Search Results for: blog financial planning

Financial Advice I Wish I Could Tell the Earlier Me

Once you get to a certain age, you are supposed to be wiser, right? While I’m not ready for the retirement home yet (I don’t think they would let me bring my three school-age kids), the fact is that I no longer have as many years ahead of me as I once did. I do have a little more wisdom than I did then, especially when it comes to financial strategy. It is too bad that we can’t go back in time, isn’t it and give my younger self some financial advice? If I could go back in time, I … Continue reading →

Making Financial Resolutions

Tis the season for New Year’s resolutions. For many, the start of 2012 ushers in a fresh commitment to get financial affairs in order. This can take shape in a variety of ways. For example, some people may be inspired to take on another job to pay down debt. Meanwhile, others plan to spend less on necessities, or go cold turkey on impulse buys. For tweens and teens, January is a great time to line-up summer employment. With jobs so hard to come by in this dismal economy, students can no longer wait until May in order to start their … Continue reading →

What is Financial Abuse?

Abuse is a tricky topic that people are often not comfortable discussing. It can come in many forms, only some of which are obvious. Financial abuse is one of the ways that an abuser can harm their victim, and it is often directed at a spouse or domestic partner or an elderly relative. The effects of financial abuse can be devastating and can restrict the victim’s ability to leave the abusive relationship. In marital and domestic relationships, an abuser often uses one or more tactics to restrict the other person’s access to money. They accomplish this by stealing money from … Continue reading →

Do You Want A Financial “Do Over”?

Does the state of your family’s finances make you want to throw your hands in the air and shout “do over!”? Sometimes, feeling like you are starting fresh can give individuals, couples, and families the motivation and inspiration that they need to get their finances back on track. If the idea of a fresh start appeals to you, here are a few tips that you can try. Whether you are taking a fresh start for your personal finances or working with your spouse to start your financial life over together, one very powerful thing that you can do that costs … Continue reading →

Interview: John Hauserman on Retirement Planning

This morning I had the chance to chat with my friend John Hauserman of RetirementQuest.com. I’m a little ways down the road from retirement, but that’s the perfect time to start thinking about it—when it’s not an urgent, pressing need. By then it’s too late. I asked John a couple of questions that have been on my mind. John, I’m not a risk-taker, and I love it when people can give me a heads-up so I don’t make a huge mistake. What do you consider the single biggest mistake people make when it comes to planning for retirement? The single … Continue reading →

Financial Tsunamis

We’ve all watched the news reports from Japan with sorrow and horror. The devastation is unbelievable, and it’s hard to imagine having to endure such tragedy. Our hearts go out to the victims and we pray for them to find comfort and peace as they seek to rebuild their lives and mourn the loss of loved ones. As we contemplate these things, it’s natural for our thoughts to turn to the ripple effects of the event on our world economy, and to wonder how this tragedy might affect us down the road. Obviously, we didn’t just see our town washed … Continue reading →

Party Planning as a Career

Are you organized and love a good time? Then becoming a party planner might be the perfect career for you. Think about the types of parties that you would be interested in planning. Do you want to focus on one particular type or could you expand your business to include all types such as office parties, birthday parties, corporate events and weddings. It’s important to establish from the beginning where your focus is going to be. Because the next step is determining what your startup costs are going to be. The more types of parties you want to plan, the … Continue reading →

Estate Planning Tips

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Having a child with special needs means planning for her future more extensively than you would your other children. It also means planning for her day-to-day care after you have passed away. There are many important details to take care of to ensure the best possible life for your child, including estate planning. The laws can be confusing, so you should contact a professional with experience in special needs planning. Here are some tips from the pros: Make a Binder. Bernard A. Krooks, J.D., CPA, LL.M, CELA, is a founding partner of Littman Krooks LLP and an expert on special … Continue reading →

We’re Broke! Why Do We Need a Financial Planner? Part 2

Once you have made the commitment to achieving financial independence and have selected your advisor, the next step is the discovery interview. It is at this point that your planner will be attempting to ascertain how you feel about money. While that may sound pretty straightforward, money is a highly charged matter for most of us; it has come to represent many of the key structures of our lives—like security, safety, power, prestige, independence, and even love. In American society, money—how much we have, how we earn it, and how we spend it—has become a stand-in for our moral character. … Continue reading →

We’re Broke! Why Do We Need a Financial Planner?! Part 1

After my divorce, the financial planner who had worked with my former husband and I continued to call me every six months or so, wondering if I was ready to put a new financial plan into place. I was flattered, if a little confused, about why he was bothering with me. I had primary physical custody of our infant daughter, I was receiving no financial support from her dad, and I was working for a notoriously underpaying local non-profit. Let’s face it, I was broke. The answer to the question, of course, is that it is an undisputed fact that … Continue reading →