What good is a full tank if there's a hole in it? That's the question at the heart of Step 1 on your Fuel Gauge: Spend less than you make. Although it sounds simple in theory, I've sat across from enough people to know that this first step is where most of us are quietly bleeding in our personal finances.  The first winter I spent with Lauren's family in Michigan, her dad offered to let me chop down a tree with an ax. Now, I had never held an ax in my life. But when he asked

Last week, we talked about your G.P.S. — your General, Personal, and Specific Purposes — and the roadmap they provide for where you're called to go, who you're called to be, and what you're called to do. If that conversation stirred something in you, I'm glad. Remember, when money is tied to purpose, it becomes incredibly powerful.  It becomes FUEL.  So, I want to ask a very practical question before we go any further down that road: how much fuel is in your tank? Because her

Money targets independent of purpose targets are meaningless. Money is not the destination—it’s the fuel. And fuel is only useful if you know where you’re going. I want to introduce you to a concept that has helped me think through where I’m headed. I call it your personal G.P.S. Just like a GPS helps you get to where you’re going, your Personal G.P.S. will provide a path to walk down as you pursue the life you were created for – a life I believe is worth fueling! Without tha

After my younger brother and I had moved out of the house and started families of our own, God provided an incredible opportunity for my parents and my grandma to build their dream house on the hills alongside the Shenandoah Valley. We are headed to Virginia for Easter and I’m excited to see those beautiful mountains start to bloom.  Before they broke ground, they invited the whole family to go out there and pray over the land. I have to tell you, I believe those prayers have

In fourth grade, my family moved from a small ranch in the bustling city of Winchester, Virginia, to the “suburbs” of Stephens City. We moved into one of those perfect suburban neighborhoods that had fenced backyards, cul-de-sacs, and trees that were planted 15 years before when the neighborhood was built.  In our backyard, there was an amazing maple tree that my brother and I loved to climb. Almost every single day, we would climb this tree with our pocket knives and carve o

This past week, my wife Lauren and I welcomed our fourth baby girl, completing our family of six. There is something divine that happens when a parent holds their baby in their arms for the first time. Having experienced this four times, I can also attest to each experience being unique. If you’re a parent, what was it like when you held your kids for the first time?  This past week, the closest thing I can think of to describe what happened was like fast forwarding a DVD. I

When thinking about increasing your income, starting a new job or career can seem like an easy path towards making more money. The grass is always greener on the other side, right? Maybe. But here’s what I’ve learned about greener pastures in my life: if I’m not watering the grass under my feet today, then the greener grass I’m moving to will die as well.  If you aren’t happy with the job you have, if you think you’re being under paid or under valued, or if you feel you keep

If you’ve been following along each week, you’ll know that we’ve defined money as fuel for your journey. Your dreams and goals are worth fueling, so we’ve been discussing how to have a full financial tank in 8 practical steps. If you’re just jumping into the conversation, you can catch up on where we’ve been at trumbleagency.com/increase . But for today, we are going to discuss the 8’th financial marker on our Fuel Gauge.  Our final mark of financial health is keeping our hou

Last week, we spent time talking about firming up your financial foundation with adequate insurance. Today, I want to talk about a policy that is the most important that fits right into that foundation, but often gets pushed aside or misunderstood: life insurance . Let me say this upfront — life insurance isn’t about death. It’s about life. It’s about the people who depend on you and the income you provide right now and the amazing life you have built for them. Often, people