3 Things You Can Do As a Responsible and Loving Adult Many parents ask me about what they can do to help their children achieve financial independence. They may have different ideas in mind: a college fund? A financial gift at some important milestone? A car, perhaps? All do-able, and …
We are in a period of the lowest interest rates ever. If you are borrowing money, these are some of the best of times. We have never been able to borrow money for homes, businesses, cars, etc. as low as we have been able to this past year. As a …
Ah, taxes, everyone’s favorite subject! To be fair, I have friends who actually enjoy diving into tax tables and itemizing deductions, which is wonderful! But that is not the majority of people I know. Our tax system is challenging. Yet, we all must learn to navigate it, to some extent. …
My son Matthew earned his Eagle Scout several years ago. The Eagle Scout motto is “Be Prepared,” and the program’s focus is to help boys and girls be ready to face various challenges in life. I was thinking of that training often this past week when Texas was faced with …
“What would you do if you won the lottery?” It’s a fun mental exercise that many people like to play, whether they actually buy a lottery ticket or not. The possibilities seem endless, and the empowerment seems tantalizing. But the reality isn’t always what we dream. Lottery winners are known …
You have probably seen the “SMART” goal-setting acronym, which stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. These principles apply well to our financial goals as well as other goals. Here are some brief reminders to help keep you focused and SMART this year! Specific: When setting a saving or …
The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about people who used high risk methods to buy high risk investments. These folks had turned relatively small amounts of money into exceptionally large gains in the past year. Earlier in the year, the WSJ also published an article about investors who …
With another round of stimulus checks on their way, this is a great time for fraudsters to pounce. Don’t be a victim! Follow these smart tips: If you receive a suspicious email or text message, DON’T respond, click on links, or open attachments. Banks and government agencies will NOT ask …
I often find that when people come to me for financial advice, they get more than they bargain for. A conversation about the stock market? Sure. Tips on how to save for a future goal? You bet. Observations about the opportunities available to you in your current situation? Absolutely. But …
As this year comes to a close, here are my top 3 important financial tasks to consider. Review Retirement Plan Contributions: Whether you contribute to a 401(k), 403(b), IRA, or Roth, look at your year-to-date contributions. You can make 2020 contributions into IRAs and Roth IRAs until April 15, 2021 …
