve probably seen it describe everything from how a business approaches social justice to its environmental impact. And let’s be honest, when used in that context, sustainability is a political munition, ready to explode into arguments, eye-rolling, and who knows what else. But… Read More

Employee turnover. Those two words can make any small business owner or CEO cringe. And with good reason! Replacing an employee costs, on average, $4,000 and takes 24 days, according to one Glassdoor study. That study only considered initial costs. Add in long-term costs like lost productivity and the number goes even higher. No wonder there… Read More

Hitting 50 is one of the milestones in life that cause many to pause and reflect. Some think about relationships with family and friends. Others use the moment to learn from past successes and mistakes. But it’s hard to deny that many also have one thought about the future. That is, will I be able to… Read More

If you’re a small business owner, you’ve probably been hearing and reading news about a possible recession in the U.S. economy. Every day seems to bring new speculation, and the headlines grow more and more sensational. So, you should be worried, right? Well, not exactly. We haven’t officially entered into a recession, at least not… Read More

The economic ocean in the United States has been clear and calm for the last decade. Cheap lending rates made some bad stocks seem good. They also brought in a lot of new money into other investments like real estate and cryptocurrency. But with the Fed raising interest rates, the tide is pulling back quickly.… Read More

Businesses have enjoyed over a decade of interest rates that barely registered on balance sheets. Unfortunately, that low interest environment has made it easy to forget what to do when the Federal Reserve does raise rates. Some of you have been there, but it’s been a while. Others may be navigating uncharted waters. Either way,… Read More

So, you’re back from the honeymoon and setting up a life together as a married couple. Congrats! You have so many great times ahead of you. Of course, great times happen more frequently when newlyweds are on the same financial page. And that means setting up a budget. But don’t worry, budgeting isn’t a chore. It’s an invitation… Read More

It’s that time of year. The beach and the mountains are calling. You might be getting invitations to weddings in far-flung locales. And in the middle of the year, most of us are itching for a break from the daily routine. So, our internet browser entries are full of vacation searches that our bank account… Read More

Admittedly, many articles on this blog regarding taxes are cautionary. However, that’s prudent since the goal is to help you navigate events like audits and avoid pitfalls like liens against your personal property. But it’s not all doom and gloom with the IRS. A tax refund can be a bright spot in your year and can even pay… Read More