In a low-volume week shortened by the Good Friday holiday, U.S. stocks were mixed, with mega-caps gaining, while small caps lost a bit of ground. In fact, the VIX volatility measure reached an eight-month low during the week, with little headline news to move the needle in either direction as of late.

It may be hard to see sometimes, with the often apocalyptic 24-hour news cycles, but there is a lot of good out there in the world. One of the good things is how generous Americans have been with their charitable giving. Part of this widespread generosity is tied, no doubt, on the internet connecting people all over the world. Americans gave $410.02 billion dollars to charity in 2017, breaking a record and 70% of that was given by individuals.[i] As wealth grew, so too did charitable giving and generosity. Within that huge number, over $400 billion, some interesting patterns and data appear. Within this article, we will discuss why people practice charitable giving, who is giving, and how, if inclined, you could give more as well.

Why Give?

There are so many in need and for so many reasons. Between medical research, animal charities, environmental disaster, the refugee crisis, health crisis, homelessness, drug addiction, food instability, arts organizations, you name it, and there is a cause that could use the help. There is also solid evidence that your donations actually do make a difference to these causes. They do need and appreciate every penny they receive. But did you know that giving is actually good for you too? In fact, giving triggers a pleasure point in our brain, the same area of reward processing that is activated by pleasurable activities like sex and food.[ii] Donating our time and money to a cause makes us feel good, helps contribute to our overall happiness, and can actually help our health and mortality rates.[iii] On top of helping others and feeling good, charitable donations can be tax deductible, and for some, that is motivation enough. A good rule is before donating to anything you plan to claim, do your research and confirm that they are a recognized non-profit organization by the IRS and always get a receipt.

Wills: The Cornerstone of Your Estate Plan

If you care about what happens to your money, home, and other property after you die, you need to do some estate planning. There are many tools you can use to achieve your estate planning goals, but a will is probably the most vital.

Wills: The Cornerstone of Your Estate Plan

If you care about what happens to your money, home, and other property after you die, you need to do some estate planning. There are many tools you can use to achieve your estate planning goals, but a will is probably the most vital.

Buying a house, especially for the first time, can be seriously stressful. A mortgage? Real estate agents? What if it’s a fixer-upper? There are some things that HGTV just can’t prepare you for, but don’t worry! We’re here to provide you some tips that will hopefully make your house buying process a little easier, and make you feel more confident. 

Buying a house, especially for the first time, can be seriously stressful. A mortgage? Real estate agents? What if it’s a fixer-upper? There are some things that HGTV just can’t prepare you for, but don’t worry! We’re here to provide you some tips that will hopefully make your house buying process a little easier, and make you feel more confident. 

Buying a house, especially for the first time, can be seriously stressful. A mortgage? Real estate agents? What if it’s a fixer-upper? There are some things that HGTV just can’t prepare you for, but don’t worry! We’re here to provide you some tips that will hopefully make your house buying process a little easier, and make you feel more confident. 

How to Avoid Retirement Woes

Planning Needs of Single Parents

Recently we’ve been approached by a few prospective clients who are just about to retire and would like a financial plan. Most have worked hard for years and now want to stop working. They are unsure how many more years they will want or be able to work. They have some money saved but have never really figured out whether they have enough to retire.