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I've got valuable information and resources to share. Explore away! And check back often.

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When your income changes month to month, trying to stick to a “perfect” budget can feel frustrating. The trick isn’t locking yourself into exact numbers — it’s having a simple system you can rely on. ________________________________________ The Best Simple Method: Baseline + Priorities Money System 1. Base your money system on your lowest reliable income Look back 6–12 months and find: • Your lowest average month (or the lowest 2–3 months) • Use that number as your baseline income Example: • Monthly income range: $12,200–$47,100 • Baseline income: $12,200 Your money system is built only on $12,200—even if you earn more. ________________________________________ 2. Cover needs first (fixed priorities) List your non negotiables: Needs: • Rent/mortgage • Utilities • Insurance • Minimum debt payments • Basic groceries • Transportation These should always fit within your baseline income. If they don’t → that’s a red flag to adjust expenses, not the money system. ________________________________________ 3. Create a “buffer rule” for higher income months This is where variable income becomes a superpower. Rule of thumb: 1. Baseline income covers your budget 2. Any income above baseline is split intentionally Example: • 50% → savings / investing/ emergency fund • 30% → future sinking funds (car, travel, irregular bills) • 20% → guilt free spending This prevents lifestyle creep and lets you enjoy good months. ________________________________________ 4. Use sinking funds to smooth the bumps Sinking funds make your budget feel consistent even when bills aren’t. Common sinking funds: • Car repairs • Medical • Gifts/holidays • Annual subscriptions • Travel Contribute monthly (even small amounts), so irregular expenses don’t wreck a low-income month. What not to do: ❌ Budget off your “best month” ❌ Rebuild the budget every month ❌ Ignore low months and hope high months fix it ❌ Treat extra income as accidental spending money See Thrivent.com/social for important disclosures

When your income changes month to month, trying to stick to a “perfect” budget can feel frustrating. The trick isn’t locking yourself into exact numbers — it’s having a simple system you can rely on. ________________________________________ The Best Simple Method: Baseline + Priorities Money System 1. Base your money system on your lowest reliable income Look back 6–12 months and find: • Your lowest average month (or the lowest 2–3 months) • Use that number as your baseline income Example: • Monthly income range: $12,200–$47,100 • Baseline income: $12,200 Your money system is built only on $12,200—even if you earn more. ________________________________________ 2. Cover needs first (fixed priorities) List your non negotiables: Needs: • Rent/mortgage • Utilities • Insurance • Minimum debt payments • Basic groceries • Transportation These should always fit within your baseline income. If they don’t → that’s a red flag to adjust expenses, not the money system. ________________________________________ 3. Create a “buffer rule” for higher income months This is where variable income becomes a superpower. Rule of thumb: 1. Baseline income covers your budget 2. Any income above baseline is split intentionally Example: • 50% → savings / investing/ emergency fund • 30% → future sinking funds (car, travel, irregular bills) • 20% → guilt free spending This prevents lifestyle creep and lets you enjoy good months. ________________________________________ 4. Use sinking funds to smooth the bumps Sinking funds make your budget feel consistent even when bills aren’t. Common sinking funds: • Car repairs • Medical • Gifts/holidays • Annual subscriptions • Travel Contribute monthly (even small amounts), so irregular expenses don’t wreck a low-income month. What not to do: ❌ Budget off your “best month” ❌ Rebuild the budget every month ❌ Ignore low months and hope high months fix it ❌ Treat extra income as accidental spending money See Thrivent.com/social for important disclosures

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Values Cards Exercise | think2perform

I like to use this think2perform key values exercise when writing financial plans; it gives me insight into what my clients hold most near and dear and gives us a solid touchstone for decision making. If you're interested in learning a little more about yourself or quantifying what you already know about yourself, give it a try and leave your vales in the comments ⬇️ https://www.think2perform.com/values/

Values Exercise Living in alignment is about matching your “real” behaviors with your “ideal Values.” Living out of alignment is a source of stress...

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When I graduated college...like 24 years ago...I told myself that I would ski more. I bought skis, boots, poles, etc. I probably skied 4 times in the first few years after college. First I was broke, then I had a job where I worked waaay too much. After I moved to Wisconsin, I worked retail and skied inconsistently. A day here, a day there, but never as much as I wanted. When I started working for Thrivent, I bought new skis and a season pass to Mt. Bohemia - I skied more, had some good times, broke a few ribs. in 2015 I got married and my wife and I had our twins right before our first anniversary. We're both skiers and we got out a couple of times in the first years together, but our kids weren't super stoked on it. Then this winter happened. We took a 3-day trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the boys felt the stoke. Now every weekend they want to go skiing. When we can't get away for a couple days, it's a few hours here and a few hours there. It may have taken 24 years to get here, but I'm finally skiing about as much as I want AND I'm doing with the best possible partners! As the old Heinz ads said: Good things come to those who wait!

