With the first six months of 2022 in the rearview, you have valuable data at your disposal that can help you plan for a stronger second half and, even lay the groundwork for a better 2023. To start – set concrete goals of what you hope to accomplish before the year is out – save more, get ahead of income taxes, reduce spending, save for college – and attach a number to that goal. By December 31 I will save $X in my retirement plan, I will reduce my monthly spending by $X per month, Read on...
Lazy Discipline
Is it possible to achieve more, by working less? It seems too good to be true – like a diet pill that promises you can eat all the cake you want and still lose weight. But the truth is, sometimes we make it hard for ourselves to do the right thing. What if we intentionally set ourselves up for financial success by making it as easy as possible to do so. The finish line is the finish line. You don’t get extra points for running barefoot over broken glass to get there – in fact, you simply need Read on...
Shoot the Inner, Sitting Duck
My last post, "Nailing Financial Predators," may have left some feeling like an easy mark. But what if we could take our six natural human responses to persuasion and make them work in our favor? Well, we can. Here are some ideas on how to proactively take charge and shoot that inner, sitting duck: 1. Authority - If we respond to the perception that someone has expertise or power over us, it's best to make sure that that reverence is actually warranted before heeding their advice. Read on...
Nailing Financial Predators
“A prize fighter in a corner is told, hit where it hurts. Silver and gold.” - U2* Every time Tony and I have met with prospective clients who have come from traditional brokerage channels (literally, every single time) there is an uncomfortable point in the meeting where they are ashamed at the fact that they received no financial plan; no real coherent diversification strategy to minimize risks; no exit strategy as to when they can jump off the hamster wheel and enjoy the fruits of their Read on...