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Gimbal Weekly Update May 22, 2020

Gimbal Weekly Update May 15, 2020

Gimbal Weekly Update May 8, 2020

Gimbal Weekly Update May 1, 2020

Gimbal Weekly Update April 24, 2020

Work Redefined!

I am at the end of the Baby Boom generation and the beginning of the Gen Xers. I am sort of a half-breed. My family says our dog is a designer dog. So you might say I am a designer businessman. Many boomers define it as getting tasks...

The Rules are Changing...

Retirement plan and IRA rules are changing with the CARES Act which was signed into law Friday, March 27th. The rules will impact many retirement plan and IRA owners and offer some cash flow options during this challenging time. Some...

Keeping it Real…

Nearly 25 years ago, I inched into the second of two southbound lanes of traffic in order to go north. The instant I crossed into the lane a distinct noise shocked me as two bodies flew over my windshield. The motorcycle heading south...

Can I Get You Change for A Dollar?

During my travels this summer, I heard of a teenage girl who was reprimanded by her employer for having a shortage of dimes in her cash drawer. The problem continued for many shifts of her retail job. Finally, the manager confronted...

The world was a better place in those days...

Do you recall the good old days? While celebrating my uncle's 80th birthday, he asked me 'what was going on in the world when you were born?' I had no idea, I was only a minute old was my thought. But after a few minutes of allowing my...

It’s What You Keep That Matters

There are shiny cars, big houses, fancy boats and RVs which have the outward appearance of wealth but may in fact be an expression of the expansion of one’s income. Using assets for which one could afford the monthly payment...

You Are Free to Do What You Like

The 7am steam whistle blew to start the work day. When it rang at exactly 7am, the factory whistle brought a smile to his face. Ernest Shackleton knew his tenacity and perseverance would be rewarded shortly. The 7am whistle was the...

Think Differently...

Has it ever occurred to you not all thoughts are yours? Purple igloo. Was that your thought or mine? My thought can become yours if you accept it, but you have the incredible ability to redirect and reject thoughts. For example, you...

Positively Speaking...

Positively Speaking.... It might sound like a bit of negativity, but I discovered I am more mature than I might prefer. And my positivity might be a bit offensive, so if it is, check back next time! Creativity and the ability to bring...

Positively Speaking...

So 2018 wasn't a good year in the markets locally and abroad. The S&P 500 lost about 5% for the year, the Russell 2000, which is a grouping of small companies, lost 11% and the international stock index EAFE lost about 14% for the year...

Upgrade Your Friendships.....

A financial planner in an article offered this financial advice as one of his top 20 pieces of financial advice to folks beginning their independent journey! The article began with a disclaimer as it seems a bit arrogant. Yet the value...

Sunrise of a Career...

What should someone at the dawn of their career focus their energy in regards to their finances? My friend, Chuck, has been an adviser for more than 32 years. As we were sharing notes at lunch recently, I asked him what three ideas he...

Positively Speaking…

Does culture define you or do you define your culture? We live in a time which media outlets strive to offer their opinions in a way which we are forced to choose one side or another. We have the ability to be agents of hope and change...

Dirt CHEAP...

Dirt CHEAP….. How do you describe a bargain to friends? ‘It’s a steal, they’re giving it away, on sale?’ I’ve heard deals described as ‘dirt cheap’. Dirt is such a common commodity it...

Positively Speaking…

Chapter seven in Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point discusses the high suicide rates of teenage boys in Micronesia at the time of his writing. He points out the relationship between a high profile person killing themself and the...

You Are a Risk Taker

A friend pointed out during our breakfast this weekend he didn't view himself as a risk taker. As our conversation continued, I pointed out to him he was in fact a risk taker. YOU ARE A RISK TAKER. We are all risk takers! Economist,...

Have you ever heard of Arthurdale?

Social programs in the United States were designed with the intention of aiding the American population. These plans included programs such as cash and food assistance, health care, housing subsidies, education, etc. In 1933, when...

A Guide to Taking Car Keys Away from an Adult

Whose responsibility is it to take the keys from an older adult? How should you communicate with the individual you're taking the keys away from? Why do their driving privileges need to be discontinued? What if they argue or refuse?...

It's A Deal

I screwed up! Back in the day when my bank account approached $0, cash was scarce. My car rattled and coughed from day to day. It wasn’t the most reliable vehicle I’ve ever owned, but it got me from point A to B. One day...

A Guide to Decluttering

Gimbal Financial’s book Financial Survivors offers some thoughts about your possessions. It is amazing how quickly we are able to accumulate stuff during our lifetimes and how slowly we disperse it. In time, our stuff begins to...

Time Seems to Speed Up As We Age

Velocity… Webster defines velocity as the rate of change of position along a straight line with respect to time. I may be the only financial guy I know who discusses this idea, but it seems to be important in the process of...

