The end of the year is when a lot of deadlines come up.  So, as we head to the end of the year, now is a great time to make sure your financial plan is still on track.  And it’s wise to use a checklist to see where you are and what you should do.  Here are eight of the most common and important items to review with your financial advisor:

Unemployment is a lagging indicator and can only indicate what happened.

Financial Planning is All About Your Future Self. If you didn't even know October was National Financial Planning Month, here is your chance to catch up. 

How do you encourage yourself to do something that you swear today you’re going to do? Easy: Send yourself an email today for delivery to you in the future.

Remember after the Houston Astros won in 2017? Or Cubs in 2016?

Is there actually a difference in stock market performance depending on who wins the World Series? Should you really change your investment plans based on an American League or National League victory? Of course not. But let’s explore anyway.

Tweets and speeches don’t drive the stock markets – numbers do.

As a veteran of the armed services, you have made a sacrifice for our country. A grateful nation has established myriad benefits to help you.

According to the most recent data from the U.S. Census, there are over 18 million military veterans in the United States. More than nine million of these veterans are served by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Ironically, serving your country sometimes brings tough economic times to you and your family. And while the VA can offer some wonderful programs—like the Aid and Attendance benefits and Household allowances—the VA does not offer financial planning.

Encourage your student to think about their future financial self. Mid-August is the time of year that our kids pack the U-Haul and head to college. And while they’re excited about a brand-new semester, it can be frightening to see the cost – and rising college debt – that comes with the college experience. What can our college students do to ease the price tag?

Many people perceive trusts as a complex subject better left to their attorney. As a matter of fact, they often think trusts are available only to the wealthy. However, when stripped of all the “bells and whistles,” a trust can be viewed as simply a written contract between one individual, the trustee (or grantor), and another individual called a beneficiary(ies). The trustee’s job is to see that the terms of the trust are faithfully carried out according to the grantor’s wishes. The word “grantor” is another term for the person who sets up the trust and decides (with the help of his or her attorney) what the terms of the trust are going to be.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to financial planning: