“You are my 50th birthday present to myself,” a woman said to me, as we sat down to meet. “I’m tired of not feeling like an adult, it’s like I have a dirty money secret.” I’ve heard variations of this same theme many times. This is what women say to me when no one is listening. I could fill a room with these women -- then maybe they would see that many struggle with this very subject. The trouble is no one wants to admit their deficiency – and if you stay silent, advice won’t find 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...
The Gift Daughters Really Need
When it comes to money, age won’t make someone wiser or give them confidence if there is no real-world experience backing it up; even having a career won’t. For women, the situation is particularly dire. According to the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center’s Working Women’s Financial Capability Study, working women lag men in basic financial literacy (31% vs. 52%); the gap is more pronounced in advanced financial knowledge (12% vs. 24%). As a mother to sons, I may be all wet on Read on...
Destination Unknown?
Imagine you’re about to set out on a road trip. You would absolutely need to have an idea of where you wanted to go – north, south, east, or west. You would have to work within the confines of how much time you had for this trip – that would determine how far you could go. Your financial goals are no different than that road trip; failing to plan means planning to fail. Even if you haven’t given retirement much thought, in terms of what it looks like and feels like, chances are Read on...