As our sons started to dip their toes in online consumerism via eBay and Amazon, I realized it was time for an education. Armed with gift cards and trigger-happy index fingers, it was too easy to buy. They lacked the healthy skepticism smart consumers have. They would inadvertently buy an accessory to something, when they thought the main item was included, for example; or they were lured into knock-offs that they believed were real. Investing can be tricky like that, especially if you are not Read on...
Hang Up Your Bell and Your Worries
I can worry about lots of things if I let myself – I am a mother after all, so that is fused with my DNA. But one thing I’m really not worried about is an impending market crash. Why? Because that is what many people seem to be worrying about. To be clear, a correction is certainly possible; I have no crystal ball. But, being contrarian by nature, my reaction to what everyone is thinking is to move in the other direction. I’m not “making a statement” or being snarky; nor am I smarter than Read on...
Ladies, First!
A little more than two months before my due date, panic set in. Though I had much experience as an aunt and babysitter, and in spite of my life-long fantasies of motherhood, the moment was quickly approaching where my life would change forever. Change, even joyous change, can be terrifying. In my case, a difficult twin pregnancy kept very dire possibilities hanging in the balance. My husband was eerily calm; if I didn't know better I would have thought he was medicated. I spoke to my 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...