Ignore the Ignorance

Webster defines the word ignore to mean to refuse to take notice of or to reject as ungrounded. There was a day when I would lace up my Chuck Taylor tennis shoes, walk on the basketball court and play my heart out. Playing was supposed...

Favor Over Skills

Time has a way of teaching principles. For instance, you can think that water will switch directions, but generally it will flow downhill. If you observe enough rivers, floods or other bodies of water, it becomes evident that it would...

Positively Speaking . . .

Extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $1.90 a day, has been consistently declining around the world. According to a study by Bourguignon and Morrison in 2002, 94% of the world population lived below the extreme poverty level...

What to be thankful for this Thanksgiving

Andrew Gold’s 1978 hit, ‘Thank you for being a Friend’ contains some thought provoking lyrics. They were profound enough to warrant the producers of the sitcom ‘The Golden Girls’ to use the song as its...

Tips for Choosing an Executor

The role of the executor of an estate is to execute your wishes in regards to your stuff. A non-professional trustee acts in a similar manner. Should one of these roles make their way to a friend or family member, it may be problematic...

Thank You to Our Veterans

Thanks Again and Again and Again! November 11th will always be a big day in my view of life. Veteran’s Day represents more than I will ever be able to understand. I have friends and family who have served our country in the...

Think Before You Ink

Helping families with their monetary decisions can be a dynamic experience. The situations that cross the lives of people are constantly changing and evolving. Advising families involves offering input and wisdom in advance of a...

The Road to Oatman

The Route 66 Travel Guide told us that, “The Oatman Highway section is highly recommended. Huge RVs should take I-40.” I don’t know about you, but this sounded like a suggestion and not a mandate. The 26-mile journey...

Courage in Life and Finance

It’s a toss-up: a shopping trip to Chicago or a night of dancing? Both are outside of my wheelhouse, but I was willing to do both to express my love to my daughters. Several months ago, we were scouring Chicago for shopping gems...

Manage Your Greatest Asset Wisely

It is said, “A man’s gift makes room for him.” This quote suggests that the natural gifts and talents we are endowed with will enable us to make a living. Clearly managing assets wisely is important to your financial...

Renting an Apartment vs. Buying a House

“We are considering selling our house and moving into an apartment. I am tired of the all of the work it takes to maintain this place.” It was said in a questioning tone as they waited for me to shoot down their thought....

Three Tips for Improving Your Optimism

Who would you guess is a better long term investor, a pessimist or an optimist? I’m sure there are studies available to scientifically answer that rhetorical question, but my gut sense is the optimist would have more money at the...

Think Before You Borrow for College

College can prepare you for a career, or it can burden you for a long time. It is not the solution to all of your future job challenges. It is simply a training opportunity to open doors that might not be available otherwise. I have a...

The Yellow Line

Did you see the yellow line during the Olympic swimming competition? It didn’t show up on every heat, but when the best of the best were swimming, it would mysteriously appear from time to time. The yellow line moved across the...

Diversification: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Simply stated, diversification is the principle of not putting all of your eggs in one basket, or put differently, it means spreading your wealth among several investments. An article I read referred to diversification as a “risk...

The Opposite of Careful Isn't Careless

The breakfast discussion erupted with the statement that businesses might find their final resting place as a result of being too careful. You can imagine the disbelief in my coffee companions when I proposed the idea to them. The...

Bond Ratings and You

Did you know that it is highly unlikely that you and I would pay the same interest rate for a loan? We each have a credit score that indicates our ability and likelihood of paying back money we borrow in a timely fashion. There are a...

Planned Downsizing

“Connie, I think we should move every 7-8 years whether we need to or not!” Those words didn’t create much enthusiasm from my bride, but they were more rhetorical in intent than anything else. Having never been a big...

Managing Your Cash Flow

Discretionary income is the income you have above and beyond your fixed expenses available to buy luxuries. Difficult economies and circumstances have a tendency to vaporize discretionary income or at least greatly diminish it. A...

Do You Have a Medical Directive?

A recent minor medical procedure alarmed me as I was signing the necessary paperwork to proceed. The question on the form asked, “Do you have a medical directive?” Before I read that question I was fairly relaxed about the...

Cash Flow and Vacations

Call it frivolous, irresponsible, cynical or sentimental, but planning a vacation into your budget might be one of the greatest investments you will ever make. As you consider your finances and the future, clearly one of the most...

I hate you!

Caretaking of dementia and Alzheimer's patients is not for the weak at heart.

Positively Speaking….

A friend who works at the YMCA invited me to tour their new facility in downtown Indianapolis. It was an amazing experience. The Y has plenty of parking, a ‘green’ facility and personnel with Disney-like service attitudes. But during...