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Educate parents and young adults in practical money matters

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The Misery Index

June 19, 2018 By Dina Isola

My senior year of college wasn’t filled with the dread that some of my classmates seemed to carry.  All the “countdown” parties went on without me; I didn’t feel the need to squeeze the last bit of juice out of my carefree days as a student.  I was itching to get on with it; the next big event in my life was hovering on the horizon and was taking forever to arrive.  I was impatient for my real life to begin. Had I not been so doe-eyed, I might have clung to every moment of what was slipping Read on...

No Substitute for Personal Responsibility

June 12, 2018 By Dina Isola

I had the privilege of attending a parent/student meeting at South Side High School in Rockville Centre the other night.  For a change, I was neither an attending parent nor a presenter; I was a very interested observer for a number of reasons. As a mother to teenagers, I was happy to see a school district take a novel approach to support teens in making better choices.  It’s hard enough to do the right thing in life; when you’re young and inexperienced, filled with emotions and dying to be Read on...

Investor Self Defense Checklist

May 30, 2018 By Dina Isola

I had the pleasure of speaking  with Dina Cataldo of Soul Roadmap podcast to discuss "How to Reach Your Money Goals."  She has put together an informative and inspiring show aimed at giving people tools and strategies to live their best lives, and she covers a myriad of topics. It was a lively discussion and it inspired me to put together an Investor Self Defense Checklist to help make sure your financial plan works for you:  ____I have an emergency fund of 3-6 months' worth of living expenses Read on...

Simple Questions, Convoluted Answers

May 24, 2018 By Dina Isola

    A new client wanted to switch out of an annuity she had bought in her retirement account with a previous adviser. Needless to say, my antenna goes up when I see annuities in a retirement account because it is both unnecessary and expensive to own these insurance products for their tax-deferral benefits, when this feature is "free" to retirement accounts. As I waded through her paperwork, I clearly saw that she would be hit with a $3,000 surrender charge to get out --  and I Read on...

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Dina Isola

Since 2002, Dina Isola has worked closely with investors, hearing their concerns. Drawing on her experiences and challenges, Real$martica was born, which focuses on making personal finance issues relatable to women, children and families and educating investors to make informed decisions. A contributor to A Teachable Moment, she is a client relations specialist at Ritholtz Wealth Management. She also serves on Stony Brook Children’s Hospital Task Force.

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Recent Articles

  • Finding Your Financial Balance
  • The War Within
  • Give Yourself (and Your Money) Some Love
  • Why You’re Failing Miserably, and How to Stop
  • Hardwired to Help
  • Hardwired to Help
  • School Administrators and Unions Can Be the Real Heroes
  • Mid-Year Pump

In the news..

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RSS College Tuition News

  • Pentagon Considering Graduate Tuition Aid Cuts for Active Service Members at Boston College - bcheights.com
  • Comptroller report: Tuition assistance in NY not keeping up with inflation - WRGB
  • Exposed: Taxpayers paying for Democrat activists’ grad school tuition - The Heartlander

RSS Personal Budget News

  • What a Wealthy Retiree's Monthly Budget Looks Like at Age 78 - GOBankingRates
  • Tennessee among states where groceries take the most out of your budget. See why - The Tennessean
  • Isle of Man budget sees largest ever personal allowance rise - BBC

© This content, which contains security-related opinions and/or information, is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon in any manner as professional advice, or an endorsement of any practices, products or services. There can be no guarantees or assurances that the views expressed here will be applicable for any particular facts or circumstances, and should not be relied upon in any manner. You should consult your own advisers as to legal, business, tax, and other related matters concerning any investment. The commentary in this “post” (including any related blog, podcasts, videos, and social media) reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints, and analyses of the Ritholtz Wealth Management employees providing such comments, and should not be regarded the views of Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC. or its respective affiliates or as a description of advisory services provided by Ritholtz Wealth Management or performance returns of any Ritholtz Wealth Management Investments client. References to any securities or digital assets, or performance data, are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see disclosures here.