In honor of July 4th, we are providing a bucket list of patriotic places to visit throughout our vast and varied country. Whether you are still working or are newly retired, it is always beneficial to take a step back and consider whether your "life planning" goals need to be updated or acted upon in a more intentional manner.

Empathetic listening coupled with asking probing questions brings a richer conversation with those we love and is the essence of life planning, a growing segment of financial planning for many holistic financial planners.

Although the year is drawing to a close, you still have time to review your finances. Pausing to reflect on the financial progress you made in 2017 and identifying adjustments for 2018 can help you start the new year stronger than ever.

The holidays can be a busy time with parties, family commitments and shopping, not to mention approximately 400 college bowl games. Despite the flurry of activity, it is also a time when some diligence around personal finance can help reduce your tax liability, protect your family, and set yourself up for a great 2018.

Although most people 50 and older have personally saved a certain amount for retirement, fewer than half (45%) have calculated how much they will need to live comfortably in retirement and far fewer have looked at the related issues surrounding their wealth.

While most spring cleaning projects are likely focused on your home, you could take this time to evaluate and clean up your personal finances as well.

While perhaps sounding a bit trite, setting written goals can help you accomplish those goals. If that is the case, why do we rarely have written goals?

Although the year is drawing to a close, you still have time to review your finances. Pausing to reflect on the financial progress you made in 2016 and identifying adjustments for 2017 can help you start the new year stronger than ever.