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Does Cash Buy Happiness?

In Articles, Articles: Kansas City Office, Articles: Salt Lake City Office by Scott Dougan

There have been a number of recent studies completed to determine what makes us happy. In several studies, it was concluded that quality relationships are most important in determining levels of happiness. Other studies looked at the effect of money on happiness. In fact, research by the Nobel laureate psychologist and economist Daniel Kahneman showed that money increases happiness until about …

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2022 Winter Newsletter: Kansas City

In Newsletters, Newsletters: Kansas City Office, Newsletters: Kansas City Office by Scott Dougan

I think we don’t spend enough time and energy discussing compounding. Sure, we feel its effects when we look at our account statements from the last couple of years (especially when compared to statements from a decade ago!), but what about other areas of our lives? Is there a compounding effect that’s possible in our careers, relationships, and families that …

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Briefcase Study: How Low Can You Go?

In Articles, Articles: Kansas City Office, Articles: Salt Lake City Office, Briefcase Studies, SLC Spring 2022, Spring 2022 by Scott Dougan

Reduced Stress Through Rehearsed Austerity  A recent client review meeting reminded me that money can be stressful. This is a statement so obvious that it seems silly to write it out, but there it is. It can stress me out, and I’ll bet you feel it from time-to-time as well. While I won’t suggest that money’s emotional and intellectual burdens …

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Back to the Basics: Inflation’s Effects on Your Retirement

In Articles, Articles: Kansas City Office, Articles: Salt Lake City Office, Back to the Basics, SLC Spring 2022, Spring 2022 by Scott Dougan

The headlines are screaming, and the data is real: inflation is on the rise. In fact, we’re seeing higher rates of inflation now than we’ve seen in 40 years.  Prices are going up and that can be a very scary reality for retirees. But how does that actually impact you? If you’re retired now or planning to retire soon, what …

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If You Knew, Would You Act Differently?

In Articles, Articles: Kansas City Office, Articles: Salt Lake City Office by Scott Dougan

If you want to see my heart break, tell me a story about a family ripped apart by money quarrels. I just cannot stand to think that relationships once valued were severed by a disagreement over financial matters. I’m actually sick to my stomach having just written those two sentences. It just seems unnecessary, but it happens all the time. …

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The One Word Retirement Plan

In Articles, Articles: Kansas City Office, Articles: Salt Lake City Office by Scott Dougan

If you could choose just a single descriptor for what you’d like for the next 30 years of your life, what would it be? For some, flexibility may be the word, for others, family. Here are words that may strike a chord with you: Flexibility Family Faithfulness Activity Travel Peacefulness Contentment Regret-Free (does a hyphen qualify it as one word?) …