Forbes Financial Group

10/16/2026

How far will your savings actually go? Enter your numbers to see how long your money could last depending on how much you withdraw each year.

See how long a lump sum of savings could last based on your withdrawal rate and return.

10/16/2026

Fidelity's 2025 wealth transfer study found that roughly 67 percent of parents age 55 and older have never told their adult children what they will inherit, or whether they will inherit anything at all.

About 33 percent would prefer the kids are kept in the dark about the amount.

Their reasons should feel familiar:
✔️ Worry that a specific number will dampen a child's drive
✔️ Discomfort talking about money at all

The same study found:

Most adult children say they are ready to handle whatever they inherit and would rather shape things while their parents are still around to explain the "why" behind decisions.

Families who have inheritance strategies share some similar habits:

💬 Kids know who the financial professionals are and how to reach them
💬 Everyone knows where the estate documents are
💬 They try to manage any surprises well ahead of time

So, do you tell your children or not?

There's no single right answer here.

Sharing exact numbers isn't necessary, but most families find that a broad discussion can help with priorities and expectations.

10/16/2026

Happy Boss’s Day!! Here at FFG, we have the best boss EVER!

Show John some love in the comments!

10/16/2026

Yes, that's me as a kid. And yes, I already had a phone glued to my ear.

Some things never change...

Even back then, I apparently could always find something to talk about.

I've always loved a good conversation. Honestly, it's my favorite part of what I do. What gets me excited about coming into the office every morning is knowing I'm going to visit with some of my favorite people and maybe help somebody feel a little more confident about what's ahead.

So many people go through life rattled about money. They have questions they've been sitting on for years but never felt comfortable asking.

That's why I love our 20-Minute "Ask Me Anything."

No pressure. No sales pitch. Just a conversation.

Ask me about retirement. Social Security. That old 401(k) from a job years ago. Or the one question I wish more people would ask: "Am I going to be okay?"

Getting to walk alongside people through those questions is an honor. And as you can see, I've been practicing my phone skills for a long time. 😄

Want to chat? Drop me a line and let's catch up.

10/14/2026

Thinking about refinancing your student loans? Compare your current terms with a new rate to see if refinancing could reduce what you pay over time.

10/14/2026

A mother in California picked up the phone and heard her daughter's voice, panicked, saying she'd been kidnapped and needed money immediately.

What she'd heard wasn't her daughter. It was an AI-generated clone of her voice.

In a 2025 study, scientists found that when people heard a cloned voice, they correctly identified the voice as AI-generated only about 60 percent of the time.

The FBI attributed more than $890 million in 2025 losses to AI-enabled fraud, and voice cloning is one of the main drivers behind that number.

It is not only older adults being targeted. Younger family members get these calls too, often framed as a sibling or friend in trouble. Older adults just tend to lose the most per incident.

Two ways to protect your family.

🔐 Agree on a private code word or question with the people a scammer is most likely to impersonate (kids, parents, spouse)

📞 If a call like this comes in and you have not set up a code word yet, hang up, then call the real person back

When in doubt, slow down and verify.

10/13/2026

We spend a lot of time waiting for somebody else to make things better.

Somebody in Springfield. Somebody in Washington. Somebody at City Hall.

Somebody.

But I heard a much simpler answer recently: Raise your hand. Show up.

Want a stronger community? Show up.
Want better opportunities for young people? Show up.
Want local businesses to succeed? Show up.

Join something. Volunteer. Introduce two people who ought to know each other. Support an event. Have the conversation.

You don't build a community by accident. The communities that thrive are the ones where people stop waiting for somebody else to fix things.

I keep a little note under the glass on my desk that asks, "How can I be a blessing to someone today?" Most days, the answer starts with just showing up.

The biggest change agent in your community probably isn't someone hundreds of miles away.

It's probably the person looking back at you in the mirror every morning.

What's one way you are making a difference in your community? Drop it in the comments and let's inspire others to get more involved in making Southern Illinois the amazing place we know it can be.

10/10/2026

⚠️ Money is one of the most consistently cited sources of stress in America.

For caregivers, that weight often increases! 😮

Having a clearer picture of where things stand can help ease some of the uncertainty that makes financial stress feel heaviest in the first place.

There's no clean solution to money stress.

Most of it is caused by the unknown. The uncertainty.

World Mental Health Day recognizes just how deeply finances can impact our well-being (and vice versa).

If financial stress has been sitting in the background of your life this year, a conversation with a professional can go a long way, be it a mental health professional or a financial professional. Pursuing comfort, understanding, and compassion is a team sport.

10/09/2026

Even the most seasoned investors are prone to biases affecting their financial choices. Learn more in this message.

Even the most seasoned investors have biases affecting their financial choices.

10/09/2026

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an opportunity to prioritize health.

Early detection through regular screenings is one of the most effective tools we have in the fight against breast cancer.

Here are a few small things we can do this October:

✅ Schedule your annual screening if you haven't yet

✅ Educate yourself and others on risk factors and preventative lifestyle habits

✅ Support research and organizations dedicated to advancing breast cancer prevention and care

Taking charge of your health today makes all the difference for tomorrow. 🎗️