After nearly a decade of leaving the federal funds rate at zero percent, the time finally came on December 16, 2015: The U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) started raising the federal funds rate with modest increases ever since. What do these rate changes mean to your financial well-being? Is there anything you should “do” to your investment portfolio when they occur?

Are you ready to bring a fee-only financial advisor into your life to help you map out a financial plan for your future? Hiring a certified financial planner is an incredibly personal decision and should not be taken lightly. Use these five questions as a guide while you consider if a prospective fee-only certified financial planner is the right choice for you.

As we wrap up the current year, one of the best presents you can bestow on yourself and your loved ones is the gift of proper preparation and planning. Want to get a jump-start on 2018? Here are 10 financial best practices to energize your wealth management efforts. Take on one each month in 2018, and you’ll still have a couple of months to spare before we’re ringing in 2019. Let us know if we can help you turn your financial planning jump-start into a mighty wealth management leap.

It’s hard to believe, but another year is almost behind us. With January just around the corner, now is a great time to review various items you may want to consider as you get set to enter 2018. Many of the IRS publications referenced below are for tax year 2016. Changes are not anticipated when the 2017 guides are published. Before we get started, let me stress that it is my job to assist and help you! I can’t overemphasize this enough, and I would be happy to review all the options that are best suited for your situation. However, when it comes to tax matters, I recommend you check with your tax advisor.