Want to Quit Your 2016 Budget? Don’t!

February 02, 2016

If you have read any of my prior blog posts, you probably know that I have a thing for chocolate. I even do a run called “Hot Chocolate” held  in January. I do the 15K, about 9 miles, with water and chocolate stops along the way. Once I am done, you are given hot chocolate and I gulp it down in about 30 seconds. Despite the sub-freezing temperatures, I enjoy the runs because they gives me and my friends uninterrupted girl time to catch up. Continue reading “Want to Quit Your 2016 Budget? Don’t!”

Take Your Own Baby Steps

December 29, 2015

I am a huge fan of the movie “What About Bob?” starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfus. Bill Murray’s character was so overwhelmed by life that he went to see a psychologist (Richard Dreyfus’ character) for help. The psychologist introduced him to the concept of “Baby Steps,” which suggests taking small steps to achieve your goal. In the movie, Bill Murray took baby steps, literally, but the steps were baby steps based on Bill Murray’s mental state, not someone else’s mental state. Continue reading “Take Your Own Baby Steps”

How to Survive the Holiday Break With Your Kids

December 22, 2015

I really do love my kids. But after two weeks of being indoors with them, we both welcome the new school year. I am always on the hunt for inexpensive things to do to keep my kids occupied during this season. Here are some of my favorites: Continue reading “How to Survive the Holiday Break With Your Kids”

5 Things to Know About Applying for a Mortgage

December 09, 2015

Even though interest rates are likely to begin rising again (haven’t we been saying that for a couple years now?) mortgage rates are still reasonable, and buying a home these days is still cheaper than renting in most areas, providing you’re planning to stay for a bit. Buying a house is more than just a financial decision, but if after considering all the factors, you’ve decided that now is the time to buy, prepare yourself for the mortgage application process. And I mean gird yourself because it is a royal pain. Here’s what to expect: Continue reading “5 Things to Know About Applying for a Mortgage”

Are You Leaving Money On The Table?

November 13, 2015

One of the things that I have heard people say in conversations regarding money is “every dollar counts” and…I agree with that. To that end, there is some money that a lot of employees leave on the table on a fairly regular basis. With just a few slight tweaks, they could recover some out-of-pocket expenses that far too often are being put on a credit card and creating a gradual increase in debt level. The best part is that these are all 100% above board and employer-sanctioned. We all work hard, and in the course of doing that work, you should be able to recover some of the expenses of working. Continue reading “Are You Leaving Money On The Table?”

Financial Rules Of Thumb: Retirement Savings

November 11, 2015

Continuing my financial rules of thumb series, this week let’s talk about a question that pretty much every person has asked me on our Financial Helpline: How much should I be saving for retirement and how much do I need total? While the answer varies depending on each person’s circumstances, goals and ultimately their values, there are some rules of thumb for those who either don’t feel like running a retirement estimator calculation or who just aren’t quite sure yet what their goals are. Continue reading “Financial Rules Of Thumb: Retirement Savings”

The Best Place To Find Financial Products And Services

November 10, 2015

My cousin is the ultimate bargain hunter. If you are looking for that amazing combination of value and quality, she is your woman. She can find the $5,000 vacation for $1,000 or the $500 coat for $69.99. She came to me excited because she found an amazing deal on life insurance. She has been searching for months with no luck and finally went to a financial advisor who gave her the cheapest quote she had gotten so far. Continue reading “The Best Place To Find Financial Products And Services”

Can You Walk Your Way Out of Debt?

November 06, 2015

I was talking with one of my fellow financial planners, Cynthia Meyer, about a wide range of topics recently. During our conversation, I laughed that I was feeling too lazy to walk the two blocks from where I live to the grocery store. That’s when she told me this story of when she decided to walk EVERYWHERE…. Continue reading “Can You Walk Your Way Out of Debt?”

Here’s Your Next Superhero!

September 25, 2015

I was talking with a young man today who was facing a rather large debt load and was looking for a way to effectively manage that debt so that it doesn’t ruin his life or at least make it difficult to feel anything other than trapped by his debt. He bought a relatively inexpensive ($20,000) car, has around $8,000 in credit card debt and about $80,000 of undergraduate and graduate school loans. His salary today basically allows him to pay rent, his debts and a little bit of discretionary money for entertainment. He said that his life was not very much fun right now and he feels like he is suffocating. He sounded very frustrated and he joked that at this stage, he’d be willing to sell an organ to raise cash to pay off some of the debt.  Continue reading “Here’s Your Next Superhero!”

How To Talk To Twenty-Somethings About Money

September 22, 2015

I recently was having a conversation with my niece and nephew about their future again. Have you ever tried to have a meaningful conversation with a 20 and 22 year old about finances? After about 5 minutes into the conversation, I could still see their physical bodies but I knew their minds were on another planet. So after what was a 5 minute conversation to me but probably felt like a 3 hour lecture to them, I stopped. Then I asked what it is that I was saying that rendered them brain dead. Continue reading “How To Talk To Twenty-Somethings About Money”

Four Retirement Myths I’m Hearing

September 18, 2015

Answering calls to our Financial Helpline, I’ve heard some myths or assumptions about retirement and I always enjoy hearing the buzz out there from people contemplating retirement. My thought is – if I’m hearing this from a few people, there are potentially thousands or millions who have the same thought. So, for those who believe some of these things, I’ll share some of the myths/assumptions I’ve heard recently and then give you my $.02.  Continue reading “Four Retirement Myths I’m Hearing”

Is Uber Cheaper Than A Car Payment?

August 24, 2015

My colleague Doug Spencer asked himself that question when his oldest daughter began to drive and so far for him, the answer is “yes!” Like many families, they have two busy kids going in different directions for school, activities and work and with a third driver, a third car seemed like the answer. For many people it probably is, but here are the reasons that Doug has decided to hold off on purchasing another car: Continue reading “Is Uber Cheaper Than A Car Payment?”

Money Saving Tips I Learned As a Frequent Traveler

August 12, 2015

As a senior resident financial planner for Financial Finesse, my job requires me to travel from time to time. As you can imagine, there are several perks to business travel. For starters, you sometimes get to go to exotic places like Parker Dam, CA, Newcastle, WY, or Elko, NV and then there are the luxurious accommodations like the Budget Host Inn & Suites in Memphis, TN or the Rime Garden Inn & Suites in Birmingham, AL or a personal favorite of our planner team, the Hacienda Hotel in our very own El Segundo, CA. All kidding aside, it is fun to travel every once in a while, and you do pick up a travel tip or two along the way. Here are a few of my favorite tips to help the less-than-frequent travelers among you: Continue reading “Money Saving Tips I Learned As a Frequent Traveler”

How Not To Go Broke On Vacation

August 11, 2015

Okay, I will admit it. I am cheap. I hate spending money unnecessarily so when my family asked about a family vacation this year, I asked them if being together wasn’t enough. Apparently everyone, including my husband (traitor), wanted to go away for vacation so I immediately had to strategize on how to do this on a budget. Continue reading “How Not To Go Broke On Vacation”

How I Got My Teenage Niece to Save

July 28, 2015

Have you ever tried talking to a 19 year old about financially preparing for her future, especially one that considers shopping to be a way to serve her country? I was talking to my niece about getting her financial house in order. She actually tried to rationalize to me that shopping was really helping the economy out. Continue reading “How I Got My Teenage Niece to Save”