The beginning of a new year is a wonderful opportunity to take stock of one's current financial situation and make goals to improve financial health and save for the future. By making wise financial goals and decisions now, people can be better prepared for the immediate and long-term future, and protect their assets and finances for themselves and their loved ones.

As a new year begins, many people begin making personal resolutions that often involve changing some aspect of their life, such as losing weight, spending more time with family, starting an exercise program, reading more books or watching less TV. Developing proactive personal resolutions for a new year can make a significant impact on both your short-term and long-term health, so it's important to make these resolutions realistic, attainable and goal-oriented.

With the increase in smartphone usage throughout America, many more people have access to a camera for quick shots of family members, friends or scenic locations. While cameras are often used for casual photos, they can also be used for important financial reasons, such as photographing your personal and business possessions for insurance purposes.

Texas has seen a large increase in the number of motorcycle owners in recent years, for a variety of reasons. For example, as gas prices continue to increase year after year, a growing number of Texas drivers are choosing to ditch their gas guzzling trucks, SUVs or large cars and downsize to motorcycles instead. A motorcycle offers reliable transportation for drivers at a fraction of the fuel and maintenance costs.

As many homeowners can attest, purchasing a home is no simple and easy task. The home buying process involves stacks of paperwork with a real estate agent and mortgage company, home inspections, coordinating with the movers, setting up utilities and services, and then unpacking and settling in. In the rush and chaos of moving, many homeowners make the mistake of not getting proper protection for their new home after they move in.

As cooler temperatures begin to return to Houston, many homeowners and business owners begin making preparations for winter, including decorating the inside and outside of their home or business, bringing out winter clothes, and making holiday plans with family and friends.

As discussed in last week's blog, many parents help prepare their college students for the new school year by purchasing laptops, smartphones, furniture, appliances, and other needed items. One major asset college students also take with them is a vehicle, either their own car or a family vehicle.

The beginning of fall brings cooler weather, the start of football season, and a trip back to college for the thousands of university students throughout Texas. Many parents help their children prepare for college by purchasing smartphones, laptop computers, furniture and appliances so they have everything they need while living away from home. However, many parents do not realize that they may be sending their children away with these costly possessions that are not covered by their homeowner's insurance policies.

Have you ever watched an episode of the PBS series Antiques Roadshow? Each week, thousands of hopeful visitors bring in their heirloom jewelry, garage sale art purchases and antique furniture in the hopes the show's appraisers will determine them to be one-of-a-kind. For the lucky few with valuable jewelry, artwork, furniture or other collectibles, the appraisers often tell the owners, "If this were up for auction, I would estimate it would sell for $25,000-$35,000..." or whatever amount the item is worth.

ExxonMobil recently released new updates and photos of their sprawling 385-acre campus under construction just north of Houston.