Good Financial Reads: Holiday Special Edition

Supply disruptions and higher prices have marred the post-pandemic world. Despite assurances from authorities and economists that these effects are “transitory,” the fact remains that they’re bad and not getting better soon. With Christmas 2021 shopping on the horizon, this becomes an even bigger issue. Store inventories are lean and ships delivering Christmas goods are stuck in ports. Of all the years NOT to procrastinate with your Christmas shopping, this is the year. Shop now for Christmas before it’s too late!

We are approaching the season of giving, and you might be wondering how you can align your giving with your values in a way that makes an impact in the world. 

According to Fidelity Charitable, "Greek playwright Aeschylus coined the term philanthropy in the 5th century BCE. It meant 'love of humanity.'" But we know now that it encompasses a great many more things, such as the environment, social justice, and animal welfare.

“Why do we do a thankful tree?”

Our 4-year-old asked the question as he stretched precariously to place a construction paper leaf on the highest branch he could reach.

I was in Target the other day looking for Halloween ideas, and I was shocked at the number of empty shelves.  There were at least four long aisles of open shelving where Halloween supplies and costumes would usually be.  Unfortunately, this trend is not going away anytime soon.  According to Jonathan Gold, vice president of supply chain policy at the National Retail Federation, “…We’ve been warning consumers to manage their expectations for the holiday shopping season for months now.  The fact of the matter is the supply chain is stretched to its limit from end-to-end.”  [1] This reality prompted me to think of gift ideas that don’t need shipping.

This week’s episode gets into the holiday spirit as advisors Abrin Berkemeyer CFP® and Tyler Hafford dive into the common questions they get from relatives at the Thanksgiving table, as well as the financial planning tools they are most thankful for. Tune in and see the Things your crazy uncle might have been wrong about at Thanksgiving!