The temporary enhancements to the child tax credit are some of the most exciting provisions that the American Rescue Plan (ARP) put into play. This is because many of the provisions signal what’s likely to become permanent in the near future. Again, these changes are only for 2021 BUT President Biden and his administration have hinted at making some of the following changes permanent. CREDIT AMOUNT INCREASED The Child Tax Credit (CTC) has been enhanced through the increase of the credit from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child 17 and under AND to $3,600 for children under the age of 6. For ex ..read more

Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI), also known as faith-based investing, is a movement that has been gaining a lot of momentum lately, but what exactly is it? There are many facets within our stewardship journey as Christians and BRI just happens to be one of them. It’s important that we, as Christians, are informed enough about this topic in order to make a personal decision. BRI Defined In short, Biblically Responsible Investing is just that....investing in a biblically responsible way according to the truths found in scripture. Or put another way, it’s investing our financial resources ..read more

As of, March 11th, 2021, the American Rescue plan has been signed into law. This is the third concerted effort by Congress, via legislation, to provide financial aid to the American people. Weighing in at approximately $1.9 trillion, this bill does just that. Much of this bill is designed to directly alleviate the financial burdens for low and middle income individuals and families. Here are some of the notable highlights. Note: I’m thankful for Jeffrey Levine over at Nerd’s Eye View for doing such a spectacular write up which has helped me tremendously in learning and compiling the following ..read more

UPDATED 3/13/2021 If you’re reading this then you’re likely set to receive a stimulus check (also known as recovery rebate or economic impact payment) in the not too distant future, if not already. The wisest thing you can begin doing right now is planning out how you’ll use these funds rather than let it be a free for all when it hits your account. I encourage you to be prayerful during this time, God still owns it all and His direction is going to be better than our self-produced guidance. Everyone’s situation is going to be different. Some of us have been affected a lot more than others. An ..read more

Losing Super Bowl LV, and losing it badly, wasn't what any Kansas City fan expected. However, there's so much to learn from this loss when we break it down and reflect on it. Last year after the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV, I wrote a post called "What We Can Learn From the Chiefs and Their Super Bowl Victory" that highlighted truths from the Chief's victory and how it related to our personal finances and stewardship journey. I'd love to do that again but from the other side of the spectrum since they lost. I'm a firm believer that there’s always something to learn when we take the time to reflec ..read more

The new year always brings about the vision of self-improvement in many different ways. Typically, one of those ways is financially. But we shouldn’t wait for the new year when it comes to instilling good habits, especially financial ones. Let’s be honest, personal finances tend to be the dirt that’s often swept under the rug for another day or the dreaded chores begrudgingly saved for last. What many don’t realize is that time matters, especially when talking about our personal finances. That’s because personal finances can either compound in your favor or against it. The longer we prolong th ..read more

UPDATED: 12/28/2020 The moment many of us have been waiting for: will there be another round of stimulus checks? The short answer is yes. Last night President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 bill that Congress passed and sent to him a week ago. The bill comes in at 5,593 pages and amounts to approximately $900 billion in spending. As long as President Trump signs the bill into law then Americans can expect another round of checks. Let’s dive in. WHY? As before, Congress included these payments in the stimulus package at hand in order to help “stimulate” the economy, amids ..read more

I’m super excited to announce that I’ve joined the recently launched Kansas City Financial Advisors Network. The Kansas City Financial Advisors Network is comprised of a group of local, amazing advisors that desire to improve the personal finances for the citizens that call Greater Kansas City their home. Our advisors are united in this commitment but we also have our own specialties that make us unique in who we serve and the problems we solve. We’re also committed to creating and publishing relevant and valuable content for our audience. So be on the lookout! And let us know if you want to ..read more

I’m super excited to announce that I’ve joined the recently launched Christian Financial Advisors Network. The Christian Financial Advisors Network is comprised of a group of Christian advisors that desire to raise the standard for faith-based advice when it comes to personal finances. Our advisors are united in this commitment but we also have our own specialties that make us unique in who we serve and the technical problems we solve. We’re also committed to creating and publishing relevant and valuable content for our audience. So be on the lookout! And let us know if you want to hear abou ..read more

Donovan Brooks, CFP®, CKA® was selected to be on the Investopedia Top 100 Financial Advisors of 2020 last week. Each year, Investopedia creates a list spotlighting the country’s most engaged, influential, and educational advisors. The Investopedia 100 celebrates financial advisors who are making significant contributions to critical conversations about financial literacy, investing strategies, life-stage planning and wealth management. With more than 100,000 independent financial advisors in the U.S., the Investopedia 100 spotlights the country’s most engaged, influential, and educational ad ..read more