Stonecreek Blog

A friend of ours was lamenting how slow and costly it was to sort out his parents’ estate after they had both passed away. His father thought that by setting up a trust, everything would be easily distributed to his heirs. Unfortunately, our friend and his siblings found out that

Christine Benz knows a lot about managing money and saving for retirement. For decades she’s been a personal finance columnist for Morningstar, the influential investment research company. Benz has demonstrated her expertise in books like 30-Minute Money Solutions and The Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds.1 But as she was conducting

Knowledge has its limits. Just because you know all the reasons you should do something, doesn’t mean you’ll actually do it. For example, there are nurses who smoke cigarettes, paramedics who drive recklessly, and estate attorneys who haven’t written out their own wills. At least if you have the knowledge,

As last year’s robust gains continued into the fourth quarter, financial analysts were using an explanatory term you might be more likely to hear from a shaman: animal spirits.1 They were using it to refer to the strong emotions that sometimes drive economic behavior, especially the herd mentality that seems

You read that headline correctly. You can still potentially reduce your tax liability for last year by making contributions to your eligible qualified accounts by April 15, 2025. And to maximize your tax savings for this year, it’s good to familiarize yourself with any changes in contribution limits for 2025.

Benjamin Franklin was so varied in his accomplishments, he almost seems like a mythical character. One of the leading scientists of his time, he discovered key principles of electricity and first documented the Gulf Stream. He invented the lightning rod, the Franklin stove, and bifocal glasses—all of which are still

Saving for retirement is a big challenge. In order to be able to live without a job, a person needs to accumulate a significant nest egg of assets that can be turned into cash flow. To do this requires them to keep control of their personal finances while aggressively funding

The 1994 movie Forrest Gump featured one of the best fictional investing decisions in all of film. Late in the movie, Gump receives a letter from his war buddy and business partner Lieutenant Dan, which informs him how Dan has invested the profits from their shrimp business.1 “He’s got me

In the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s character finds himself having the same interactions over and over again. In fact, early in the story he puts a great amount of effort into trying to break out of these rote exchanges. But one of the things that has made the movie

Do you remember the first time you went on Zillow? For many of us the initial draw to the real estate site wasn’t so we could buy or sell a home. We wanted to see how the value of our neighbors’ houses compared with ours. We love to compare ourselves

The start of a new year is a great time to make improvements to your personal, professional, and financial life. However, as you’ve probably experienced, making significant change isn’t easy. Research shows that only 9% of people succeed at keeping their New Year’s resolutions. In fact, nearly a quarter of

January 1st is synonymous with New Year’s Day just like July 4th will always be Independence Day (at least for Americans). But has it ever struck you that observing the start of the year in the middle of winter seems a little arbitrary? Wouldn’t it make more sense to begin

There’s a long tradition of remarkable-but-true stories associated with the holiday season. After all, it’s the darkest and coldest time of year (in the northern hemisphere) and maybe that’s why stories of unexpected generosity and hope stand out. Take for instance Peggy King’s story of a last minute “Santa” who

If you’ve ever tried to teach a child to ride a bike without training wheels, you’re probably familiar with the following scenario. The kid is on the bike, feet on the pedals, hands on the handlebars. You the adult are holding firmly onto the back of the bike seat. The

The holidays can be a difficult time for many people. For some, it’s an annual reminder of lost loved ones or strained relationships with living family. For others, this time of year is a reminder of personal shortcomings, or just a sense that despite all the festive trappings, their life

Your Investment Strategy Shouldn’t Be Based on or Change Because of Political Headlines In today’s world, political news often dominates the headlines, and for many investors, it can stir up concerns about how these events might impact their portfolios. From debates over tariffs and inflation to discussions about immigration and

For many working people, the ominous feeling begins on Sunday night. They know that when they wake up on Monday, they are going to have to make it through another tough day at their job—research says that Mondays are the most stressful days at work.1 Dr. Jordan Grumet often felt

With the election, you probably saw some pretty dramatic predictions about what would happen to the economy if one side or the other wins. While the outcome of this particular election was hard to predict (not just nationally, but for state and local offices as well), economists identified some market