At some point in all of our childhoods we were sitting at a party and received the invitation to play ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’. Of course we declined, even casually said we weren’t any good at it. But as the pressure mounted, we caved in and donned the blindfold. Back then we had no responsibilities and life was all a big game. We enjoyed our friends and seemed to cruise through life.

By Gary McCollum, Founding Chairman of E3: Elevate Early Education.

Presented by Stacy L. Long, CFP^®, AIF^®

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In November 2010, a small group of concerned and diverse citizens gathered to address a set of education challenges: 1) a deficit of knowledge workers for the 21^st century economy; 2) a wide disparity in offerings for highly able students across school divisions; and 3) limited student exposure to rich, integrated science, technology, engineering and applied mathematics curriculum early and continuously throughout their school career. What emerged was the design for the Virginia Science Technology Engineering and Applied Mathematics Academy (STEAM) Academy. The mission of the VA STEAM Academy is to nurture the next generations of creative, ethical, and imaginative STEAM leaders who understand and respect the humanities.

Life’s uncertainties can present us with personal hardships that affect us not only emotionally, but financially as well.

To help pay for the cost of universal health care, a new federal tax on most net investment income will affect the wealthiest taxpayers. Starting in 2013, higher-income taxpayers will be subject to an additional 3.80 percent tax on most net investment income. This new tax impacts taxpayers with wages or net earnings above $200,000 (single), $250,000 (married filing jointly), or $125,000 (married filing separately). The exceptions to the surtax are distributions from retirement accounts, including pensions, 401(k)s and IRAs, and income generated from municipal bonds

It probably feels like yesterday that you dropped your child off at college for his or her freshman year. Saying goodbye in a dorm room, surrounded by new bedding, electronics, and all the food that could fit in the mini-fridge, you may have shed tears knowing that your almost-adult child would no longer be living under your roof. Fast-forward to graduation, and your son or daughter may be contemplating his or her next step. Graduate school? Job search? Travel? Unfortunately, high debt rates and an unpredictable economy have limited grads’ options, and many are returning home after graduation. According to a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 3 in 10 young adults between the ages of 25 and 34 have lived with their parents in recent years. Meet the boomerang generation.  Known as the “boomerang generation,” young adults today are apt to move out of the family home for a period of time before returning to live with their parents. Grown children may need or want to move back in with mom and dad for any number of reasons, including:

Work is a part of our lives. As such, questions surrounding the issues of work-life balance are not foreign to any of us.

The workplace is the ideal environment to promote volunteerism and recruit volunteers, whether activities involve the entire team or simply encouragement for individuals to engage in their communities. According to the Corporation for National & Community Service Volunteering in America, “The volunteering rate increased in 2009 to 26.8 percent, up from 26.4 percent in 2008.” The results of this national poll proved that the higher volunteer rates are among married women, who are employed, especially individuals working full time. A big percentage of these women are between the ages of 45 and 54. In 2009, states with higher unemployment rates were more likely to have lower volunteering rates.