As we come to the end of the calendar year, we get busy baking, wrapping gifts, hanging lights, and celebrating with family and friends. However, this also provides a natural time to review your financial plans and give yourself a financial checkup if you will. While it may not be the kind of thing that tops your “to do” list, it is important.

It’s interesting to look back through the years and note the trends. There were things 20 years ago when I started that were in vogue that isn’t today. Conversely, there are things that we use every day that didn’t even exist 20 years ago. The iPhone, for example, is only 10 years old. Pretty amazing to think about since it’s so integrated into our lives.

We’ve talked on several other shows about the importance of estate planning and how some people engage in charitable planning or strategies. We invited a special guest to the North Main Financial Show, and you will quickly see that what he does dovetails nicely into the idea of being engaged in the community relative to charitable giving and estate planning.

Money, it brings joy and it can bring pain and it’s typically a topic that is uncomfortable to discuss with those close to you, let alone a stranger. In fact, we would lob finances in with topics like spirituality and health as some of the most sensitive decisions we make.