In today’s blog: a poodle named Scarlett, offended by my investment advice, teaches us an important lesson about the biases that can hinder our financial success. A couple of weeks ago in our blog looking back over 2023, I compared the different sectors of the stock market to the many different breeds of dogs. In … Read more
Strategies for Securing A Raise and Advancing Your Career For many people, the new year signals a compensation review with their employer. Compensation reviews can be intimidating and often dreaded, but they are obviously extremely important. Securing a raise not only affects your immediate budget and spending power, but it also impacts your future retirement. … Read more
Growing up, my favorite family tradition happened every year on Christmas Eve at my Grandma Helen’s house. My grandma embodied Christmas to me. And then it all changed. Christmas was ruined. Christmas at Grandma’s House Each year on Christmas Eve around 5:00 p.m. the family started gathering at Grandma’s house. Almost nothing kept us away … Read more
Whether we realize it or not, our finances are storytellers. They tell the story of who we are, how we live, and how we have lived. It is an interesting phenomenon to think about — the tales our finances tell. Wait. How Can Finances Tell a Tale? What are we talking about here? Well, how … Read more
Most of us know that money is a sticking point in so many areas of our lives. It is one of the most common reasons for divorce. The majority of people in this country do not change socioeconomic classes in their lifetimes. Most Americans are carrying debt, and the average amount of debt we carry … Read more
As a savvy investor, you need to understand what fees you are paying your advisor and exactly what you’re receiving for that fee to avoid overpaying. But it can be extremely difficult to “decode” your investment fees. Types of Investment Management Fees Commission based advisors are almost a thing of the past so most financial … Read more
You’re financially prepared for retirement, but is your MARRIAGE prepared for retirement? As a financial advisor who specializes in retirement planning, over the last 15 years I’ve helped somewhere around 100 couples transition into retirement. The decision to retire is obviously one of the most important financial decisions that you will ever make. You will … Read more
You’ve worked hard to save money, but now you’re finding it really hard to SPEND it. I get it. But in case you were looking for permission, here it is: Take the Vacation! The Balance between Saving and Spending Throughout my life, no force on earth proved more powerful than the “When I grow up…” … Read more
As soon as I answered the phone I knew something was wrong. It was the emotion: the defeat, the exhaustion, and the shame that I heard in his voice that made my mama heart leap out of my chest. I was thousands of miles away on a beach in the Bahamas when I got the … Read more
“Credit monitoring” does just as it’s name suggests: it monitors your credit. It alerts you when new accounts have been opened or when something looks suspicious. “Freezing Your Credit” makes it impossible for anyone (even you) to run your credit or open a new account. So why do I think you should consider freezing your … Read more