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In the 1971 movie classic, Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood has a criminal cornered and utters one of the most iconic lines in movie history… “I know what you’re thinking: 'Did he fire six shots or only five?' Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I’ve kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you’ve got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?” Rec

By Thomas R. Kestler Age. It’s just a number, right? Turns out, there’s a lot more to it. Our chronological age clock started ticking the day we were born. And, with each circumnavigation of the sun, our chronological age adds one year. Pretty simple. But, over the last decade or so, the medical community has begun paying attention to our biological age. Biological age is defined as an estimate of the individual’s position with respect to his or her potential life span. Biolo

By Thomas R. Kestler Many marriage counselors will tell you, a leading reason why couples break up is money differences. There are many studies about the money behavior of married couples. The studies show that many couples ignore signs that they might be financially incompatible. These studies also show that when it comes to finding an ideal partner, money and potential earnings were not a priority. Both men and women valued personality, character and looks above financial s

Thomas R. Kestler, CFP, CLU, ChFC, CMFC We hear it all the time. Somebody will say, “The average return in the stock market is XX%” or “The Super Equity mutual fund had an average return of XX%.” My first reaction to any comment using averages is skepticism. Averages can be very misleading. For example, “cherry picking” a timeframe in order to show a high return is commonplace. On the other hand, the march of time itself can have a significant effect on averages. Consider you

Did you know you can give to charity and lower your taxes at the same time? 💡 Learn how a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA can make a big impact—for you and your favorite cause.

By Thomas R. Kestler, CFP, CLU, ChFC, CMFC As we enter the holiday season, many of us consider making charitable donations to a favorite cause or institution. According to the Giving USA report, Americans gave $592 billion to charity in 2024. Many of the donations were significant gifts as opposed to a few dollars here or there. If you are considering making a significant gift, here are three strategies that could help both you and the charity. Donate Appreciated Assets We ma

By Thomas R. Kestler In this world of social media and artificial intelligence (AI), we can be overwhelmed by information – some good, some bad. The problem with financial information is that while something could be a life saver for one client, it could also be disastrous for another. The difference comes down to two things – questions and qualifications. Questions – Has your advisor asked enough questions to fully understand your situation, needs, risk tolerance, and aspira

The outpouring of compassion, support, and love that I've received since my first blog post has been beyond not just anything that I had...

My ability to be this open is new. My journey has been long and winding, with many frustrating false starts and demotivating dead ends.