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When I graduated college...like 24 years ago...I told myself that I would ski more. I bought skis, boots, poles, etc. I probably skied 4 times in the first few years after college. First I was broke, then I had a job where I worked waaay too much. After I moved to Wisconsin, I worked retail and skied inconsistently. A day here, a day there, but never as much as I wanted. When I started working for Thrivent, I bought new skis and a season pass to Mt. Bohemia - I skied more, had some good times, broke a few ribs. in 2015 I got married and my wife and I had our twins right before our first anniversary. We're both skiers and we got out a couple of times in the first years together, but our kids weren't super stoked on it. Then this winter happened. We took a 3-day trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the boys felt the stoke. Now every weekend they want to go skiing. When we can't get away for a couple days, it's a few hours here and a few hours there. It may have taken 24 years to get here, but I'm finally skiing about as much as I want AND I'm doing with the best possible partners! As the old Heinz ads said: Good things come to those who wait!

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I've picked up a lot of great ideas at #BDC2026 but sometimes it's the simple things that can have the most impact. I talk about "harvesting gains" or having "piggy bank money" with everyone taking income from their investments, but I've never asked the simple question: "Would you feel better if you always knew you had a smart place to get money from?" I've gotta keep the KISS principles in mind! (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) See Thrivent.com/social for important disclosures

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I've picked up a lot of great ideas at #BDC2026 but sometimes it's the simple things that can have the most impact. I talk about "harvesting gains" or having "piggy bank money" with everyone taking income from their investments, but I've never asked the simple question: "Would you feel better if you always knew you had a smart place to get money from?" I've gotta keep the KISS principles in mind! (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) See Thrivent.com/social for important disclosures

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Say you own a coffee shop – one very well-placed location. The shop has been your life for 20 years. It’s provided you a good living & you have a strong following but it’s time to move onto something else. Let’s say the real estate & equipment are worth $500,000 (no debt). That half-million dollars looks pretty good. Do I take this money and run? Well, what’s the business worth? Let’s say that number is $300,000. Would you rather sell now for $500,000 or work on making your business transferrable over the next year in hopes of a bigger pay day? 10 hours per week working on this X 48 weeks of work= 480 hours of work $300,000/480 hours = $625/hour. Is it worth your time? See Thrivent.com/social for important disclosures. #financialplanning #businessowners #CEPA #exitplanning #coffeeshop

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Say you own a coffee shop – one very well-placed location. The shop has been your life for 20 years. It’s provided you a good living & you have a strong following but it’s time to move onto something else. Let’s say the real estate & equipment are worth $500,000 (no debt). That half-million dollars looks pretty good. Do I take this money and run? Well, what’s the business worth? Let’s say that number is $300,000. Would you rather sell now for $500,000 or work on making your business transferrable over the next year in hopes of a bigger pay day? 10 hours per week working on this X 48 weeks of work= 480 hours of work $300,000/480 hours = $625/hour. Is it worth your time? See Thrivent.com/social for important disclosures. #financialplanning #businessowners #CEPA #exitplanning #coffeeshop

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Another real-world experience from the last few weeks: • A client – not my client - passed away in their mid-30s. • Their spouse – an acquaintance of mine – reached out for help since they didn’t know what to do. • We found out that one of the three life insurance policies was left to their parents; they never updated beneficiaries after getting married. • We were able to meet with the in-laws and set up a plan to gift the insurance proceeds to the spouse to support them and their young kids. • Then we set up next steps – three important things that need to happen to support a single-parent household and provide peace of mind in case the Lord calls their second parent home. Money doesn’t have to be complicated. I believe in keeping it simple and using bite-sized steps to protect families against life’s “what-ifs.” See Thrivent.com/social for important disclosures.

