Blog
Student Loan Update
This is Kathi! My husband and I recently returned from a vacation in New England and, while there, we visited Newport, Rhode Island. If you've never been to Newport, it is a coastal town steeped in wealth. Several mansions (48...
Read MoreConcerned where your tax dollars are going?
We have the opportunity to chat with folks who don't like the general direction the country is going. They don't like to pay taxes to support things that are antithetical to their values. While everyone's list of what...
Read MoreWrite a Joy Script
Our office sees people at all points on the "life spectrum" - happy and sad, stressed and peaceful, young and old, in transition and in a rut, educated or not, employed or not, in a relationship or not.We don't have the luxury of...
Read MoreImprove Cash Flow
What are some ways that I could improve my cash flow? What are some ways that my family could improve our cash flow?
Read MoreWhen Times are Tough, Think Long-Term!
Is investing a short-term idea or a long-term idea? Should I be worried about my investments during this time?
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Investing - Establishing Your Plan
Do I know my plan for my long-term financial goals?
Read MoreInvesting - Achieving Your Goals
What is the next step after I built my wealth and set my goals?
Read MoreInvesting - Building Your Wealth
What is the next step after getting started with investing?
Read MoreInvesting - Getting Started
How can I get started investing? What is the best way to plan for my financial future?
Read MoreInvest In Yourself First
Is now a good time for me to think about retirement plans? Am I making the most out of my financial opportunity?
Read MoreThe Buying Power of $1
How does the buying power of $1 experience significant change? Does that change affect me, my family, and my future?
Read MoreUS Debt Ceiling
What does it mean when Congress raises the debt ceiling? How could that affect me, my family, and my future?
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Inheriting from a loved one
Did you inherit money from a loved one as a result of COVID or other recent death? If the money you inherited was an IRA, 401k or other retirement-type account from a non-spouse (mother, father, aunt or uncle, grandparent, etc,)...
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STRS SERS PERS CSRS and other public pension plans
We are very grateful to teachers, school employees and administrators, and other public servants who help our communities run well. Hats off to you - we are thankful for your dedication and service! ARE YOU LEAVING MONEY ON THE TABLE?
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A Message to the Exiles
Friends, in our current world, we are not being called to retreat, react, hunker down, hoard, insulate ourselves, or hide. Nor are we being called to assemble an army & trample our enemies. We are called occupy, build, expand, invest, seek
Read MoreWhere to get financial advice
I recently saw a social media post about being sure you have beneficiaries set up on your accounts. My first thought was - that is really good advice, but it is not quite 'complete.' My next thought was - how many people...
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Twas the glut after Christmas...
Watching Christmas come and go can be a tricky thing emotionally. Some people experience 2 or 3 or 5 different family Christmas celebrations, plus work gatherings, church events, school programs, and more. There is a LOT of momentum...
Read MoreBudgeting: What Works for You?
If you have ever gone on a diet, you know that you must create a plan that is sustainable for you. Otherwise, you will lose 5 lbs. in the first week and gain 10 back the next. This same concept is true for budgeting...
Read MoreAre there opportunities you are missing?
It won't be long and 2022 will come to a close. All of our income for the year will be earned. All of the expenses will be paid. There won't be many options or opportunities to change how our 2022 tax return will play out....
Read MoreBe the change - be changed!
I have been on several mission trips in my life - to the Dominican Republic as a teenager, to Romania to teach English at a church camp, to Alaska to help and serve in practical ways at a Bible Camp, and recently to Jamaica. The trip...
Read MoreLife Insurance Matters
Regardless of the type of life insurance you buy, it can be very helpful in the long run.Young adult—life insurance can help take care of burial expenses OR pay off debts that you’ve incurred. Life insurance is least...
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Talking to a Mechanic
When I talk to a mechanic, I am always amazed at what they know and how quickly they access that knowledge and act on it. I’m not a “car person” and there are many reasons I say that. I haven’t...
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Taxes & Investing
Investing is a rewarding and necessary component of your financial plan. Unfortunately, the cost of taxes is also a necessary component of your financial plan. Paying taxes is not, from my perspective, the most exciting part of...
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Fighting Inflation
Young families: Consider cutting back on discretionary spending, such as subscriptions, eating out, and travel. Network with friends for date nights (exchange babysitting, cook meals for each other, etc.) Up your...
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In Case I Die - Who Helps Execute my Wishes?
WHO HELPS EXECUTE MY WISHES? When you plan ahead for your inevitable death, you have much more say in how your affairs are handled after death. This isn’t selfish — it is prudent. You can choose an executor...
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In Case I Die - What Legal Documents should I have prepared?
WHAT LEGAL DOCUMENTS SHOULD I HAVE PREPARED? Will or trust. Please be sure that you understand what you are signing and why. This isn’t a cookie-cutter decision! There are a lot of Medicaid-avoidance trusts being...
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In Case I Die - What about long-term care?
WHAT ABOUT NURSING HOMES AND LONG-TERM CARE? According to Dept of Health and Human Services at www.aspe.hhs.gov 23 percent of those who die between ages 65 and 74 receive any paid long-term care and only 9 percent receive long-term...
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In Case I Die - What are some practical steps to take?
WHAT ARE SOME PRACTICAL STEPS TO TAKE? Some practical ways to help your family face the inevitability of your death include: Downsizing, Getting all of your paperwork and information together in one, easy to access...
