How to Recover From a Credit Disaster

November 21, 2014

During one of my recent conversations with an employee, he was very disturbed by how much a bad credit score has impacted his life.He said that his credit score has caused his car insurance premiums to increase, he thinks it is hindering his job search (he may have a point because it is something that employers consider) and his girlfriend does not want to become his fiancée or wife until he shows significant progress in this area. So, he was very happy to have some ideas on how to make progress on repairing what was a very broken part of his financial life.  Continue reading “How to Recover From a Credit Disaster”

Be Long Term Careful

November 14, 2014

One of the questions I get asked frequently by people who are on track to retire is if they should buy long term care insurance (if they don’t already own it) or if they should cancel it (if they already own it).Lately, that has been a very difficult question to answer.  Companies that offer long term care insurance are raising premiums, sometimes very substantially, and there are no guarantees that they won’t go even higher in the future.  So if you are considering purchasing a LTC policy or cancelling your existing LTC policy, what are some things that you should factor into your decision? Continue reading “Be Long Term Careful”

A New Tool in the College Selection Game

November 07, 2014

With one daughter in college and two boys following her down that path over the next decade, the whole concept of “bang for your buck” regarding college costs hits rather close to home right now. Every parent would be pleased to learn that their child got accepted into Ivy League schools. Fewer would be pleased when the tuition payments came due!  And after graduation, when the total cost of the education was known and a child with a liberal arts degree went into a job market that isn’t currently rewarding, that type of degree from there would be even less joy.  Continue reading “A New Tool in the College Selection Game”

Do You Need Some Financial Flossing?

October 31, 2014

Recently I was talking with one of my coworkers and I said the following about something at work “It’s like flossing…I know I need to do it, and I do, but I try to find ways to postpone it as long as possible!” He thought it sounded like a blog topic about the financial lives of so many people, so here we are! What are some things that we KNOW we need to do financially, but they are so “not fun” that we either don’t do them or we keep putting them off indefinitely? Continue reading “Do You Need Some Financial Flossing?”

Be the Pilot, Not the Engineer

October 24, 2014

One of my colleagues is hopelessly stuck in the years BC (“before children” as he explains) with his cultural references. He made a reference to the movie “Airplane” (acting as if it were a relatively new movie) and as we discussed the absurd premise of the movie, he made an interesting observation. “If I had to fly a plane, I’d rather be getting directions from a pilot than the engineer who built the plane.”  His point was that a pilot knows how to focus on what is necessary to keep the plane flying whereas the engineer may get bogged down in the details of how the plane works.  That’s how far too many people feel about their financial lives after they attend a class or read a book about finances.  Continue reading “Be the Pilot, Not the Engineer”

Surprising Info About “The Rich”

October 17, 2014

I love facts that challenge the conventional wisdom.  That’s why this article from US News & World Report was so enjoyable to read.  The “8 Biggest Myths About The Rich” were all things that I’ve heard people say when making assumptions about people with means.  Here’s my take on some of the myths and what I’ve seen in my career with investors most would call rich. Continue reading “Surprising Info About “The Rich””

A Comeback Story

October 10, 2014

America loves an underdog.  I see it in sports all the time, and there are countless movies that end with the little guy triumphing over the big bad guy.As a society, we love to see someone prevailing against the odds.  I saw this article about companies that were left for dead but rebounded to find success again and it reminded me of how much we love a comeback tale in particular. Continue reading “A Comeback Story”

iMistake?

October 03, 2014

I read this article about Apple selling 10 Million iPhone 6’s on the first week of sales and it made me think about the number of people I see in coaching sessions who have the newest version of cool technology.  Having the latest iPhone or Galaxy or iPad or whatever the technology might be is seen as being on the leading edge.  There’s a bit of a “cool factor” involved.  Continue reading “iMistake?”

What Are Your Monkeys and Bananas?

September 26, 2014

One of the phrases my coworkers and I used a lot (at another firm during my career) in times of frustration was “monkeys and bananas.” That was our way of saying that we were operating under a bunch of constraints and no one could explain a logical or rational reason for those constraints.  “That’s the way it’s always been done…” is the beginning of an explanation that would always irritate me.  Just because something has always been done that way doesn’t mean it’s the way it should continue to be done.  So…how does that relate to monkeys and bananas??? Continue reading “What Are Your Monkeys and Bananas?”

How Our History Can Help Us Shape Our Future

September 19, 2014

200 years ago, Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner in the Baltimore harbor near Fort McHenry.As a Baltimore guy, this past weekend was glorious.  There were thousands of people celebrating the bicentennial of the Star Spangled Banner in the Baltimore area, tall ships from all over the world were in the harbor, the Blue Angels were doing aerial shows, there were fireworks and the Orioles were beating the Yankees in an important series.  (That has no bearing on the bicentennial, but it makes being in Baltimore a lot more fun.)  It was a great weekend to look back at our country’s history and reflect upon where we’ve been as a country and where we’re headed.  Continue reading “How Our History Can Help Us Shape Our Future”

Do You LUV Your Brand?

