Craig Smith Archives

15 Sep

Staying Found

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

Staying Found Years ago, Melinda and I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Ashland, OR to Manning Park, British Columbia. We learned a lot about ourselves during the roughly 900 trail-mile trip, celebrated our first wedding anniversary sleeping on

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

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

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