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In Case I Die - Planning...why does it matter?
As you age and approach death, it is important to clearly communicate to your spouse, your children, or other heirs. They need to know what assets you have, how they are set up, whether they are tax-qualified or have already had...
Read MoreIn Case I Die - Who handles my financial details?
As most of us travel through life, we utilize experts to help with various aspects of life. A car mechanic, an attorney, a financial adviser, an appliance repairman, etc. In the financial realm, the list of experts often...
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In Case I Die - What can I do to prepare?
There are things you can do to make the transfer of assets easier. It is important to have up-to-date beneficiaries on all investment accounts. You can put transfer-on-death (TOD) or payable-on-death (POD) designations on...
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In Case I Die - How much does life insurance help my family
There are many different kinds of life insurance and they serve different purposes. Term life insurance (cheaper insurance that usually only lasts for a specific period of time) is an inexpensive way to protect your family when...
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Tax Burden or Blessing?
We probably all hate paying Federal income tax. We think about government waste, misuse of funds, what are (and are not) the constitutionally acceptable roles for the Federal government, and a hundred other things. We also...
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Retirement - A Multi-pronged approach
“I’m going to retire in two months, Mr Adviser. This is your chance to be a miracle worker!” HA! Most of us know it doesn’t exactly work like that...
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Ripples Coming
Changes are on the horizon for the tax code. What could be changing?1) Long-term capital gains may soon be taxed as ordinary income. When that happens, the gains you experience in your non-retirement accounts will be...
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Minors as Beneficiaries
You may have considered putting your child or grandchild as a beneficiary on life insurance, bank accounts, retirement accounts, or other investing accounts. But if they are under the age of 18 this can cause unintended problems....
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What you don't know CAN hurt you
It can be hard to step into the “unknown” and call a financial adviser. Allow us to answer a few of these objections! 1) I don’t know what you’ll expect from me or if you will be too pushy. You...
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Donor Advised Funds DAFs
A donor advised fund (DAF) is a way for individuals with high incomes to give charitably, manage their overall tax strategy, and make planned gifts. You may think:I’m not a high-income earner!The truth is—while it is...
Read MoreBRI?? SRI?? What is Impact Investing?
BRI is Biblically Responsible Investing, a means of screening your investments to know whether the underlying companies and funds are voluntarily supporting things such as abortion, pornography, anti-family lifestyles, gambling, or...
Read MoreTransition
Consider for a moment driving down the interstate, focused on your destination. You begin to see signs indicating that the highway is narrowing: “Right lane closed ahead,” red barrels, flashing arrows. Change is...
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Earthquake
“Our bedroom wall tore away!” described Richard Goodis, a victim of California’s Northridge earthquake. “It felt like a jackhammer was going at it. I was looking at the ceiling one moment, then I was...
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Life Insurance - is it worth the cost?
Is Life Insurance worth the cost? Ultimately, that all depends on the situation. No one person’s scenario is the same as another’s. Writing off life insurance as an unnecessary cost is a bold statement with potentially...
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Are You Wondering about your Financial Future?
What does security mean to you? For many of our clients, security is found in the person of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 6:18b-20a reminds us “Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to...
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Simple IRA
Are you a small business owner? Do you want to help your employees prepare for retirement while realizing tax benefits in the process? You might want to consider starting a SIMPLE IRA. A SIMPLE (Savings Incentive Match Plan for...
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4 Ways to Beat an Economic Downturn
There are many ways to beat an economic downturn. Check out some of these quick suggestions to help ease the pressure.
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Planning in Everything
“Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.”1 This iconic, and ironic, quote was from one of the very few 5-Star Generals in U.S. history, Dwight D. Eisenhower. It has been nearly four decades since the U.S. has had...
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Choosing Investments in your 401k
How do you choose investments in your 401k? Which investments meet your goals and needs? Most people are unsure which investments to pick inside their 401k. 401k plans usually offer a variety of mutual funds ranging from...
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Who should I turn to for estate planning help?
If you know that dying today would leave confusion or stress for your family members, you might be wondering who can help you. Do you need an attorney to write a will, do you go to the estate planning seminar you saw an ad for...
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Quarterback
Many people have likened the role of financial adviser to that of a quarterback. What is the significance of considering us your financial quarterback? There are many!
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Thinking “Tax Efficiency” all year round
For many people, ‘tax season’ is over and tax details are no longer front of mind. Perhaps you’ll start thinking about taxes toward the end of this year, or, at the beginning of April next year. I hope for your sake...
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Do you have a 401k plan through work?
Does your employer offer a 401(k) plan as a benefit? If you answered yes, then this blog post is for you! There are a few important questions you should consider to make the most of your 401(k).
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Come As You Are
At Faith Investment Services, you can “come as you are.” We welcome conversations with people in all phases of life. We have a wide range of clients from experienced investors to clients who are just learning about investing.
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Graduation Gifts & Ideas
Enjoy this opportunity to encourage and be a light to the graduates in your life!
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Jump in - the water is fine!
The best way to start investing is - to start. Let us help you, whether it is baby steps or a full-on deep dive!
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Giving it a voice
“Remember, the enemy builds strongholds in secrecy and enforces them by silence. Break the silence and you will break the stronghold.” - Donald A Lichi, PhD. It is amazing how accurately this pertains to finances.
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