Times are a-changing. If you know me, you know I enjoy some history. In my office, I’ve got an old copy of our company magazine we send out to all of our members. The first picture is from November 1929. The second image is a cover of our latest issue. I’d like to thank my MP, Neal, who got this 1929 issue for my birthday a year or so ago.

One of the toughest parts of my job is having long time members pass. You see, Modern Woodmen has been in the Shoals area for 100 years. Over the years we have added SO many members to our community. And through the years of doing member exclusive events, we all have gotten real close! We’ve eaten many meals together, we’ve wrapped Christmas gifts for children in need, we’ve come together to donate to causes that are important to our people, and we’ve shown up when it mattered. I was at a funeral yesterday for a member and saw several members who knew the man from our member events. Modern Woodmen is a Financial Services Company. So if you want someone to do your retirement, your life insurance, business planning, and more, we’ve got that. But then again, there are tons of other company’s out there who do that as well. The difference is the fraternal relationship that starts to build as you begin getting invited to our events. You start coming, you roll up your sleeves and either eat, or serve. A family begins to emerge that you didn’t even know you were missing. If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it a 1,000 times. Modern Woodmen is the Greatest Company there is. Ask me how you can be a part.

WOAH! Tax Season is upon us! Hopefully this checklist can help you gather the right documents to hand over to your Accountant! Tax Prep Document Checklist: Basic Personal Info - Social Security Numbers (You + Dependents) - Last Year's tax return Income Documents - W-2 From Employers - 1099s (Freelance work, interest from investments, dividends, retirement distributions) - Income documents from rental properties or side gigs Deduction & Credit Documents - Mortgage Interest Doc (Form 1098) - Student Loan Interest - Childcare Expenses - Charitable Contributions - Medical Expenses (if itemizing) Other Financial Info - Health Savings Account Records - Investment Statements (capital gains/losses) - Retirement Contributions Pro tip: Organize these in a secure folder (digital or physical) - it makes filing faster, easier, and safer. If you put a $10 gift card to a local coffee shop - I'm betting it moves you to the front of the line with your accountant too! If you don't have someone in your corner to do taxes - reach out to me, I can point you to some local, reputable people who will be more than happy to assist you!