December 2019 - My Stewardship Advisor

investing

How to Avoid Making Emotional Financial Decisions

February 5, 2020 By Leanne Adams

With the unexpected passing of my husband, I’ve had a lot of unplanned decisions required of me. I’ve been very intentional about not making emotional decisions, but to be honest, how do you remove emotion? There are both rational and emotional elements to making financial decisions. “Research has found that negative emotions hit us with […]

Uncategorized

Resolutions for a Financially Focused 2020

January 10, 2020 By Jonathan Kiehl

If you enjoy taking the opportunity a new year offers to make resolutions, make sure financial resolutions are a part of that focus. Formulating financial resolutions this year can help get you closer to long term goals like retirement, a large purchase, business ownership or debt elimination. Here are just a few practical ideas to […]

investing

Return on Life or Return on Investment?

January 9, 2020 By Mark Brinser

As we reflect back on 2019, it is clear that the stock market had a great year. It feels good reviewing your end of year household balance statement and see your net worth growth due to the stock market, but what happens if the stock market is not so kind in 2020? After all, 2018 […]

Uncategorized

3 Ways to Support Nonprofits That Are Better Than Giving Cash

December 17, 2019 By Thomas Talbott

Greg and Jennifer are in their late 30s and have prudently managed their finances ever since they got married. With the changes in the recent tax laws and while realizing they are just barely able to itemize their deductions on their tax return, they decide to save more taxes by immediately donating to their favorite […]

the market

The Merger of TD Ameritrade and Charles Schwab

December 12, 2019 By W. Lee Shertzer

You may have heard that TD Ameritrade and Charles Schwab are merging. How does this affect Stewardship Advisors and our clients? First, let’s take a look at who TD Ameritrade is, and how they are connected with Stewardship Advisors — and yourself as the account owners. TD Ameritrade is a contracted service provider (that Stewardship […]

personal finance

Can I claim medical expenses on my taxes?

December 2, 2019 By Leanne Adams

Your total medical expenses, including premiums, must surpass 10% of your AGI to be deductible. Here’s a little backstory to help you understand this deduction in context. In 2019, the IRS allows taxpayers to deduct the total qualified unreimbursed medical care expenses for the year that exceed 10% of their adjusted gross income (AGI). Note […]

Retirement

5 Monkeys and A Ladder

November 25, 2019 By Mark Brinser

Perhaps you have heard about a fabled behavioral study regarding five monkeys and a ladder. It goes something like this: scientists put five monkeys in a room. In the middle of the room was a ladder with bananas on top. Every time a monkey went up the ladder to retrieve a banana, the scientists soaked […]

personal finance

“Side Hustle” or just “Hustle”?

November 13, 2019 By Jonathan Kiehl

Several years ago, my wife and I set an ambitious financial goal for our family. As a way to temporarily increase my income, I decided to embark on the millennial rite of passage known as the “side hustle.” While the term “side hustle” is used broadly to describe part-time or temporary work in addition to […]

credit

Is It Wise to Make a Charitable Donation on a Credit Card?

September 12, 2019 By Thomas Talbott

Credit card contributions are a quick and easy way to support your favorite charity. Using their website, or even by texting donations, makes sending money convenient and you often benefit from points or other rewards. According to the IRS, a last-minute year-end donation is deductible in the year it’s made, even if the charge is […]