Before my children understood what a lollipop was, it was very easy to swap it out with an apple slice. I was looking after their best interests, after all. But what if I wasn’t a concerned mother? What if I were a manipulative saleswoman needing to hit a certain commission level on apples that month to stay employed; or worse, to win a crystal paperweight and bragging rights among my very competitive colleagues? My example may seem strange, but if we apply this to personal finance, and not Read on...
Politics, Investing and Propaganda
I used to look forward to voting when I was younger as I was certain of what I was doing. My lack of sophistication and naiveté made me see things in very simple terms and it was easier to choose between the “right” candidates and the “wrong” candidates. Now, I am jaded, and I realize that everyone has an agenda and some have better propaganda machines. An advertising budget can do wonders in painting either a shiny, albeit inaccurate picture; or a scathing and unfair one. Many investors fall Read on...
College Bound Concerns
Anyone who has a child getting ready to start college for the first time probably has a list of concerns a mile long. Among the worries is the handling of money. Whether your child is going away or staying home, there is a real opportunity to start your son or daughter on his or her first journey into financial responsibility. While it might be hard to look at your "baby" as an adult handling money, there's no time like the present to learn these important lessons. These tips will help your Read on...
When Helping is Hurting
I gave a presentation to a group of sixth graders and asked an innocent question, “Who here earns money?” As I expected there were those who mowed lawns, babysat, shoveled snow, folded laundry, etc. to earn cash. These kids weren’t “working papers” ready, and they took great pride in earning their own money – and not too surprisingly, they seemed to be more discriminating on how they spent it, and had a solid understanding of what was an item or service that they needed versus something they Read on...