The Right Ingredients for Overcoming Debt

June 06, 2012

Although there are some that say the recession is behind us, there are still others that are continuing to deal with its effects. I recently had an opportunity to speak with a gentleman who finds himself behind the 8 ball when it comes to debt. This is not the first time I’ve received a call like this, nor will it be the last, but what makes this particular call stand out is the way this person has decided to approach the situation. His attitude and determination should be a lesson to us all. Here is his story: Continue reading “The Right Ingredients for Overcoming Debt”

Progress or Excuses? Pick One

May 04, 2012

A photo is making the rounds on the Internet and I stumbled upon it tonight. It’s a photo of a note that a customer left for his waitress with $.02 taped to the note.  I’ve had conversations with several people today who have formerly worked as wait staff and bartenders about this note.  The note was intended as a lesson in professionalism, perhaps some well-meaning advice.  But was it the right delivery?  Did the waitress understand the lesson?  Was it completely and wholly inappropriate for the customer to do this?  Continue reading “Progress or Excuses? Pick One”

Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Use the Computer…

April 25, 2012

Has this ever happened to you? You’re sitting at your computer when all of a sudden a window pops up telling you that a virus has been detected and that if you don’t take immediate action, your computer will be harmed. I remember one such instance where a message popped up on my home computer telling me that I had a virus and needed to buy this software to remove the virus, and no matter what I clicked the message would remain. Even after I turned the computer off, when I turned it back on the message reappeared. In other words, my computer was being held ransom, and unless I paid the ransom (i.e. bought the software), I would not be able to access my computer. Continue reading “Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Use the Computer…”

Mystery Shopper Scam Alert

April 24, 2012

Imagine opening your mail and finding a check for $1,985 with the offer to get paid to be a mystery shopper.  How many of your employees would be tempted to moonlight and make a little extra money by being paid to hit the mall?  Well, my husband was sure tempted when he got an offer that sounded too good to be true from American Consumer Opinion in Ontario, Canada.   Continue reading “Mystery Shopper Scam Alert”

Is Your Debit Card Putting You at Risk? What to Watch Out For

April 05, 2012

I recently read this Forbes article called “Why You Should Never Use Debit Cards.” One of my rules of thumb is that you should never say never (including now so it’s actually that you should rarely say never). However, the article makes a good point. The idea is that fraud protections are much weaker for debit cards than credit cards. That’s because if you dispute a charge on a credit card, you don’t have to pay it until the investigation is over. If the bank determines that the charge was indeed fraudulent, you may not need to pay anything at all. Continue reading “Is Your Debit Card Putting You at Risk? What to Watch Out For”

Becoming Healthy and Wealthy at the Same Time

March 19, 2012

Becoming healthy and wealthy at the same time seemed like an insurmountable goal to the caller I talked to last week on our financial helpline. Moneywise, Gail (*not her real name) was behind in her bills every single month and extremely stressed about it.  At the end of each pay period, she literally ran out of money so she wrote checks that she knew would put her account in the deficit. Continue reading “Becoming Healthy and Wealthy at the Same Time”

Is Inertia Costing You Money?

February 23, 2012

Let’s face it. We human beings are generally creatures of habit. We tend to do the same things over and over even if we aren’t always thrilled with the result, something Albert Einstein called the definition of insanity. Continue reading “Is Inertia Costing You Money?”

What Would You Do With 19 More Hours of Free Time During the Week?

January 31, 2012

That’s the question I asked myself after recently reading an article suggesting that we shorten the standard work week from 40 hours to 21. With nineteen more hours during the week, I know there would be a lot more things I would do.  I’d spend more time outdoors, enjoying fresh air and walks in the park.  I’d learn new skills, like a new language and woodworking.  And I’d spend more time with my family and friends, the people that make life worth living. Whatever you can imagine doing with more free time, it’s likely something that would make your life better and happier. Continue reading “What Would You Do With 19 More Hours of Free Time During the Week?”

What Can We Learn from “The 1%?”

January 06, 2012

It’s impossible to turn on a news channel and not hear about the 99% vs. the 1%. Here’s what I think: Supporters on both sides have points that the other side could learn from. Since this blog is about trying to give you some thoughts about how to improve your financial life, and once in a while some stories that might be inspiring, I’ll talk about what we can all learn from the top tier of America’s wealthy (aka “The 1%”). For a large part of my career I gave financial advice to people who are in that group, and while they all made money in different ways, there were many common characteristics. Here are my observations and a few things I learned that have helped shape my career. Continue reading “What Can We Learn from “The 1%?””

