Merry Christmas and welcome to December! As I write this today, I am looking out at about 6 inches of snow, the first of which actually fell in November! As I drive around and see the snow piled up and corn still in the field in places, it is a great reminder of how much mother nature really is in charge!

What financial, business, or life priorities do you need to address for 2019? Now is a good time to think about the investing, saving, or budgeting methods you could employ toward specific objectives, from building your retirement fund to lowering your taxes. You have plenty of options. Here are a few that might prove convenient.

How much have you saved for retirement? Are you on pace to amass a retirement fund of $1 million by age 65? More than a few retirement counselors urge pre-retirees to strive for that goal.

Volatility will always be around on Wall Street, and as you invest for the long term, you must learn to tolerate it. Rocky moments, fortunately, are not the norm.

Imparting a legacy with your family is one of the most important things you can do in life. One of the ways to impart that legacy is to teach your children how to properly manage their money. According to a Pew Research Report, for the first time since 1880, young adults aged 18-24 (also known as Millennials) are more likely to live with their parents, than any other arrangement. Yikes!

What if something happened to me while my kids are still in school? Would they still be able to go to college? Would my spouse be able to stay in our current home? Would they have to downsize? What if one of the breadwinners in our house became disabled? Would we be able to maintain our current lifestyle and care for them?

Will I be financially ready to retire? What is the best way to save for my kids’ college? Should I take Social Security early? Is our home properly insured? When should I start looking at Medicare? Would my family be taken care if something happened to me tomorrow? What if I became disabled? Could we still maintain our lifestyle? YIKES!

Elder Fraud and Ways to Help Prevent It

Identifying Retirement Priorities