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Making Your Own Luck

September 22, 2011 By Dina Isola

"What's your goal?" My husband's question was simple, but I didn't know if I should bother to share my complete answer, because it seemed unreasonable. We hadn't started our family yet, which was a goal of ours. But I wondered if winning Lotto was the only ticket to my other dream: to be able to stay home with our kids for as long (or short a time) as I wanted.  Back then, my earnings were almost five times his salary and I doubted we could sustain ourselves on his take home pay alone, Read on...

Keeping a Cool Head Can Mean Money

June 25, 2011 By Dina Isola

You’ve heard it before: Don’t let emotions get in the way of business.  Well the adage holds true for investing, as well – probably even more so.  It seems easy enough to do, but when you see the value of your savings falling like a botched Martha Stewart soufflé, your first instinct may be to sell, sell sell!  But acting out of emotion can often be the worst thing you could do when it comes to investing.  Here are some tips to prevent sabotaging your financial well-being. Make sure you have Read on...

Father Knows Best

June 18, 2011 By Dina Isola

No Father's Day would be complete without reflecting on lessons learned from my own Dad.  "Tony G" - as I affectionately refer to him - had a financial smartness about him that few MBA grads possess.  His intuition, wisdom, patience and discipline all made him ideal for investing.  And while it was simply a hobby, I think he could have made a living at it.  Most important, how he lived his life is ultimately what made him successful as a father, husband and a man.  Here are some lessons I Read on...

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

June 10, 2011 By Dina Isola

When most of us go to make an important purchase – a refrigerator, furniture, or a car – we shop around.  We want to make sure that we don’t get taken advantage of and that we get a good value for our money.  So why is it that when it comes to investments, (mutual funds, in particular) many of us have no idea what we’ve invested in and what it costs?  Why would we rather haggle with a car salesman on a one-time purchase, than pay attention to our investment costs and our long-term financial 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

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RSS College Tuition News

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  • College or Capital? Why Some High School Graduates Are Choosing Startups Over School - business-review.eu
  • Justice Department challenges Kentucky reg allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students - LEX18

RSS Personal Budget News

  • 9 bank accounts with built-in budgeting tools to help track your personal finances - Bankrate
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  • Personal Finance: Senate takes up the Big Beautiful Budget Busting Bill - Chattanooga Times Free Press

© 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.