Another real-world experience from the last few weeks: • A client – not my client - passed away in their mid-30s. • Their spouse – an acquaintance of mine – reached out for help since they didn’t know what to do. • We found out that one of the three life insurance policies was left to their parents; they never updated beneficiaries after getting married. • We were able to meet with the in-laws and set up a plan to gift the insurance proceeds to the spouse to support them and their young kids. • Then we set up next steps – three important things that need to happen to support a single-parent household and provide peace of mind in case the Lord calls their second parent home. Money doesn’t have to be complicated. I believe in keeping it simple and using bite-sized steps to protect families against life’s “what-ifs.” See Thrivent.com/social for important disclosures.

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Last week I got a call from a client I hadn’t heard from in a while: A young family – Husband, wife, and two young daughters. They called because their term life insurance was about to expire. We had an insightful (and pretty common) conversation about juggling savings and expenses – Should we pay for more life insurance and put less into the Roth IRA or take out smaller policies and invest more? What about college down the road? What about {Insert expensive thing here}? We were able to work through Thrivent’s “Financial House” and prioritize building a strong foundation before pushing the “Grow” level of the house. Without a common framework or blueprint, how would you know if you’re building your house responsibly and setting yourself up for success? If you’re balancing a bunch of saving/spending/investing goals, reach out – my team and I can help! See thrivent.com/social for important disclosures.

Last week I got a call from a client I hadn’t heard from in a while: A young family – Husband, wife, and two young daughters. They called because their term life insurance was about to expire. We had an insightful (and pretty common) conversation about juggling savings and expenses – Should we pay for more life insurance and put less into the Roth IRA or take out smaller policies and invest more? What about college down the road? What about {Insert expensive thing here}? We were able to work through Thrivent’s “Financial House” and prioritize building a strong foundation before pushing the “Grow” level of the house. Without a common framework or blueprint, how would you know if you’re building your house responsibly and setting yourself up for success? If you’re balancing a bunch of saving/spending/investing goals, reach out – my team and I can help! See thrivent.com/social for important disclosures.

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Recently I had one of my very favorite types of cases. TWO of my clients referred the same person to me - a friend of theirs who lost their job. They had worked at the same job for 25 years and were laid off, just like that, in their mid-50s. From a feeling of security to the unknown in an instant. They were lucky, though. The spouse still has a good job. They saved well for retirement. They have a pension. These folks thought they would be OK but wanted to know for sure if they were still going to be able to realize their vision for the future – pay off their cabin & house, build a new garage, travel some, and generally maintain their lifestyle. My team and I worked to understand their vision for the future, where they are now, and pointed them down the path that best matches their values; best of all, we were able to confirm to them that they would still be on track to live the life they had dreamed of. The story doesn’t always turn out this way, but it’s fun when it does. If you or someone you know has lost their job and is uncertain what their future will hold, I would love to help! See thrivent.com/social for important disclosures.

Recently I had one of my very favorite types of cases. TWO of my clients referred the same person to me - a friend of theirs who lost their job. They had worked at the same job for 25 years and were laid off, just like that, in their mid-50s. From a feeling of security to the unknown in an instant. They were lucky, though. The spouse still has a good job. They saved well for retirement. They have a pension. These folks thought they would be OK but wanted to know for sure if they were still going to be able to realize their vision for the future – pay off their cabin & house, build a new garage, travel some, and generally maintain their lifestyle. My team and I worked to understand their vision for the future, where they are now, and pointed them down the path that best matches their values; best of all, we were able to confirm to them that they would still be on track to live the life they had dreamed of. The story doesn’t always turn out this way, but it’s fun when it does. If you or someone you know has lost their job and is uncertain what their future will hold, I would love to help! See thrivent.com/social for important disclosures.

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There are lots and lots of changes coming your way in 20206 (and the end of 2025!) thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) and other IRS changes. If you want to read the most recent updates from the IRS, you can do a bit of light reading at https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/401k-limit-increases-to-24500-for-2026-ira-limit-increases-to-7500 OR you can reach out to my team and we can help you understand how these changes may affect your personal situation: email: casey.sthenry@thrivent.com o call: 920-363-6334 Or send me a message via LinkedIn! See thrivent.com/social for important disclosures.

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There are lots and lots of changes coming your way in 20206 (and the end of 2025!) thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) and other IRS changes. If you want to read the most recent updates from the IRS, you can do a bit of light reading at https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/401k-limit-increases-to-24500-for-2026-ira-limit-increases-to-7500 OR you can reach out to my team and we can help you understand how these changes may affect your personal situation: email: casey.sthenry@thrivent.com o call: 920-363-6334 Or send me a message via LinkedIn! See thrivent.com/social for important disclosures.

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