One of the most debated financial questions of modern times is whether you should prioritize paying off your home mortgage over planning for your retirement. The answer to that question often is rooted in emotion more than sound financial wisdom. Emotion embraces the dream of a retirement with no debt, great health and doing whatever […]
As a life planner and business coach, I find one of the main things people lack is a basic understanding of financial principles. I wonder — how much easier could their lives have been if they’d been taught these basic facts as children? As adults, we know money doesn’t grow on trees. Instead of allowing […]
The beginning of a new year is a great time to make financial changes we have long delayed or avoided. Here are 21 ideas that may help you manage your hard-earned money better: Take the time to review every penny you make and spend. Make a paper list or an Excel spreadsheet. Examine every expenditure; […]
What comes to mind when you recall holidays gone by? Do you have sweet memories of time spent with friends and family, or unpleasant memories of family and gift-buying stress — along with debt to start the new year? I can’t eliminate the stress caused by 2020 or relatives, but I can provide a few […]
Having been an entrepreneur myself for over 40 years, I know how much work starting and operating a small business can be. As you make plans, here are some things I advise you to consider: FINANCES The most common reason a small business fails is money — either a lack of startup or working capital. […]
One of the few things people know about Social Security is that contribution is mandatory, and when they get old enough to retire, they will receive a certain amount of money per month as long as they live. An annuity has some similarities; when properly designed, it can provide guaranteed income in retirement and help […]
Financial planning without life insurance is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. For life insurance to make a difference in your financial plan, you must buy it and keep it. One of the first things you should do is go to lifehappens.org and click on the “calculators” tab. This tab has options to […]
With businesses closed, work hours reduced and jobs eliminated due to Covid-19, many people now find themselves in the grip of a financial crisis. Even before the pandemic, America had a savings and retirement problem. Statistics tell us that 45 percent of American workers have no retirement savings, and according to the Federal Reserve, over […]
As a life planner, I like to have real discussions with people about their lives — where they are now, financially and personally, and where they want to be at the end of their lives. It continues to amaze me how many people don’t like to discuss the end of their lives, believing somehow that […]
At the start of the new year, many people made New Year’s resolutions — promises to yourself or others to enact a change. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm for those resolutions often wanes as the hard work required to honor them becomes a reality. Did you make a New Year’s resolution? Perhaps you made one to get […]
