Here's your source for thoughts and observations on all things financial (and otherwise). Topics can range from tips on your personal well being to the well being of your investments. As always, we welcome your comments and feedback.
Disclaimer: Our blog posts are for informational purposes only and are not to be considered investment, tax, or financial advice. Cornerstone does not and cannot guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any information presented in our blog posts regarding your individual circumstances. Please review your personal situation with your tax and/or financial advisor.
Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending the 37th Annual Meeting for Coastal Enterprises Inc. (CEI). CEI, located in Wiscasset Maine, lends money and support to businesses in Maine and New England. Their philosophy was inspired by the civil rights movement and their mission is “to help create economically and environmentally healthy communities in which all people, especially those with low…
Read MoreCornerstone Financial Planning, a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm, announced that today marks their 11th year of helping people achieve their financial goals. Susan Veligor and Jill Boynton joined forces back in February 2004 to found Cornerstone Financial Planning. Since then the company has grown to five employees over their two offices in Portland, Maine and…
Read MoreIts winter and we should all be prepared for snow, but this winter has been a record-breaker! And it isn’t over yet. While you’re shoveling your walkway for the hundredth time keep in mind that the heavy amounts of snow that have fallen over the past couple of months could be damaging to homes and cause financial trouble. Ice dams prevent proper drainage of snow and water from the roof. …
Read MoreSusan, Mackenzie and I spent 3 days last week honing our life planning skills at the Money Quotient workshop they hosted in Portland. What is so fascinating about life planning is the relationship between our rational brain and our emotional brain. The neocortex, where we process data and make rational decisions, is separate from the limbic brain, which drives our emotional behaviors and…
Read MoreThis is the time of year to think about gifting to your favorite charity or charities using stock or mutual funds you own that if sold would create an income tax liability to you. By giving directly to a charity you receive a deduction for the full value of the gift and bypass any tax you would otherwise owe if you had sold this stock or mutual fund yourself. At Cornerstone we donate 1% of our…
Read MoreI read a sports blog today where, for the first time in my experience, someone actually suggested the Patriots might want to trade Tom Brady. I’m a loyal Pats fan, but I (who professes no great knowledge of football) have had that thought in the back of my mind for a while now. I’m sure many Patriot fans will be incensed at the thought of it. “What?! Trade Brady? No way!” He’s been an…
Read MoreThe New York Times reported last week that the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which is the Rockefeller family’s $860 million charitable organization, will divest itself of fossil fuel holdings following a movement that began on college campuses two years ago. The Rockefeller brothers amassed much of their vast wealth from The Standard Oil Company which they co-founded back in 1870.
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Last Thursday night I attended Down East Magazine's 60th birthday party. This wasn't any old birthday party, the magazine partnered with six Maine artists and were able to raise $60,000 for six Maine organizations. The list included The Locker Project, a Community Partner of The Good Shepherd Food Bank, Colby College Museum of Art, North Haven EMS, MECA Scholarship Fund, Maine Organic Farmers and…
Read MoreDid you ever think reading about economics could be fun? (Probably not, or you’d be in our line of business!) Economist Steven Levitt and author Stephen Dubner have done just that with their 2009 book “Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything” (followed by “Super Freakonomics” in 2011.) When a book tackles topics like “Why a prostitute makes more money…
Read MoreThe issue of income disparity among workers and the unequal distribution of wealth in general in our country is highlighted in the news these days. Bill Nemitz of the Portland Press Herald recently wrote an encouraging piece about Maine shoe store chain Lamey Wellehan, where the average hourly wage of its 100 employees is $15, exclusive of other benefits provided. Owner Jim Wellehan has a video on…
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