Guest Columns
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What Should You Expect From Your Investments?
To help achieve your financial goals, you may need to invest in the financial markets throughout your life. However, at times your investment expectations may differ from actual returns, triggering a variety of emotions. So, what are reasonable...
Getting (Some) Things Done
As I once remarked to my mother-in-law, there is always, always, ALWAYS more work to be done. I also once asked the in-laws, "Why are we working? Simply to work? Or is it in order to be able to go and...
Are Your Goals 'Must Have' Or 'Nice To Have'?
Like everyone, you may have a lot of financial goals. But are they all of equal importance? Probably not. And do they share a similar timeline? Again, it’s unlikely. So, your first step may be to prioritize your goals — and then follow a process...
April / May Mix-Up?
Mother Nature gets confused when she heads north. Our April showers are arriving in May. (April brought us lots of winter snows. Boo! Hiss!) We are still managing to get some May flowers, though, so...
Daring To Be Optimistic
Dare I hope spring is finally really here? Am I dooming us to more icky weather by uttering the word spring? To that second question, I certainly hope not! I’m pretty sure I don’t possess the power to jinx all of northeastern Montana. If I had...
Four Ways To Use Cash Wisely
There has been a lot of talk about a “cashless” society, but it’s not here yet. In fact, cash can still be a valuable element of your overall financial picture – if you employ it wisely. But how? Consider these four key uses of cash: ...
Return of The Mac.
There you are, in a position to purchase a new computer. But you’re frozen, paralyzed by choice. What do you need it for? Will it run your favorite programs? How about affordability or longevity? The gravity of such a decision feels suffocating as...
Are You Protected From Disability Risk?
Like many people, you may try to stay healthy by exercising regularly, following a good diet and avoiding dangerous activities. But as we all know, life is unpredictable, and despite your best efforts, you may encounter an injury or illness that can...
Wipeout
So much of our lives are stored on the phones, computers and other portable electronics which we use every day. Email, online banking, shopping, even keeping digital versions of your actual payment cards; it’s all sensitive data and it’s all...
Spring Redux? Or Betrayal Again?
I watched a reel on Facebook last week by a Canadian man. He talked aboot the four seasons they enjoy: first is summer, when you can wear shorts and flip-flops. (I'm paraphrasing since I don't remembe...
Can You Benefit From A 529 Plan?
Another school year is coming to a close. And if you have young children, they’re now a year closer to heading off to college or some other type of post-secondary education or training. So, if you haven’t already done so, you may want to start...
Imprisoned Again
I feel like we're trapped in a Groundhog's Day movie scenario: the last couple of Wednesdays and Thursdays have dumped another six inches of never-ending winter on us. A couple of weeks ago we had...
Some 'Did-You-Knows' About Estate Plans
If you’ve done any estate planning, or even if you’re just familiar with it, you probably know the basics — that is, a comprehensive estate plan can help you pass on assets to your family while also achieving other goals, such as designating...
Totally Up to Date
That little red dot on your iPhone, or the irritating popups your laptop gives you; our technology seems to constantly badger us for updates. Why bother though? Everything is working fine, you don’t need new emojis or yet another widget for your...
Beyond Tardiness
Spring is still late. Mostly it's missing, perhaps playing hookie. I feel like a broken record. Seriously, more snow?? We had another 6" of cold white yuck last Thursday night. The highway was solid...
Earth Day Lessons For Investors
It’s almost Earth Day, when people around the world focus on ways of protecting and preserving the environment. And the lessons from this occasion can be applied to other areas of life — such as investing. Here are some themes to consider: ...
Multidimensional
I despise printers. They’re finicky, they’re expensive to run, and they encourage wasteful behaviors such as printing documents which could more conveniently remain digital. There is a type of printer however which I do have a self-professed...
Free At Last?
Finally! We're getting some spring weather. The snow is melting. There's mud everywhere. Of course, as deep as the drifts are up here north of the middle of nowhere, we're going to be looking at and...
Sprinter
Here we are, suffering through yet another winter event even though the calendar tells us it’s spring. It’s so depressing to see more snow blowing sideways through the yard. Yesterday the highway up here was bare. Today we’re back to a total...
Too Much Tech
We’re surrounded here in 2023, by so much technology. In some cases, when we count the smart devices, our connected homes, portables and wearables; quite literally surrounded. While in many ways it makes our day to day simpler, there’s also a...
Investment Ideas For Business Owners
By definition, business owners put a lot of their financial resources into their enterprises. But as an owner, you may need to invest in more than inventories and payroll to help achieve the future you’ve envisioned. Here are a few investments you...
Breaking The Code
It’s no secret nowadays that people who choose technology as a career are likely to find themselves in demand. As more and more of our world converts to the digital, we need a growing pool of talent which is able to write the programs and apps...
Financial Tips For Blended Families
Becoming part of a blended family can certainly be rewarding. Of course, as is the case in all families, there will be challenges, one of which is financial. A blended family must deal with some specific financial issues, so it’s a good idea to...
Hiatus
The official meaning of hiatus is "a pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process." I've been on an extended hiatus from gardening. Perhaps there's a word for this extension (forced vacation? jail...
Continue The Conversation
Editor’s Note: This is part five of a five part series regarding e-cigarettes. The first part was printed in the Feb. 22 edition, the second part was printed in the March 1 edition, the third part was printed in the March 8 edition and the fourth...