When Is It Worth Hiring an Expert?

April 26, 2013

Within the last month or two, I’ve had to travel (for work) to cities that I have never visited before. And, I wasn’t quite sure which airlines served some of the smaller airports or what hotels looked better online than in real life. As someone who is accustomed to being on unfamiliar turf and living from a suitcase for a bit, it still never hurts to have a conversation with someone who knows the area. Continue reading “When Is It Worth Hiring an Expert?”

The Stock Market’s Going to Go Down…Unless it Goes Up

April 19, 2013

A question I get asked a lot lately is what I think the stock market is going to do. We are near (or at, depending on when you read this) all time highs in the stock market. 401k balances are rising. Stock prices have risen pretty quickly. A client company of ours has seen its stock rise from $40 to $56 per share in the last several months. Things look great and when I turn on the financial networks, many of the “experts” are predicting a strong market for the next several years. And, that scares people…. Continue reading “The Stock Market’s Going to Go Down…Unless it Goes Up”

Why I Love What I Do

April 05, 2013

We usually discuss what to do with your money but not how you earned most of it in the first place. Without trying to sound too much like I’m sucking up to my boss…I’m one of the few people I know who really love what they do for a living. I’ve met a lot of people who hate their jobs but “have to” stay for financial reasons, benefits, or something else.  I’ve met people who like their jobs but aren’t all that enthusiastic about it. And, occasionally I’ll meet someone who feels like they are doing what they were put on Earth to do.  When that happens, I feel like I’ve met a kindred spirit.  Why do I enjoy what I do so much? Continue reading “Why I Love What I Do”

Another Celebrity Bankruptcy…

March 29, 2013

Here we go again!  Yet another celebrity has filed for bankruptcy.  Dionne Warwick owes over $10 million in accrued penalties and interest from back taxes along with other debts and this combination of debts drove her to insolvency. (Couldn’t her psychic have warned her about this???)  She has an income of $21,000 per MONTH and expenses to match plus, lots of debt on top of that! Hey, with that kind of financial track record we should send her to DC as a member of Congress. If it sounds like I’m a bit less than sympathetic here, it might be because my initial reaction is one of frustration.  Here’s why: Continue reading “Another Celebrity Bankruptcy…”

Determining Your Life Insurance Needs Takes More Than a Calculator

March 22, 2013

While I don’t sell life insurance, I get a lot of questions about how much insurance someone should own.  Maybe it’s BECAUSE I don’t sell it that I get the question.  If I sold it, I’d have a vested interest in giving you a high number (along with my business card) so that you know how under-insured you might be!  While I get this question a lot, there really is no simple answer to it.  Continue reading “Determining Your Life Insurance Needs Takes More Than a Calculator”

How to Get Out of the Divorce Sinkhole

March 15, 2013

Having spent many afternoons on a golf course and being of very limited ability in that sport, I have had had my ball land in some very interesting places.  None of them would be as interesting, though, as the golfer in this story.  His ball, along with his body, ended up in an 18-foot deep sinkhole. And, he got a separated shoulder in the fall.  I’ve had bad days on the golf course, but never THAT bad!  The good news is that he was pulled from the hole and his shoulder will heal very quickly! Continue reading “How to Get Out of the Divorce Sinkhole”

Why It’s No Shocker When Athletes Go Broke

March 08, 2013

As a sports fan, I see a lot of sports–related items in the news, on Facebook, on my Twitter feed…all over the place.  Not too long ago, ESPN aired a special called “Broke” about athletes that earned tens of millions of dollars during their careers who are now completely broke.  A lot of people have expressed a bit of shock and disbelief that someone who earns $10,000,000 or more in a short career can have nothing left just a few short years after their playing days are over. Continue reading “Why It’s No Shocker When Athletes Go Broke”

Roseanne Rosanna D’Anna, Sequestration and You

March 01, 2013

I grew up watching Saturday Night Live, back when it was ridiculously entertaining.  I know it’s in a good cycle again now, but the old shows are still funny now.  When you can laugh 20-30 years after something was created, you know it’s good.  Lucille Ball and the chocolate candy on the assembly line will be funny 100 years from now!  That’s quality entertainment…  Continue reading “Roseanne Rosanna D’Anna, Sequestration and You”

