Sheri’s take: Recently, we shared two guest posts on this fall’s insurance open enrollment period, authored by Mark Maurer, CFP®, MBA, president and CEO of LLIS. Mark’s posts were well-received, so we were delighted when he agreed to share one more interesting idea with us on how to use “layering” to save costs on your life insurance while still ensuring adequate coverage for your loved ones. Good coverage at less...

In last week’s post, “And Then There Was Avery Grace,” our Wealth Manager and new father Chris Annello shared some of the wealth planning initiatives he and his wife are prioritizing during their first year as new parents to their daughter Avery Grace. This week, we bring you “Grampy” Larry Annello’s perspective on the same. The Doting Grandfather: Larry When Chris and Lindsay first told us about the expected arrival of Avery...

What better way to continue our back-to-school blogging season than by introducing our newest (and most precious) student of life and SAGEbroadview star, Avery Grace Annello? Born last May to our Wealth Manager Chris Annello and his wife Lindsay, Avery fast became the light of their life, as well as “Grampy” Larry Annello’s favorite photographic study. (Sorry, Colbie, you’re still cute too.) That said, tiny babies represent big changes to any family’s...

Attention, all parents and students! We bid farewell to Sheri’s Summer Refresher Series and bring you an important, good-news announcement that you might have missed in all the back-to-school action (including all the obligatory “first day at school” social media posts and pics). As reported in a New York Times article, “Earlier Date for Filing Fafsa Form for College Aid,” the national Education Department just made it easier to apply for...

The lessons learned from our 2013 post on health and wealth seem like an excellent way to wrap Sheri’s Summer Refresher Series, before we move on to new ideas and fresh posts for the rest of the year. If there’s one piece that gets to the heart of what we’re about at SAGEbroadview, this one just might be it. We love its central theme, and try to live by it...

This post may be one of Sheri’s favorites because it represents one of her own earliest financial challenges as well as the inspiration behind her current career. In an earlier career, Sheri was employed by General Electric for 15 years in a variety of roles. As she accumulated company stock options and other executive benefits, she realized how hard it was to find good advice on how to make the best...

The credentials alone may say it all about Michael Kitces and his Nerd’s Eye View on financial planning. With two master’s degrees in financial services and taxation, a CFP® mark, and five other financial certifications to his name, that’s some serious nerd power. But what’s decidedly cool about Kitces is his passion for sharing his “journey of continuous education” with fellow advisors as well as with investors looking for a...

The power of elegant simplicity is certainly nothing new. When explaining the Tao of the universe back in fifth or sixth century BC, Lao Tze is said to have said, “A journey of a thousand [miles] starts with a single step.” But when it comes to financial planning, we have a way of making things complicated, fast. Fortunately, we have noticed a movement afoot to redirect our efforts back toward that...

As we mentioned in a recent post, Taking a Twitter Tonic,  it’s important to be selective about the financial news you choose to peruse. That said, there are islands of sensible advice out there as well. We try to share as many of them as we can in our own blog and social media posts. We also are honored when we are invited to participate in useful forums like Fund...

In our recent post, “Making Time for Creativity,” we shared some insights from “Big Magic” author Elizabeth Gilbert on how and why you should make room in your life for intangible inspiration. This includes organizing your more tangible financial interests. Here are three handy habits for improved financial organization in the year ahead. Locate What You’ve Got Naturally, if you don’t know what you own and where it’s held, it’s going...