Happy President’s Day! Each presidency comes with its fair share of champions and naysayers and we all know the numbers can be interpreted to support both sides of the aisle.
We’re celebrating this President’s Day with a look at various economic statistics during each President’s term since Eisenhower (1953 – 1961) as most data wasn’t consistently tracked before then. Enjoy the look back!
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2016 has been a whirlwind of a year, but hopefully not on your finances. Life changes and with it come new expenses or new financial goals. It’s important to regularly check in on your finances to ensure you are staying on track. What better time than the new year?
Here are 5 things to review as we move into 2017:
Income and expenses
The key to managing a spending plan is knowing how much money is coming in and how much is going out. As we head into the new year, review your pay stubs, earnings reports and other sources of income and crunch some numbers. Once you’ve figured out your income, do the same with your expenses.
Try out an online budget tool or use online banking to automatically categorize your expenses so you can see where you are spending the most. Pull up your budget from last year to see what may have changed and adjust as needed. Remember to be realistic about how much you will spend, not how much you want to spend.
Many people may experience a spiked eggnog hangover during the holiday season, but do you also find yourself with a spending hangover? That nagging feeling that you may have spent too much on gifts for your loved ones but you aren’t really sure how much you should have spent?
According to a recent survey by T. Rowe Price, you are not alone. Of the participants surveyed, 64% “spent more over the holidays than [they] should have”. And women are not the only ones doing the holiday shopping. “Men are more likely than women to try to get everything on their kids’ lists (60% vs. 45%).” The holiday spending hangover is increasing as well. Of the participants surveyed, 69% spent the same amount, a little bit more, or a lot more than last year.
As Thanksgiving approaches we like to take a moment to reflect on all of the things we have to be grateful for. When we asked the team what they are grateful for, Joel’s response encapsulated how all of us at SH&J feel, “I am grateful for clients who trust us to manage their portfolios.”
From all of us, thank you for your trust in us. We are so grateful for you!
SH&J Wishes America a Happy 240th Birthday
The team at Sharkey, Howes and Javer wish you a happy Fourth of July. We hope you enjoy the ball games, cook-outs and fireworks often associated with celebrating our independence. Please, take a moment to remember those who have fought for our country and the freedoms we enjoy.
In observance of the holiday, our office will be closed on Monday, July 4th. We will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday, July 5th. Continue reading
For many, Presidents Day is simply a three-day-weekend. For others it is another day at the office. Presidents Day was first known as “Washington’s Birthday” and was established in 1885 in recognition of George Washington’s birthday. After the 1971 Uniform Monday Holiday Act, the day became commonly known as Presidents day. (source)
Join us today in learning a few facts about some of our former presidents:
George Washington (1st President 1789-1797)
George Washington’s estate was worth about $780,000 when he died which was about 0.19% of the nation’s GDP at that time. In 2014, his estate would have been worth about $34 billion in today’s dollars. (source) Continue reading
Reminder: SH&J is closed at 12:00 p.m. on December 31 and all day on January 1 to allow our team to celebrate the New Year.
It’s hard to believe the year is nearly over and 2016 is about to begin. We have been steadily blogging and thought it would be fun to end the year by sharing our most popular blog posts and series. Feel free to share your favorites as well as what you’d like to see on our blog in 2016 in the comments below.
10. 2015 Medical Advocacy Event
As healthcare continues to change, having a partner to advocate for your care and the care of your loved ones is more important than ever. If you were unable to attend our event in the Spring, we highly recommend watching the video. Watch Now>
9. 10 Ways to Show Your Money Some Love
Although it was written around Valentine’s Day, the tips apply all year long. From saving to looking for tax free options, this post is well worth a second look. Read Now>
All of us at Sharkey, Howes and Javer wish you peace, joy and prosperity throughout the coming year. Thank you for your continued trust. We look forward to working with you in 2016 and the years to come.
Please note our holiday schedule:
Thursday, December 24: 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Friday, December 25: Closed
Thursday, December 31: 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Friday, January 1: Closed
The holidays sneak up on us every year. Often we haven’t taken the time to plan how and what we will spend during the holiday season. Before you start shopping, take a look at our tips to help keep your spending in check and your post-holiday bank account happier.
1. Set a Limit
Take a look at your budget and set a limit for holiday purchases. Consider using cash for shopping so when the money is gone, it is gone. A better suggestion is to fund a holiday spending account throughout the year. That way, the money is already saved and ready to spend guilt-free by the time the holidays roll around.
2. Shorten Your List
Even Santa makes a list of who is naughty and nice. While you might not want to decide who receives gifts the same way Santa does, looking at your list is an important step in keeping your spending under control. If you have more than a handful of people you buy gifts for outside of your immediate family, it may be time to cut down. Instead of buying gifts for everyone, consider writing a personal note or dropping off homemade goods. Continue reading
At Thanksgiving we take time to reflect on how thankful we are for you — our clients. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by loved ones. We will be closed on Thursday, November 26th and Friday, November 27th to allow our team to celebrate the holiday.
In the spirit of the season, enjoy this excerpt from the poem “The Pumpkin” by John Greenleaf Whittier. Read the full poem here
Ah! on Thanksgiving day, when from East and from West,
From North and from South comes the pilgrim and guest;
When the gray-haired New Englander sees round his board
The old broken links of affection restored,
When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,
And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before,
What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye?
What calls back the past, like the rich Pumpkin pie?
Happy Thanksgiving!
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