Remembering 9/11 The events of September 11th, 2001 forever changed the world. On that fateful day, 2,977 people were killed including first responders trying to save others. Shortly thereafter, a bill was introduced to proclaim September 11th as “Patriot Day”, a national day of mourning. That bill was approved by all members of the U.S.…
Beyond Your Finances, Education Planning
College Students: Financial Checklist & Survival Guide The college experience in the time of COVID-19 is sure to be unlike any other semester. In our August edition of Viewpoints, we shared how college and university campuses are preparing for the return of students for the fall semester. Continuing on that topic, we wanted to share…
Beyond Your Finances, Market Commentary
Manipulating Data “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” – Albert Einstein The great part about data is it’s derived from facts and numbers. The bad part about presenting this data is the ease at which it can be manipulated to fit a narrative. Most recently, this…
Beyond Your Finances, PDS News
Imposter Syndrome – Debunked Being a trusted advisor to our clients, I must admit from time to time I suffer from Imposter Syndrome, summarized as a condition that leads one to fear their success is a result of luck, in turn deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent than they perceive themselves to be.…
Stress & Happiness During these unprecedented times, many of us are struggling with stress, anxiety, and feelings of unhappiness. According to a recent survey by Gallup, the percentage of U.S. adults who consider themselves to be “thriving” has dropped to 46.4%, nearly 10% lower than the previous year’s survey results, and matching the low point…
College children and necessary legal documents Many of the folks we work with at PDS Planning have children that go away to college each fall. We spend a lot of time preparing for the financial impact this will have, but one of the things many people don’t think about are the legal documents necessary to…
Creative Ways to Celebrate Independence Day Amidst a culmination of crises, many of us seek at least the feeling of a return to normalcy. This year, we’ll need to change many traditions typically associated with commemorating America’s birthday. Rather than dwelling on festivities that are canceled, embrace the opportunity this year presents to create new…
College into Full-time Job: Staying on Track Congratulations, you’ve earned your degree! From the onset of your career, it is important to have a plan for managing your finances to provide for a rewarding financial future. But where to start? In the transition from being a college student to entering the work force, it is…
How to Opt-Out of Prescreened Credit & Insurance Offers Many companies that solicit new credit card accounts and insurance policies use prescreening to identify potential customers for the products they offer. Prescreened offers (sometimes called “preapproved” offers) are based on information in your credit report. Unless you “Opt-Out”, your personal information is widely shared among…
Scam Alert: COVID-19 Con artists are working overtime during these trying times. The Federal Trade Commission says coronavirus-related scams have cost Americans $13.4 million so far this year. To avoid falling prey, they recommend the following: Don’t respond to texts, emails, or calls about checks from the government Ignore online offers for vaccinations Be…
Technology to Make Social Distancing Easier Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, many of us have discovered new ways to use technology to make social distancing easier. We recently shared how we’re adapting to Ohio’s Stay at Home Order in our “What’s Happening” blog post. Our Fall 2019 Client Education Workshop featured speaker John Diehl of Hartford…
Beyond Your Finances, Estate & Legacy
Spring Cleaning: Personal & Financial Growing up the two most detested words were when my mom would announce every April that it was time to begin our “Spring Cleaning”. It meant endless hours of moving furniture and tearing our bedrooms apart to clean under and behind our beds and dressers, wiping down baseboards and…
Beyond Your Finances, Market Commentary
Good News, New Opportunities and Things We Can Control It is completely understandable to fear uncertainty. Like most crises (9/11, housing recession, etc.) this coronavirus crisis comes with a lot of uncertainty causing us to feel anxious, overwhelmed, and confused about how to handle our money. The COVID-19 pandemic adds the additional unusual aspect of…
A recent post from Jamie on his WealthAdviceMadeSimple blog regarding potential impacts of the CFP® Board’s new code of ethics and standards of conduct. But the Commercials Are So Good! For years now, I’ve been railing about what I believe to be misleading commercials on TV from big insurance companies that talk about trust, and helping…
Beyond Your Finances, Market Commentary, PDS News
The Silent Tax: Your Wealth Management Fees Originally published in Columbus CEO magazine on July 2, 2019 From the conflicted days of commissions to the advent of fee-only relationships, things have certainly improved for clients. But the work is not done. Today, everyone throws around the term “fiduciary,” and though many meet the textbook definition…
