Chuck Bentley
Chuck Bentley
For some, Christmas is ”the most wonderful time of the year”, “the hap-happiest season of all!” But for others, it is, to borrow a line from Shakespeare, the “winter of our discontent”. Christmas for many is a season of sorrow, not of joy. There’s the empty seat of a loved one who’s passed away, the […]
One thing you can count on in life is that the unexpected will arise. Sometimes it’s in ways you could have imagined, but sometimes it manifests in ways that catch you completely off guard. Unforeseen Medical Expenses Most of us don’t plan on serious illness or injury. And who has really prepared for possibility of […]
Dear Chuck, The commercialization of Christmas feels like a big financial trap! My husband and I want to show love to our kids and family but the pressure to spend and borrow just to put a bunch of packages under the tree seems ridiculous. Any advice for stressed out parents like us? Bah Humbug! […]
One of the earliest battles parents with young children have is the battle of ownership. The cries of “me, my, mine” may be carrying through your house on a daily basis now, especially as the Christmas season draws near. If not, step into a room of toddlers and it won’t take long before you hear […]
What Christmas traditions do you hold dear? Maybe you always give a certain gift, bake a special dessert, or buy a specific kind of tree. For many of us, these rituals are what make the Christmas season special, and it’s hard to feel festive without them. But for many of us, these Christmas traditions were […]
Have you been waiting to make a budget until you make just a little more money? Maybe you have good intentions to start saving for retirement, but it just hasn’t happened yet. Debt has a way of accumulating quickly while we work to develop a plan to pay it off. Can you identify with any […]
Dear Chuck, I’ve been inspired by Washington Redskins quarterback, Kirk Cousins’ frugality. Don’t you think more professional athletes and musicians should set his kind of example? Big Fan of Kirk’s Dear Big Fan, I not only wish more athletes followed his example, I think all of us could learn from him! Cousins is a […]
Around this time last year, I remember receiving several questions from spouses about their “holiday budgets”. One woman in particular explained that her husband was more of an “Ebenezer Scrooge” when it came to Christmas spending, while she loved the experience of shopping for others and giving big gifts. I would have to imagine that […]
What sort of emotions does the holiday season evoke in you? My pastor, Ronnie Batchelor, describes this as the time of year when “…we all experience the familiar unnerving sense that we’re approaching the brink – something akin to the clack-clack-clack-clack ascent of the rollercoaster when couples instinctively grasp each other’s hands and exchange nervous […]
Dear Chuck, According to the retirement calculator, I am way behind. My wife says we’ll never be able to retire, and we are both suddenly fearful of what our financial future holds. What can we do? Sincerely, Scared Senior! Dear Scared Senior, Regardless of whether you’re ahead or behind according to the retirement calculators, […]