Financial Planning and the Stonehedge Mystery

December 23, 2011

For those who love mysteries, one of the longest running mysteries I can remember is Stonehenge. I mean, what is the meaning of those stones in that location? Who put them there? Why? How? Well, one part of that mystery has been solved. We now know the origin of the stones. Archaeologists spend years trying to solve mysteries, and now that this one is solved, all it does is raise more questions. At times, I’ve found that is also the case when working with people regarding their financial lives.  Here’s the condensed version of the story of someone I’ve known for a few years. Continue reading “Financial Planning and the Stonehedge Mystery”

Financial Twinkies

December 16, 2011

As a dad, one of my jobs is to make sure that my kids learn some foundational nutrition guidelines. So any time I see a story like this, that talks about how many of the popular cereals (some of which I really like…) have more sugar in them than a Twinkie, it catches my eye. Some of the cereals on the list (Honey Smacks, for instance, just sounds sweet and sugary, so that’s not a real shocker!) wouldn’t immediately conjure up thoughts of “I should worry about the amount of sugar in this.” The article goes on to say that, like we do in my family, especially since my middle child has Type 1 Diabetes, reading labels is important and it gives some tips on what to look for, as well as some alternatives to cereal that are fast and easy. I know I’m always looking for quick breakfast ideas before school for the kids, and work for me. Thinking about how reading the labels on food is important made me think about “reading the label” with some financial products, as well. Continue reading “Financial Twinkies”

7 Gifts That Can Keep on Giving

December 08, 2011

Rather than give away more fish this holiday season, why not teach them how to fish with a gift of financial education? After all, New Year’s is coming up and better money management is one of the most common resolutions. (A gift about losing weight may not go over so well.) While unfortunately you can’t exactly buy our services as a gift for someone, here are 7 personal finance books that I’ve found to be particularly insightful: Continue reading “7 Gifts That Can Keep on Giving”

The Impact of Financial Stress on Job Productivity

December 06, 2011

Stress is a part of life and isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing.  Personally, I prefer less stress.  But, in small doses stress can help us perform better under pressure and provide the necessary motivation to perform important tasks at home and at work.  As a busy financial planner with countless deadlines, assignments, travel requirements, and client service related demands, my work-life balance is always a challenge.  Thankfully, I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to help others improve their relationship with money and admit that I do indeed enjoy the sometimes chaotic life of multitasking.  Continue reading “The Impact of Financial Stress on Job Productivity”

Mind the Gap: What Really Matters to Your Financial Well-Being

December 02, 2011

I was reading some articles recently and found this quote:

“It’s not the balance in a person’s bank account that makes them happy; it’s the ‘spread’ between their bank balance and their bills. If there’s a wide spread, people have more flexibility, more options. If there’s a narrow spread, people perceive themselves as stuck, and their happiness levels plummet.” – Paula Pant Continue reading “Mind the Gap: What Really Matters to Your Financial Well-Being”

7 Things to Give Thanks For (even in this economy)

November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving! As a financial planner, I talk to a lot of people with all kinds of financial difficulties and I try to write about how to solve some of those challenges in this blog. But today is different. Thanksgiving isn’t about dwelling on what we don’t have, but about giving thanks for what we do. With the economy in the dumps, you may not feel that you have much to be thankful for, especially when it comes to your finances, but here are 7 things to consider: Continue reading “7 Things to Give Thanks For (even in this economy)”

The Most Important Lessons in Life are the Unspoken Ones

November 14, 2011

My mother-in-law, Stella Anderson, passed away in her sleep last month with her family at her side at the age of 97.  She was dearly loved and will surely be missed.  At her memorial service, her granddaughter (my niece) Britt Anderson spoke lovingly about lessons she learned from her grandmother which made me reflect on some of my own – financial lessons I picked up from her over the years.  Some of the lessons Stella taught her grandchildren were intentional, of course, but other lessons were learned from observing how Stella lived her life.  Britt shared the “intentional” ones first: Continue reading “The Most Important Lessons in Life are the Unspoken Ones”

Why We Should Tune Out the Politicians

October 28, 2011

As someone who travels a lot for work, I spend a lot of time in hotel rooms.  And, each hotel has a very different TV lineup, so it’s impossible for me to ever remember if ESPN is on channel 29, 53, 37, or 6.  (Yeah, there are bigger problems, but knowing what channel ESPN is on is important to me!)  And, a part of my night is flipping through the dial to check out what’s going on in the world outside of sports.  I’m a bit of a news junkie too.  In the latest trip around the dials (are there even radios or TV’s with dials anymore?), I was fascinated by all of the tax proposals I saw being talked about.  You’ve all heard that the only 2 things that are certain in this life are death and taxes.  I agree that those are absolute certainties, but I think there are a few other things that can be counted on.  One of them is politicians with plans. Continue reading “Why We Should Tune Out the Politicians”