Year-End Money & Holiday Round Up

You might have guessed that since I am a planner professionally, that carries over into my personal life (which is a whole other thing than being organized…I can PLAN how I want things to go, but for some reason I am always running out of batteries and light bulbs…so I choose my battles). So YES,…

6 Things to Simplify Investing

Is it any wonder that one of the most nerve-wracking tasks of financial planning can be understanding how to invest your money? In fact, I think sometimes financial people WANT you to feel nervous, because then you start to think that making investment decisions is too hard for a layperson like you. (In other words,…

Best Holiday Year End Ever

You might have guessed that since I am a planner professionally, that carries over into my personal life (which is a whole other thing than being organized…I can PLAN how I want things to go, but for some reason I am always running out of batteries and light bulbs…so I choose my battles). So YES,…

Which Trust is Right For You?

This week’s blog is written by guest author, Lyle Solomon, principal attorney with Oak View Law Group.   Trusts can be broadly classified into four distinct types. They are divided based on when they become effective and who the owner of the assets is. The four types of trusts are living, testamentary, revocable and irrevocable.…

Should You Open a Trust?

This week’s blog is written by guest author, Lyle Solomon, principal attorney with Oak View Law Group.   Although drafting a trust can be quite complex, the basic concept of a trust is relatively easy to understand. In simple words, it means that a person is holding property for another person’s benefit.  What is trust?…

The 6 key areas of financial planning

Have you ever noticed that money tends to disappear unless you pay attention to it?  It’s true.  (It’s that dreadful feeling we get when we look at our bank statement at the end of the month and think, “Where did it all go…?”) That’s why it’s essential that you have clarity around what you want…

What’s next for your money?

A lot of people seem to believe that financial planning is only for the wealthy, or for the people who are a financial train wreck. That might be partially true…before I left my last broker-dealer, I saw how much pressure advisors were under to only take on clients who met certain asset minimums. In many…

How to Invest Simply

If you want to avoid the crazy-making style of investments, then focus on keeping things SIMPLE. There are two ways to look at simple. One way is to keep things simple so that you can do it all yourself. This is totally doable—and not at all scary—in our digital world, and I’ve made some suggestions…

Stop Freaking Out About Taxes

I do not prepare tax returns, but as a financial planner, I understand taxes and can help my clients with their tax strategy. And it’s that time of year when many of you are about to freak out about your tax return. Now is when all of those TV ads pop up, warning you that…

Financial planners

Money & Relationships Roundup!

Since February is the month of love and relationships, I am giving you the links to articles that can help you decide how to approach money in your relationship! I believe that money issues are a symptom of the health of a relationship – not the other way around. In other words, you “do” money…