September 12, 2014

As someone who travels a lot for work, news from airlines always gets my attention.  Southwest Airlines is doing an overhaul of their logo, their paint jobs on planes, their snack bags…virtually everything associated with their brand.  We see the same images and messages all the time and after a while we stop noticing. I always think of Charlie Brown’s teacher when I hear a friend of mine threaten her kids with some form of punishment (which never happens, they still get ice cream after failing to listen to anything she says).  The same “you’re going to bed early” or “no technology if you don’t do X” or some similar thing is held out as a consequence, yet there are never consequences. In order for her kids to take her seriously or for companies to get us to pay attention again, sometimes a change is required.  Southwest is doing exactly that with their makeover of their logo and branding efforts. Continue reading “Do You LUV Your Brand?”

Fooling Ourselves

September 05, 2014

I was scrolling through the SiriusXM radio dial while driving recently and found a song I hadn’t heard in at least 20 years.   Styx – Fooling Yourself  was playing as I was weaving in and out of traffic, trying to get home in time to meet my girlfriend at a reasonable time for sushi.  It seemed like the more I changed lanes and zoomed past a line of cars, I’d get behind a super slow car and the line of cars passed me by.  Continue reading “Fooling Ourselves”

Estate Planning After Your Will is Drafted

August 29, 2014

I talk with a lot of people who have absolutely nothing done in their estate planning efforts.No will, no medical directives, nothing. So, I spend a lot of time talking about what would make up the standard “Estate Planning 101” package that they could have an attorney draft.  The basic documents that nearly everyone should have in place are a will, powers of attorney for financial and medical decisions, and advance medical directives.  With these basic documents in place, most people could check “estate planning” off of their to do list.  But, to dig a layer deeper, what are some things that you can do after you’ve signed your basic documents, never to look at them again? Continue reading “Estate Planning After Your Will is Drafted”

Worst Thing Ever

August 22, 2014

Occasionally, I’ll be in a conversation with a group of people and will throw out a random phrase and everyone has to give a quick response to it.  Recently, the phrase I threw out to the group at happy hour was “Worst Thing Ever.” One of my friends, without hesitation, blurted out “New York Yankees fans!” As the group was made up of lifelong Baltimore Orioles fans, we all agreed that Yankees fans can be obnoxious but they aren’t the worst thing ever…close, but not quite. Continue reading “Worst Thing Ever”

Student Loan Debt a Major Threat

August 15, 2014

I read this article about student loan debt resulting in a portion of a man’s Social Security income being garnished. In the article, not only is the garnishment discussed but also discussed is the growing trend of older Americans still having outstanding student loan debt. If that debt is not repaid prior to retirement, Social Security payments may be impacted and the retirement lifestyle that you’re expecting may come up short. It reminded me of a couple of situations I’ve encountered in coaching sessions recently where student loan debt became a central part of the conversation. Continue reading “Student Loan Debt a Major Threat”

Regrets…I’ve had a few…

August 08, 2014

As a dad, I often try to impart life lessons to my kids just like people did for me when I was growing up.  And, just like I did when I was their age, there is some eye rolling and a less than full understanding of the message being delivered.  Some of the lessons I try to impart on my kids deal with more optimistic, forward looking items.  Others are lessons I learned while making mistakes in my life.  Continue reading “Regrets…I’ve had a few…”

What Old School Insurance Sales Reps Won’t Tell You

August 01, 2014

I will admit that I own life insurance…lots of it. If a meteor were to fall from the sky and incinerate me today, my kids would benefit tremendously from a financial standpoint. They’d miss the wisdom (yeah, that’s what we’ll call it…) that I could pass down to them over the next 50+ years but they’d be OK financially.  Continue reading “What Old School Insurance Sales Reps Won’t Tell You”

Tipping Point – Could Restaurants Be Your Budget Solution?

July 25, 2014

One of the “hot button” issues in my personal budget is dining out.  If there’s one area where I overspend occasionally, it’s this area.  I live a pretty nice lifestyle and am fairly frugal but I do like the experience of going out to eat periodically.  I know I’m not alone because in my consultations with people, this is quite often brought up as an area where they can shave expenses and get a bit more fiscally responsible with their funds.  Continue reading “Tipping Point – Could Restaurants Be Your Budget Solution?”

Are You in a Cash Flow Drought?

July 11, 2014

Living on the East Coast but working for a California based company, I get to hear about things that are newsworthy on both coasts. One of the more recent news items that I talked about with my CA coworkers was the drought that they are currently experiencing.  This article talks about the drought and what it has done to the price of water in California. Continue reading “Are You in a Cash Flow Drought?”