Keagan Kinsella | October 1, 2020

October is here….wow, can you believe it has been 6 months since I started this newsletter during the beginning of quarantine? COVID has changed our lives in so many ways! From a personal finance perspective, you may find it interesting to find that the coronavirus crisis has sparked more than just toilet paper hoarding—it also affected money hoarding! That’s right, in April, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis said the personal savings rate jumped up to 33%. This is a historic high! Did you find yourself being more of a saver during these times of uncertainty? Or are you one of those who got the most bang from every buck of their Amazon Prime membership?

Today we’re covering the following topics:

• Question of the month: More interest please?!
• Trendy TESLA and an Econ 101 moment, talking “Veblen Goods”
• Refinancing in 350 words. How…and why now?

  By Keagan Kinsella | September 1, 2020

Welcome back to this month’s newsletter, and welcome to September! Here’s a preview of what’s in the lineup for today!

• Question of the week: A joint IRA? Is that “a thing?”
• COVID continues student loan payment deferral
• Update: Little Green Machine… was it worth the splurge?
• Back to school meal prep idea—healthy, simple, Mexican rice dish

 August 24, 2020 | Keagan Kinsella

The other day, I was reading a list of a client’s employer benefits. I saw the usual: health insurance, HSA, life/accidental death, PTO, and then 401K match with “true-up.” I know a lot of financial lingo, but this one stumped me, as I had never heard of “true-up” before! I went to go research it, and soon realized it is an important tidbit of knowledge to share in case it is an unfamiliar term to you as well.

 By Keagan Kinsella | August 3, 2020

Welcome back to this month’s newsletter, and happy August! Here’s a preview of what we’re going to talk about today!

• Tik Tok made me do what??…Vacuum cleaner edition!
• Question of the week: Don’t I make my account more aggressive as I get closer to retirement because I will need to actually have more money to use sooner?
• All about this nationwide coin shortage
• A simple & healthy summer dessert recipe

By Keagan Kinsella | July 2020

Welcome back to this month’s newsletter, and happy Fourth of July! Here’s a preview of what we’re going to talk about today! 

• It’s wedding season!: Want to hear about a unique and financially-fun gift for brides and grooms this year?
• Question of the week: Will keeping my student loans around longer improve my credit score, or will paying them off ding it?
• Saving money tip: A different kind of online shopping… Face to Face-book! Have you experienced the magic of Marketplace?
• Quality of life after quarantine: Gyms open once again! What have you been missing? 

By Kate Chapman | June 17, 2020

I introduced my kids to puzzles at a young age, they would lay on our kitchen floor and put them together, for hours.  It was exciting to watch them use their cognitive skills, as well as their emotional skills. They learned patience, and would enjoy the reward of a completed picture at the end!

It’s one of those things that I look forward to doing, similar to reading a good book. Do you ever get so curious about the ending of a book, you skip the last couple chapters? A puzzle is different in the fact, that you know what it’s going to look like, it’s the journey of puzzling that intrigues me.

By Keagan Kinsella | June 1, 2020

Welcome back to this month's newsletter! How is June already here? While the world is still crazy, things things like work and being out of the house more are slowly starting to become “normal" again for many of us. 

One thing I personally find interesting is the power of perspective. For example, you may hear people talk about how their 401k or other investments have been “crushed” because of the market tanking. Or maybe you are just too scared to look at your statements because you feel like your investments have been crushed! That could be true, they may have been—but as I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, there was a big decline from February 19 that lasted until March 23 and since then, things have been slowly coming back up. Surprisingly, if you look back one year ago, the S&P 500 is actually up 8.1% (as of 5/29). We don’t pretend to know what the future will hold, but it’s always good to be aware to have context!

By Keagan Kinsella | May 1, 2020

Welcome back to the second edition of my monthly newsletter! Another month of social distancing, Zoom-hangouts, and turning on the news and knowing exactly what the headlines will be... There are lots of numbers flying around, whether it be COVID cases, the stock market (the S&P 500 was down double digits March, and up double digits in April!), the unemployment rate, or the price of a gallon of gasoline (stay tuned for more about why gas is so cheap). There will also be numbers in this newsletter, but my hope is they will be more relatable and fun to you!

In this newsletter I will share:

• Five key things to know about the CARES Act (and what it means for you!)
• Question of the month: Student loan edition
• Video: How to prioritize your cash flow (what to do with your stimulus check!?)
• My favorite online home workout videos
• Recipe of the month: Gooey Chocolate Chip Mug Cake (Protein packed!)​

 By Dorval & Chorne Team | April 9, 2020

After talking about Dan’s ultra-smoothie recipe in our recent communications and Keagan's April newsletter, we thought it would be helpful to show you how it’s made! Plus, Dan shares tips and insight about how nutrition plays into protection from sickness and overall wellbeing—things that we all can all do to help in the fight against Covid19 . We’ve had lots of positive feedback from those of you who have tried it!

Check it out:

By Keagan Kinsella | April 1, 2020

With all that’s going on in the world, it’s easy to conclude that things feel just plain different. Maybe you’re working at home, crossing off the future plans in your calendar, or having virtual happy hours with your friends for social interaction, it is safe to say we all have a new appreciation for health care workers and those on the front lines of fighting Coronavirus! We will also never look at shaking hands, hand sanitizer, live sporting events on TV, and seeing an abundance of toilet paper on store shelves the same again! If you have some time on your hands (we like time on the hands—not germs!), I wanted to start a form of communication where you can sign up to receive monthly newsletters centered around some of my favorite things which will include: financial planning, food, and fitness and other fun things that will hopefully help broaden your horizon about financial planning and other ways to enhance your quality of life!

In this week’s newsletter I will share:

• Dan’s favorite top-secret superfood, immune system boosting recipe
• A financial planning take on a viral Tweet about looking at your 401k balance
• Quarantine-friendly home bodyweight workout circuit (if you are missing the gym like I am!)
• Question of the day