James Brown III - First Financial Group

10/08/2026

If you died, what would happen to your email archives, social profiles, and online accounts?

If you died, what would happen to your email archives, social profiles and online accounts?

10/08/2026

Stocks finished the third quarter mixed. The S&P 500 gained 2.03%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 2.47%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 2.70%. Halloween is next on the calendar, with U.S. consumers expected to spend \$13.5 billion USD this year and 6.26 million Canadian children in their trick-or-treating years.

10/07/2026

What’s one financial decision you’ve made that helped you feel more prepared for your future?

For many of the people we work with, it’s not a single investment or product; it’s taking the time to create an overall strategy.

October is Financial Planning Month—which is all about how the pieces of your financial picture fit together to help pursue your financial goals.

It's about putting together a comprehensive approach that manages your investments and retirement, provides for your loved ones—all while staying flexible enough to adjust as things change.

If you’ve been meaning to update your strategy or to create one for the first time, it’s never too late to start.

10/06/2026

Settling an estate can be like putting together a puzzle. Make a cheat sheet for your heirs.

10/05/2026

Some financial decisions get a second chance. A handful don't.

• When you actually retire. In EBRI's 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey, 46 percent of retirees left the workforce earlier than they expected.

• Stepping into a parent's finances. A 2026 Care.com report found sandwich-generation caregiving duties typically begin around age 34.

• Receiving an inheritance. Ohio State research found nearly one in five people who inherited $100,000 or more had spent or lost the entire amount within two years.

• Selling a business. For a typical owner, roughly 80 percent of their net worth is tied up in the business itself, per the Exit Planning Institute.

• Writing (or updating) a will. Only 24 percent of Americans currently have a will, down from 33 percent in 2022, according to Caring.com.

None of these moments announce themselves on schedule. The families who handle them well are usually the ones who started talking years before circumstances forced their hand.

10/04/2026

What do Americans spend more on? 1) taxes or 2) food, clothing, and shelter? Answer = 1.

Here's a breakdown of how the federal government spends your tax money.

09/29/2026

How many credit cards do you have?

09/28/2026

What would you tell your 25-year-old self about money?

Getting insight from people who’ve been in your shoes can be powerful when you are young.

Time is more powerful than timing.

At 25, it can feel like you have forever to start investing. But the biggest advantage you have isn't picking the perfect investment—it's giving your money more years to grow.

If we could go back, we'd say:

• Start investing before you think you're "ready."

• Build sound habits over chasing returns.

• Lifestyle inflation is sneaky; don't let every pay rise become a spending rise.

• An emergency fund isn't boring. It can help when you least expect it.

• You don't need to know everything to get started.

What would you add?

Drop your best insight in the comments. Someone who's 25 today may need to hear it.

09/27/2026

Don’t be afraid of the cyber desperadoes. Learn how your data can be covered by cyber liability insurance in this fun video.

Learn about cyber liability insurance in this entertaining video.

09/24/2026

Having an estate strategy means that decisions about your family, assets, and your health care remain in your hands. Learn about 4 elements that may help you. Watch here:

Learn about the importance of having an estate strategy in this helpful and informative video.