by admin | Jun 15, 2025 | Common Cents
By Elliot Pepper, CFP®, CPA | Northbrook Financial Budgeting gets a bad rap. Most people hear the word and immediately picture spreadsheets, guilt, or the dreaded “latte shaming.” But budgeting isn’t about sacrifice, it’s about *clarity* and *control.* In this post,...
by admin | Jun 9, 2025 | Common Cents
By Elliot Pepper, CFP®, CPA | Northbrook Financial How many times have you set a financial goal—save more money, pay off debt, stick to a budget—only to fall off track a few weeks later? If you’re like most people, you’ve been there. Setting goals is easy. Following...
by admin | May 19, 2025 | Common Cents
By Elliot Pepper, CFP®, CPA | Northbrook Financial You know the drill: Spend less than you earn. Save for a rainy day. Invest for the future. And yet, despite this seemingly simple formula, most Americans live paycheck to paycheck, struggle with debt, and feel...
by admin | May 5, 2025 | Common Cents
You want to be generous. You want to support causes that matter to you. But you also wouldn’t mind saving a little on taxes while you’re at it. Enter the Donor Advised Fund, or DAF for short. DAFs are one of the most powerful, but often misunderstood, tools in the...
by admin | May 5, 2025 | Common Cents
Most of us don’t need a villain in our financial story—we’ve already got one. It’s us. From impulse buys and FOMO investing to the classic “I’ll start saving next year” excuse, our own behavior is often the biggest obstacle to financial success. The good news? Once we...
by admin | May 5, 2025 | Common Cents
When it comes to investing, everyone wants the secret sauce. The one trick that turns your hard-earned dollars into a mountain of wealth. But the truth is, the closest thing we have to a “magic formula” isn’t flashy, fast, or fueled by adrenaline. It’s boring. It’s...
