Weston Stewart Shoemaker Financial

10/12/2026

Family gifts, charitable giving, everyday spending — they all draw from the same source. Making sure they reflect the same values is where real alignment starts.

A look at how everyday spending, family gifts, and charitable giving can work together to reflect what you care about.

10/12/2026

Your Five Music Facts (In this week in Music History...)

1. Bob Dylan is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature (2016).
2. Grace Slick makes her first stage appearance with Jefferson Airplane (1966).
3. The Judds released their debut album, Why Not Me (1984).
4. The Louis Armstrong House Museum opens in Queens, New York (2003).
And lastly...

5. The birthdays for this week are: Paul Simon, Ashanti, Joey BellaDonna (Anthrax), Marie Osmond, Sammy Hagar, Usher, Natalie Maines (The Chicks), Shaggy 2 Dope (Insane Clown Posse), Thomas Dolby, Justin Hayward (Moody Blues), Ginuwine, Flea, Nico, Bert Kaempfert, Chris deBurgh, Eminem, Wyclef Jean, Ziggy Marley, and Alan Jackson.

10/05/2026

📌 Higher rates sting borrowers, but they can be a real win for savers.

As rates rise, banks may increase the yields they offer on savings products to attract deposits. The average U.S. savings account still pays just 0.64% annual percentage yield. Some high-yield accounts are paying more than six times that, up to 4.2%, for the exact same deposit.

🔎 Certificates of deposit, or CDs, can offer even higher rates, but the tradeoff is access: your money is locked in for a set term, and pulling it out early usually costs a penalty.

Higher yields don’t erase the effects of inflation, and they won’t necessarily transform household finances. But if your savings account is still earning close to that 0.64% average, that gap alone might be worth a second look.


Source:

The Federal Reserve recently raised interest rates for the first time since 2023.

10/05/2026

Your Five Musical Facts (In this week in Music History...)

1. Neil Diamond's "Cracklin Rosie" (which I always thought was Rose) hits Number One on the American Charts (1970).
2. The Jazz Singer, the first talking musical, is released in theaters (1927).
3. The Youngbloods "Get Together" is certified Gold (1969).
4. Van Morrison released Wild Night (1971).
And lastly...
5. The birthdays for the week are: Matthew Sweet, David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Bobby Farrell (Boney M), Lewis Capaldi, Toni Braxton, Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Al Martino, John Mellencamp, Bruno Mars, John Lennon, PJ Harvey, Jackson Browne, John Entwistle (The Who), Nina Hendryx, Mya, Tanya Tucker, John Prine, Ennio Morricone, and Thelonious Monk.

09/28/2026

Your Five Weekly Musical Facts (In this week in Music History...)

1. Isaac Hayes releases "Theme From Shaft" (1971).
2. MTV plays the video for Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the first time (1991).
3. John Lennon is awarded a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1988).
4. Soul Train makes its debut on TV (1971).
And lastly...
5. The birthdays for this week are: Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac), Eddie Cochran, Kevin Richardson (Backstreet Boys), Gwen Stefani, Tommy Lee, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Les Claypool (Primus), Gene Autry, T-Pain, Marc Bolan (T-Rex), Frankie Lyman, Cissy Houston, Johnny Mathis, Julie Andrews, Sting, Tiffany, Mike Rutherford (Genesis), Chubby Checker, Ashlee Simpson, and India.Arie.

09/28/2026

Sandwiched between caring for kids and parents? Use this as an opportunity to learn from one generation and teach the next.

Are you part of the "sandwich generation" that's raising your kids and caring for your parents? These insights are for you.

09/21/2026

Your Five Weekly Musical Facts (In this week in Music History...)

1. The musical, Fiddler on the Roof, makes its Broadway debut (1964).
2. Bob Marley performs his final concert in Pittsburgh (1980).
3. Buddy Holly and the Crickets' "That'll Be the Day" hits Number One in America (1957).
4. The Rocky Horror Picture Show Movie premiers in theaters (1975).

And lastly...

5. The birthdays for this week are: Cesar Rosas (Los Lobos), Olivia Newton-John, Marty Robbins, Gorge Gershwin, Joan Jett. Nick Cave, Debby Boone, David Coverdale, Toni Basil, Julio Iglesias, John Coltrane, Jim Henson, Linda McCartney, Will Smith, TI, Donald Glover, Christina Milian, and Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men).

09/21/2026

A plan built for one stage of life rarely fits the next without adjustment.

As wealth grows, it often becomes more complex. Business interests, real estate, and multi-generational priorities start to overlap. That changes how decisions need to be made.

Instead of relying on precision or predictions, many durable strategies are built around flexibility. The ability to adapt without starting over is often what helps wealth continue to support the same level of opportunity over time.

09/14/2026

A lot of retirees say the same thing lately: “I’m not doing anything differently, but things feel more expensive.”

That’s because costs often increase gradually, not all at once. Property taxes, insurance, repairs, and healthcare tend to creep up over time.

A helpful habit is to revisit your spending once a year, just to see what has changed. You may not need to cut back, but having a clear view of where your money is going can make it easier to stay in control.

09/14/2026

Your Five Weekly Facts (In this week in Music History...)

1. Miami Vice makes its debut on television (1984).
2. Huey Lewis and The News releases their album, Sports (1983).
3. The film version of Pink Floyd's The Wall debuts in theaters (1982).
4. Auto-Tune hits the market (1997).
And lastly...
5. The birthdays for this week are: Cannonball Adderley, Roy Acuff, BB King, Nick Jonas, Flo Rida, Marc Anthony, Hank Williams Sr., Ricky Bell (Bell Biv Devoe), Keith Morris (Black Flag/Circle Jerks), DeeDee Ramone, Frankie Avalon, Nile Rodgers (Chic), Trisha Yearwood, Lita Ford, Mama Cass Elliot, Bill Medley, and Brian Epstein.