Perspectives

All those year-end tax-planning issues!  You only have a few more days to wrap up your tax savings.  What do you need to know before saying goodbye to 2021? ... Read More

Lenders are seeing an uptick in loan requests as the pandemic slows. Requests related to mergers and acquisitions are on the rise. It’s a good time for acquisitions for many reasons. Before approaching a lender, carefully consider the risks versus rewards.... Read More

Small businesses are the backbone of a community. The corner coffee shop provides a common, friendly spot to gather and share conversation. The centrally-located market where neighbors go to get their milk, the hair salon that’s been passed down through generations, the brewery where friends meet after work — all essential fibers of the fabric of a neighborhood.... Read More

As the economy begins to recover and businesses start to reopen or transition back to the office, our country has found itself in the middle of an unprecedented labor shortage. Organizations across the United States are struggling to fill gaps within... Read More

How do you measure the overall health of the U.S economy? In 2009, Bedel Financial identified seven key areas that help determine the strength of our economy, and each month, a report is produced called the Bedel Barometer.  For the month of November 2021, the Bedel Barometer score is +4.... Read More

If you’re like most people, you think of your local bank as a place to safeguard what you’ve earned and borrow more when you need to. That’s accurate, but the most important role banks play in your community is generating money.... Read More

We experienced Giving Tuesday on the last day of November and December is the time of year when an estimated 30% of charitable giving for the year occurs.  In fact, nearly 12% happens in the last three days of December.... Read More

It’s hard to believe the last class to have a complete and normal early education experience (i.e. pre-K and kindergarten) is now in third grade. For our current second grade, first grade, kindergarten and pre-kindergarten students, some or all of their educational experience has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For almost two years, online learning, quarantining and school closures have become a normal part of their school experience. ... Read More

Change is hard, especially related to potential business disruption. Researchers predict 80% of organizations will migrate to the cloud by 2025. Company leaders hesitant to move from on-site servers to cloud-based systems cite cost, compliance, control and security along with disruption. ... Read More

‘Transitory’ inflation? What’s that? As consumers, we see higher prices on goods and services that we purchase every day. Is this inflation short-lived or are higher prices here to stay? And, what’s the Federal Reserve doing about it? ... Read More

The disagreement grew increasingly intense. His frustration was obvious as he angrily snapped, “I’m the customer! I’m always right!” I didn’t yell back. I simply resigned his business.... Read More

When Hoosiers begin thinking about education and training opportunities after high school, many think first of the traditional four-year college route. Others may think of their local community college or a trade school. One option that many students and families are less familiar with is apprenticeships.... Read More

Tax cut plans are increasingly top of mind for Indiana lawmakers ahead of next year’s legislative session as state revenues continue to surge beyond expectations month after month. ... Read More

With uncertainty from rising cases of COVID-19 variants, companies are questioning when there will be a solid time to transition their teams back to the office. As many feel the fatigue of remote work, from constant Zoom meetings to virtual happy hours, leaders are ready to resume “business as usual.”... Read More

It’s tempting, but is it necessary? It’s available, but do I want the consequences?  Is it the right move to improve my financial situation or will it take me down a dark hole?  Deciding to take the equity out of your house can have both benefits and pitfalls.... Read More

Recently, Indianapolis hosted nearly 60,000 FFA members from around the country for the National FFA Convention. This convention has been held in Indy for a number of years and will continue to be the host for years to come. The four-day event was alive with students, parents and advisors.... Read More

If you think back to your own personal K-12 experience, was there something that inspired you to grow as a student, motivating you to explore a field that turned into your future career? This happened for me during my senior year when I joined my high school robotics team.... Read More

The Information Age has allowed companies to obtain more accurate data quicker and act on it more effectively. Because of that, planning for the full year would be only part of the planning process for some businesses. Changing those plans sooner, rather than later, could be more helpful, as information becomes available.... Read More

Our healthcare workers and system are in dire need of a “rapid response” — also known in their field as specialized and instant added support — as the pandemic looms on and continues to exacerbate the physical and emotional burdens our frontline workers experience every day. ... Read More

Blame it on supply chain issues!  We may be in the middle of the largest supply chain disruption since World War II.  What exactly is the “supply chain” and how did we get into this mess?  ... Read More