Talking to a Teenager Now May Save Them Tens of Thousands of Dollars Later

February 15, 2013

I like to write about the things I see in my daily life as well as some of the things going on in my family, and right now the family conversations have a very common theme.  My daughter is a senior in high school and recently was accepted to all of the colleges to which she applied.  Now, it becomes a matter of preference, location, and atmosphere and of course, the financial aid packages offered will factor into the decision as well.  She has known since she was 4 years old that she wants to be a teacher, so paying $60,000/year to go to an elite private school was not going to be an option for her.  Continue reading “Talking to a Teenager Now May Save Them Tens of Thousands of Dollars Later”

Get Rid of Your “Monopoly Iron”

February 08, 2013

I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve played the game Monopoly. It’s such a classic, and I had no idea that they eventually get rid of (OK, “retire…”) game pieces. They are retiring the iron now and replacing it with a cat! I’m a dog person and have been known to wear some wrinkled clothing, so I really prefer the iron to a cat…but it wasn’t my decision! And it did take me down a different thought path. Continue reading “Get Rid of Your “Monopoly Iron””

Is a Big Fish Sinking Your Financial Boat?

February 01, 2013

The photo accompanying this article is pretty striking.  Fish sinks boat!  Marlin 1, Boat 0. It reminds me of a newspaper article I saw many years ago titled “Deer Shoots Man” that talked about a hunter who leaned his rifle against a tree while taking a quick bio-break, and as he walked away, a deer ran past the tree causing his gun to fall and fire a shot directly into his gluteus maximus.  Continue reading “Is a Big Fish Sinking Your Financial Boat?”

Which of Your Actions Fail the “Piggy Bank Test?”

January 25, 2013
The other day I was looking through some boxes that I hadn’t opened in a few years and I found an old piggy bank that I had from very long ago.  I opened it and there was about $30, all in dimes, inside the piggy bank.  I vaguely recall being a fan of dimes a long time ago.  They are our smallest coins and “pound for pound” give the highest value /size ratio in the world of U.S. coins.  I started to think about the logic behind piggy banks and a few things hit me. Continue reading “Which of Your Actions Fail the “Piggy Bank Test?””

Credit Score Myths That Drive Me Crazy

January 18, 2013

When I meet with people who are dealing with building credit for the first time or rebuilding/repairing their credit after some financial misadventures, we often talk about the components of their credit score and how they can make an impact on that score.  Fairly often, someone will say “I have heard…” and then tell me something they’ve heard about credit scores.   After hearing the same “I have heard” items or myths repeatedly, I thought it might be a great time to address a few of them so that you can start the new year with a few facts instead of myths. Continue reading “Credit Score Myths That Drive Me Crazy”

Do You Need an Oprah Moment Like Lance Armstrong?

January 11, 2013

I read this article about Lance Armstrong booking a date on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), where many people suspect that after years of denial, he will finally acknowledge that he participated in a PED (performance enhancing drugs) program.  This is a story that resonates with me on so many levels that I will absolutely be one of the people who tunes in to watch it even though I have no idea if the OWN is on my cable system.  I guess I have some research to do.  Continue reading “Do You Need an Oprah Moment Like Lance Armstrong?”

How a Lost Monkey Can Give Us Financial Hope

December 28, 2012

I saw this article about a monkey lost at an IKEA furniture store when I was doing my morning news reading the other day.  There were some  videos of the monkey on some of the news channels as well and it was pretty entertaining.  The monkey definitely got my day started with a smile.  But the more I came back to thinking about the monkey, my thought process changed a little bit because of a conversation I had… Continue reading “How a Lost Monkey Can Give Us Financial Hope”

How to Find an Extra $2 Million in Your Coat Pocket

December 21, 2012

A few things happened today and somehow when I pieced them together, it all made sense (to me, at least).  As I was putting my coat on this COLD morning (for the first time in nearly a year), I found a $20 bill in the pocket.  Talk about a great way to get your day started!!!  I was thinking that it was going to be a good day.  Continue reading “How to Find an Extra $2 Million in Your Coat Pocket”

Daydream! It’s worth it…

December 14, 2012

Sometimes the best things in life start with a great idea or vision.   Recently I have become a huge fan of the “Spotify” music service. This article talks about how the founder of Spotify wanted to create something that combined his two loves, music and technology, and bring the world something better than music piracy.   And, since he wasn’t really good at playing music, being a rock star was out of the question!  So, he did the next best thing and created a music company. Continue reading “Daydream! It’s worth it…”