When I tell people what I do for a living, I almost always get questions on how to become financially secure. As I started to talk to people, I noticed that a pattern started to emerge. People started connecting themselves to their financial situation vs. seeing their situation as a temporary situation. Continue reading “You Are Not Your Financial Situation”
One of the more interesting stories I’ve seen recently in the world of sports is about a guy named Rob Konrad, a former NFL player, who fell off his boat and swam 9 miles to shore. It took him about 16 hours, he had hypothermia, and he couldn’t walk but at least he survived the ordeal. Along the way, he was circled by a shark and had to fight waves, wind and the dark in order to make it home safely. Continue reading “Are You On a Crash Course to Disaster?”
I usually view “what to do at year end” and “what to do to start the new year” financial articles with great disdain (the same way I typically avoid writing “theme” blog posts for Valentine’s Day, Mothers’ & Fathers’ Day, Independence Day [is there any bigger cliché?], and any other over-played theme). However, I have spent most of my work hours early in 2015 talking to people who want to look at things they can do in the next 12 months in order to make progress toward becoming financially secure. It’s only because I have been asked so often that I’ll cave in, become part of the crowd and write a “What To Do for 2015” suggestion list. Continue reading “What to Do for 2015”
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, and next year’s words await another voice, and to make an end is to make a beginning.” T.S. Eliot fans may recognize this poem, entitled Little Gidding, that focuses on the unity of the past, present, and future. Although not a well-known poet like Eliot, I’ve been writing my weekly blog posts for the past 4 years. Continue reading “Making a New Beginning”
Every year, in the December/January time frame, there are a lot of articles looking back at the prior year or looking forward to the New Year.As a bit of a political junkie, I love reading stories about predictions for the coming year but one of my favorite things to see each year is a look at how the government (mis)spent enormous sums of taxpayer’s dollars. This isn’t a Democratic or a Republican issue; it’s a big organization problem. Continue reading “Where is Your “Government Waste?””
As we look back at the previous year, I have started thinking about people I’ve talked to this year who have left an impression on me. One of the more memorable people that I was able to have conversations with started with a story that was disturbing on a few levels, but has come to a relatively happy conclusion. The fun part for me was getting updates on her progress and seeing the change in her voice, posture and energy level as things got better. Continue reading “The Price of Inattenton”
This New Year’s Eve, millions of people across the country will make New Year’s resolutions about things they’d like to do in 2015. I’m all in favor of this annual tradition but to mix things up a bit, I’m going to suggest a few things that you DON’T want to do in 2015—something I’m calling “No” Year’s resolutions: Continue reading “My “NO” Year’s Resolutions!”
New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect on the past and ponder your future, but many of us spend more time planning how we will be celebrating on the last night of the year instead of planning ahead on how to achieve our New Year’s resolutions.One of the most common resolutions is to improve financial well-being, either by saving more or paying down debt. So before you head out tomorrow night, reflect on your financial past by taking the time to calculate your net worth so you know where you stand as we head into 2015. Continue reading “Before the Ball Drops”
According to the sixth annual New Year Financial Resolutions Study from Fidelity, fewer Americans are considering a financial resolution for 2015. Only 31% of survey respondents have considered making a financial resolution compared to 43% last year. Should we be concerned that less Americans are considering a financial resolution for 2015? Continue reading “Resolve to Improve Your Financial Wellness in 2015”
One of the joys of being in a role where I can see a person make progress over the course of time is that I can remember where they started and see where they are now. Since they are living in it day to day, they don’t have the perspective that I do as a casual observer. It’s a lot like when my kids were younger, there were cousins we would only see once every year or two. Every time we saw them, I was shocked by how much their kids had grown and they were shocked by how much my kids had grown, but neither of us was shocked by the growth of our own children. Continue reading “How Much Progress Can You Make Next Year?”
Sometimes when I meet with someone to walk through their finances, I get the distinct impression that our conversation is going to have a significant impact on their life. I had one of those conversations recently with a couple who was very seriously considering separating and divorcing. One of the biggest factors in the stress and tension that is damaging their marriage is how they deal with money or…don’t deal with it. Continue reading “Don’t Let Debt Destroy Your Marriage”
Last week, my family was just beginning a six hour trip home from Orlando, Florida when a major brain cloud of forgetfulness appeared that cost us money. After getting the family wagon loaded with kids, wife, parents, and luggage at a record setting time for punctuality and efficiency, our crew was ready to go. (It is important to note the small victory this appeared to be at the time because I am known to operate on “island time” when in vacation mode.) Google Maps was even confirming an estimated arrival that would leave us plenty of time at home to finally put lights on our sad and extremely naked tree and to do some Christmas shopping. Continue reading “How to Roll with the Punches”
Last week, I wrote about my favorite credit cards for rewards. This week, let’s take on another unpopular financial institution: the bank. With typically poor customer service, rock bottom interest rates, and an endless stream of fees, most people probably look at their bank as a necessary evil. But if you’re willing to look beyond the local branch, there are some good banking accounts out there. Here are my personal favorites: (for the sake of avoiding repetition, all of these banks charge no maintenance or minimum balance fees) Continue reading “My 5 Favorite Bank Accounts”
As you reflect back on your holiday weekend, what are you thankful for? Hopefully, you had a chance to share a Thanksgiving meal of turkey and all the fixings with your family and friends, followed by pumpkin or pecan pie.Perhaps you headed out early to the mall for the deals on Black Friday, where (if you shop like I do) you bought gifts for your loved ones and a few things for yourself, too. For those fortunate enough to be able to buy a turkey feast and to hit the malls or get in on the cyber deals online yesterday, how about giving today to those much less fortunate? Continue reading “Today is Giving Tuesday”
Last week, a colleague of mine lost her best friend to cancer. She was one of those people whose presence made you feel at peace. She also was great at planning for the future. Continue reading “When Planning Really Matters”
As a parent, I am constantly trying to instill an “attitude of gratitude” in our children and the best approach is to model this attitude as much as possible along life’s journey. I always try to devote time for regular prayer and meditation but I am also adding a simple but formal gratitude journal to the weekly routine. As a financial planner, I know that I could do much more to encourage others to do the same. Continue reading “I’m Thankful For…”
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”
A co-worker recently had a scare when her husband was admitted to the hospital for a possible heart attack. His family has a history of heart problems so she was terrified at the thought of her life without her best friend, having to explain to her children they’d lost their dad, and not spending the rest of her life with him. She shared with me all sorts of thoughts that started creeping into her head…all of the “what ifs.” (Luckily for her, his health problem was not severe, just early symptoms of diabetes, and his problems are treatable with lifestyle changes.) Continue reading “Fire Drill For The What Ifs”
If someone were to ask me what I am the most proud of, next to my husband and daughter, I would say that I am the most proud of serving in the military. The military is where I developed a strong work ethic. I also learned to think of others before myself and I learned to lead even though I may not have had all of the answers. I enjoyed every crazy moment in the military (well, if I am honest, the port-a-potties were not fun, yuck!) and I grew close to many of the servicemen. Continue reading “Lessons From a Veteran to Today’s Soldiers”
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?”
