We live in a time when expressing an opinion and having an audience is as nearby as a cellphone. We can always have lots of people agreeing with us, in fact – algorithms for social media, such as Facebook, guarantee that we will find our very own choir to preach to. It makes us feel better to know others share our opinion; it makes us feel smarter, too. If that is not enough, we get immediate gratification in the forms of likes, share, and retweets to make us feel bigger and more Read on...
Planning for the “Big” Day
One of the greatest “gifts” I ever received from my parents did not feel like a gift a first; it was a torturous exercise, truth be told. Involving me in their estate planning would be something that would offer my entire family peace of mind, but not until much later down the road. I did not ask to be involved; I actually was uncomfortable looking at my parents’ finances; it felt like TMI. To put things in perspective, I was not a financial advisor at the time, nor was Tony. I Read on...
Simple Does It
There are a few things that immediately make me more relaxed and happy to face the day: a strong cup of coffee, a nice walk, and a hot shower. It’s nice to know that I can guarantee myself a good start to the day with such simple things. It got me thinking that people rarely do this with their finances. Instead, financial matters are treated like an overstuffed, messy closet that needs to be dealt with but remains closed (and avoided). Make no mistake, procrastination weighs on the Read on...
Your Silver Lining Financial Playbook
Often, I have seen people burdened with a financial secret; something that they have not faced head-on or have been hiding from their families, and it leads to emotional overwhelm. Over the last month, I have had several conversations with a successful career woman who has amassed credit card debt that she cannot pay off in full. Though she has never been late or delinquent in paying her bills, the guilt and self-loathing she carries was keeping her stuck in place – paying the minimum or a Read on...