The Vitality Group

Life is better with cookies!

It's National Picnic Month!

Red, white, and blue, and proud through and through!

Celebrating all of the dads today!

Pride is for everyone!

Remembering and honoring those who have fallen protecting our freedom. We don’t know them all, but we owe them all.

Are niche retirement communities right for you?

Niche Retirement Communities Are Growing — Are They Right for You? From RV enthusiasts to Jimmy Buffett fans to yogis, there's a niche retirement community for almost everyone.

Americans are concerned about layoffs

Most Americans are Worried About Layoffs: Survey With what feels like daily reports of layoffs, many Americans have concerns.

To the world you are a mother, but to your family, you are the world.

“No language can express the power and beauty and heroism of a mother’s love.” —Edwin Chapin

Thank you, Mom, for everything.

Banking crisis and mortgage rates, what does this mean?

What the banking crisis means for mortgage rates | CNN Business Mortgage rates have taken would-be buyers on a ride this year — and it's only March.

Happy Earth Day!

A fun twist on strawberries!

Deviled Strawberries A tray of deviled strawberries goes a long way, whether it's part of Sunday brunch or served as a quick dessert. Our deviled strawberry recipe is easy to make and has five variations to please every preference.

The 50-30-20 Budget

The 50-30-20 Budget Rule is a Simple Way to Save Money The rule keeps budgeting simple while helping prioritize savings and pay off debt.

A house isn’t a home without a pet.

Tips for controlling spending and growing savings

How to Control Spending and Grow Your Savings We all could benefit from some tips to control spending and build up a savings stash.

Happy International Women's Day! Recognize a strong woman in your life today!

5 savings mistakes people make when building their financial life

5 savings mistakes people make when building their financial life | CNN Business The road to financial independence is not easy, and usually requires patience and diligence early on.

A warm salute to our nation’s great leaders!

3 ways to know if your financial advisor understands estate planning

Disclaimer: Financial Professionals do not provide specific tax/legal advice and this information should not be considered as such. You should always consult your tax/legal advisor regarding your own specific tax/legal situation.

Estate Planning? 3 Ways to Know If Your Financial Adviser ‘Gets It’ If they understand the value and mechanics of estate planning, they can offer you peace of mind and the support your loved ones will need when you’re gone.

Human brains simply aren’t designed for long-term thinking.

MRIs have shown that our brains think of our future selves as entirely different people, and only 35% of people say they think about the future at all once a week (Verywell Mind, 2022).

This is why we can say our retirement is a priority, but actually taking action on this future day after day can be an uphill battle.

Don't struggle at this alone!

A financial professional can help you map out your next step toward financial security and then motivate you to accomplish it.

I'm happy to grab coffee to talk more about this topic. Just send me a message!

The complete guide to preparing for retirement at any age Whether you're starting to save for retirement in your 30s, 40s, or beyond, find tips and strategies for how to maximize your retirement plan and accounts.

We hope you spend the day with someone you love!

Charitable giving in 2023

What Will Charitable Giving Look Like in 2023? Major giving trends are likely to be increased asset giving when equity markets recover, growing trust-based philanthropy, an acceleration in legacy giving and more.

Do you know someone who could use a little encouragement on the money front?

This article is packed with tools and resources to help anyone get on track for the number one money concern in America: Retirement.

(According to a 2022 Gallup poll)

The complete guide to preparing for retirement at any age Whether you're starting to save for retirement in your 30s, 40s, or beyond, find tips and strategies for how to maximize your retirement plan and accounts.

Regardless of age, retirement is a big concern.

You need to know if you're saving enough to have the retirement you desire, and if you're not on track, what steps do you need to take to get there.

In this guide, you'll find what you need to know to take your retirement strategy to the next level:

The complete guide to preparing for retirement at any age Whether you're starting to save for retirement in your 30s, 40s, or beyond, find tips and strategies for how to maximize your retirement plan and accounts.

How much should I contribute to my retirement annually?

Typically, financial experts will tell you to contribute 15% of your annual income to retirement.

However, typical advice isn’t always helpful. Your specific path to retirement should account for when you started saving, your income throughout your career, other assets such as real estate and other alternative investments, and your expectations for retirement.

We recommend starting with a retirement calculator to determine if you are on track, then sitting down with a financial professional to talk through the results based on your current lifestyle and your future goals.

You can calculate your retirement readiness using my calculator here:

Am I on track for my retirement goals? | Free Calculator Use this free, no-obligation calculator to determine if your retirement contributions are on track to achieve financial independence.

Did you know...

Gen Z (born 1997 to 2012) is putting away more than previous generations for retirement and has a greater understanding of things such as target date funds (BlackRock, 2022).

This focus on starting early will serve the generation most interest in retiring early and most likely to experience a long lifespan.

If you're in a Millennial or Gen Zer, you are in a great place to start putting money away to get the most out of compound interest.

Interested in getting started? I am happy to provide some insights on how to make the most of your employer's benefits package.

Today, we honor the civil rights leader, activist, and orator Martin Luther King Jr., and celebrate his contributions to racial equity in America.

Here are a few ways you can meaningfully celebrate today while continuing to build a better future:
1. Educate yourself on the history and current experience of Black Americans.
2. Volunteer at an organization empowering Black communities.
3. Support a Black-owned local business.
4. Watch a movie about King's life.

Any other ideas of ways to make a difference in your own community this MLK day?

Retirement is continually the top financial concern for Americans (Gallup, 2022). Unfortunately, this worry doesn’t always translate to action.

A full 52% of American workers say their retirement savings are not where they need to be, and a further 16% are not sure whether they’re on track (Bankrate, 2021).

This data can be discouraging, but it shouldn’t be terribly surprising. Human brains simply aren’t designed for long-term thinking.

MRIs have shown that our brains think of our future selves as entirely different people, and only 35% of people say they think about the future at all once a week (Verywell Mind, 2022).

The future is abstract to us. We don’t relate to that future self, and it is easy to rationalize that we’ll solve that problem when we get to it.

To succeed with retirement savings, you need to make it immediate and tangible for your current self.

You need actionable goals at each stage of the financial journey to keep you motivated and on track for the future you desire.

This is where a financial professional can help. If you're interested in talking, I'm always available!

P.S. Here are my sources for my fellow data nerds:
- Saad, L. (2022, May 16). Americans’ financial worries tick up in past year. Gallup.com.
- Royal, J. (2021, November 17). Survey: More than half of American workers feel behind on retirement savings. Bankrate.
- Ariane Resnick, C. N. C. (2022, April 21). Why are people bad at long-term planning? Verywell Mind.

Talking about money is uncomfortable, especially with the people who at one point had to teach you *everything.*

However, whether your parents plan to pass down assets or you’re part of the 32% of adults providing financial support to their parents (AARP, 2020), communicating expectations for the future can alleviate some stress for both you and your parents.

You may want to prepare to have multiple conversations about your parents’ current plans and future expectations, including their:

https://bit.ly/3GaSbSg

How to start multi-generational money conversations Depending on your relationship with your parents or kids and your plans for your own legacy, it may be time to stop avoiding the “money talk.”