A Wall Street Journal blog post earlier this year cited a study which concluded that millennials who borrowed money to secure a college degree were more likely to achieve certain measures of financial success...  Read More →

The best time to start year-end planning is really April 15th, after you complete or sign your tax return and realize how the taxes could have been changed, had certain action been taken in the prior year...  Read More →

Now that I have your attention, let me explain.  As someone with fewer years in the workforce when compared to most of my colleagues, I am often reminded that retirement is many, many years away.  The...  Read More →

In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy.  In this letter, he wrote “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world...  Read More →

On a recent weekend excursion to run some errands, one of which entailed sitting in the waiting room of the auto dealership waiting for my truck to be serviced, I heard a radio commercial whose focus seemed to...  Read More →

Take a moment to think back to that well-taught, highly practical personal finance class that you experienced in school.  This was the class that taught us to maintain and balance a checking account. ...  Read More →

Twice over the past twelve months, we have seen global stock markets decline 15% - 20%, followed by rebounds restoring markets to within 5% of their historic highs.   Headlines remain full of reasons to...  Read More →

Financial Strategist Debbie Moses sat down with MCWS Chief Investment Officer Fred Tipper for a Q&A about recent market volatility and the future outlook for the economy:Read More →

The onset of the 2016 baseball season caused me to reflect on our national pastimes of baseball and planning for retirement – and just how similar they are in strategy.  You’ve probably not...  Read More →

There are many types of financial advisors. Some are generalists, some are specialists. Some are paid transaction-based commissions, some charge a percentage of assets managed and others bill an hourly or flat...  Read More →

One of the perks of being a financial advisor is that you get to share in the dreams and passions of your clients. You get to celebrate the milestones with them and, from time-to-time, you get to share some of...  Read More →

As a senior in high school who was considering preparations for college, I can remember thinking, “My parents will take care of it!” Then, a decade later, as a financial aid director, I realized...  Read More →

In the waning days of calendar year 2015, the 114th Congress characteristically took last-minute action to address a number of expired income tax provisions. One extended tax provision that has garnered favor...  Read More →

In recent months, many of McKinley Carter’s nonprofit clients have asked about how to build or revitalize a major gifts program. This blog post on “Five Ways to Increase Major Giving at Your...  Read More →

I had long held the idea that there were only three things one could do with money: spend it; save it; or gift it (i.e. give it away).  And, as a Financial Advisor, I had lumped investing into the &ldquo...  Read More →

A lot has been written over the past decade about the tendency of otherwise smart and accomplished people to make what appear to be dumb decisions with their finances and other life choices.  See, for...  Read More →

With all the stories circulating today about identity theft, we all vow we will make our passwords strong enough to thwart even the most ingenious hacker. Unfortunately, we may not be sure how to accomplish...  Read More →

With New Year's resolutions still intact, we turn to other traditions that lack the charm of ringing in the New Year - - TAX TIME! Some say preparing the return is easy compared to assembling the...  Read More →

In the most significant reform to Social Security since 1983, the 2015 federal budget act includes sweeping changes to Social Security that take away a number of creative strategies that previously allowed...  Read More →

As you have likely heard, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has declined 10% from its peak several months ago.  The media calls this a “correction.”Read More →

Part of the art of managing investments is deciding how (if at all) to adjust portfolios in response to specific short-term developments without compromising long-term fundamental principles of prudent...  Read More →

There has been a lot in the press recently about new automated online “robo advisor” services that help people design and implement investment programs.  The greatest value of these programs...  Read More →

Ok, so I know the title is harsh. I'm a millennial too, and I get just as annoyed by Baby Boomers harping on us, our work ethic, our style, and our music (I don't like Pitbull either, Dad). But if there...  Read More →

On Friday, March 11, 2011, an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan.  A New York Times account stated skyscrapers shook, furniture toppled, and highways buckled.  Thirty-foot waves rushed onto shore...  Read More →

Some days it feels like my email box is glutted with articles on retirement planning.  With the first wave of the 76 million Baby Boomers careening through their mid-60’s today, it seems only natural...  Read More →