Craig Smith, CFP®, CFA®, CKA®, Author at von Borstel & Associates

14 Jul

Everything You Own

By Craig Smith, CFP®, CFA®, CKA®
In Blog

Everything You Own A realtor friend jokingly congratulated me on purchasing my home in 2009 by saying, “Welcome to the class of ‘home-moaners’!”. Get it? Homeowners constantly moan about their property’s maintenance, upkeep, and to-dos. If you’ve owned a home

16 Jun

Dr. Bob, and Planning with the Goal in Mind

By Craig Smith, CFP®, CFA®, CKA®
In Blog, Financial Planning, Investing, Live Your Best Life, Personal Finance, Planning, Success

I LOVE the game of golf. The history, the tradition, the etiquette, the finesse, and the challenge of hitting a stationary object consistently (how hard can golf be?)

11 Feb

I Wanna Be Like Ike

By Craig Smith, CFP®, CFA®, CKA®
In Blog, Financial Planning

Remember those old Michael Jordan commercials? “I wanna be, I wanna be like Mike…” Well, how about wanting to be like Ike, as in Dwight D. Eisenhower. Supreme Allied Commander of joint military forces during World War II, and after

29 Jan

Beware the Soothsayer

By Craig Smith, CFP®, CFA®, CKA®
In Blog, Investing

Beware the Ides of March. NO! Beware the soothsayer! Remember reading Shakespeare in your high school English class? The classic work of Julius Caesar gives the prognosticating soothsayer these words, “Beware the Ides of March.” As it turns out, the

12 Dec

4,000 Miles

By Craig Smith, CFP®, CFA®, CKA®
In Blog, Live Your Best Life

How far can you get in 4,000 miles? That’s the question I asked myself as I biked home in the dark with a flashing headlight and taillight on my bike while wearing wool socks, spandex pants, bike shorts, gloves, wind/rain

19 Nov

Like Sands Through the Hourglass

It’s 1989, and I’m 9 years old. My parents worry about kids ending up on a milk carton, yet they let me walk to and from grade school. A journey of about three blocks, but it was an adventure! They

30 May

Stop the World! I Want to Get Off!

By Craig Smith, CFP®, CFA®, CKA®
In Blog, Live Your Best Life, Self-Help, Success

That’s the sense I get from many people that I talk with today. There’s so much going on, and coming at us so fast. If you turn on the news, peruse the internet or pick up a newspaper, all you

23 Apr

When Can “Lumpy” Be Good?

By Craig Smith, CFP®, CFA®, CKA®
In Blog, Taxes

The word “lumpy” doesn’t evoke a lot of positive thoughts. Lumpy greens aren’t fun to putt on, and a lumpy mattress isn’t going to lead to a good night’s sleep. But there are times when lumpy can be good, especially

26 Jan

Have You Heard of a QCD?

By Craig Smith, CFP®, CFA®, CKA®
In Blog, Giving, Taxes

Not KFC. Not QFC. A QCD, also known as a Qualified Charitable Distribution. With the changes to the tax code for 2018, it’s possible that your charitable contributions will no longer result in a reduction of your tax liability. The