The BrickMy wife is a genius, and I will tell you why. Whenever we go out to eat, no matter where we go, she is strictly "no phones." I don't care if we're having a conversation about movies and one of us might be tempted to IMDB an actress, or if out of habit I pull out my phone to tweet something dumb--doesn't matter. NO PHONES AT DINNER.

The beauty of the Olympics, their deep appeal, is what they reveal about the human spirit, whether in the 'thrill of victory' or 'the agony of defeat.' Under every colorful uniform there's a talented human being with a life-long story of struggles, challenges, hopes, dreams, and fierce commitment to be the best they can be. The medals of gold, silver, and bronze for which they compete are reward indeed, but they fall infinitely short of describing their accomplishments.

In our continuing effort to provide our clients with the best services and technology available, there's always the challenge of providing the information you want and need without overwhelming you with unnecessary complexity. We believe we've struck the perfect balance with our latest enhancements to our secure online client portal. All the information is still there, we just made it faster and easier to see what you want to see.

Today's Brief focuses on some powerful financial and budget planning options available to IRA owners. It was inspired, in part, by a recent blog on Health Savings Accounts  by our friend Ryan Smith of Stonegate Financial. IRAs are a powerful tax-deferred saving vehicle owned by many as the result of rollovers from other retirement plans such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s and other pension plans, or they were started outright to begin retirement savings in earnest. While IRAs have been around for decades, their features and options change often with new budgets and IRS rulings.