Author: Ranie Verby

Carefully planning your financial future helps you meet goals and provide for loved ones and future generations. However, choosing the right types of investments, insuring your livelihood and possessions appropriately, minimizing tax liabilities, and crafting an estate plan can be difficult without Read more…

My grandfather (we called him Pappy-O) passed away recently, after almost two years of entrapment in his body and his mind. He was the father of three children, grandfather of six, and married to my grandmother (Mammy-O) for 65 years. For most of those years, he drank a cup of coffee with her every Read more…

With a few practical skills and knowledge, DIY projects in your home or car can save you money. Financial planning, however, isn't the same as painting a room or replacing a headlight. In fact, DIY financial planning can cost you more than you think compared to the cost of professional help. Read more…

Not every relationship is a "fit," and sometimes they just have to end when people aren't on the same page. Sometimes business partnerships and personal relationships have an end date, and the same might also apply to your financial advisor. Read more…

Life is the culmination of stages. Within each stage, unique milestones exist that call for careful planning. Goals, desires, and priorities can shift and evolve. At the most basic level, early on, your focus is on asset accumulation. As you near your retirement, that focus shifts to growing and Read more…

It can be confusing to hear various financial planning terms and know what best suits your needs. They might sound the same, but investment and wealth management are quite different. Knowing the difference can help you align your financial goals with what is available when choosing an advisor. Read more…

You may have noticed that advisors go by many different professional titles, which are often followed by a trail of different three-letter acronyms representing special designations. They seem important—but not all titles and credentials are as valuable as they sound. Read more…

The potential value of a relationship starts with the person who will be guiding your financial decisions. You’re looking for someone with deep knowledge and experience to back up their advice, and you want to gauge whether that advisor is a good fit for your family’s needs. Above all, you want Read more…

My Grandma Eloise was one of the most spirited and energetic people I’ve ever known. She was fully herself all throughout her 9th decade – still helping my own mother and her other children regularly, in church every Sunday, cleaning her own home, driving. Unfortunately, in her early 90s she Read more…