Investing is for Everyone

A generation or so ago, the path to financial freedom was pretty direct for most. You found a job and saved for a home and a rainy day. When it was time to retire, you collected from a pension and enjoyed your remaining twilight years. Over time, things have drifted away from womb-to-tomb employment and […]

Why You Don’t Want a Big Tax Refund

A tax refund isn’t winning the lottery. It isn’t a gift. It’s the return of your money, money that you’ve earned that the government has been holding. At a time when you need your money to be working for you, you can’t afford to have your money do nothing, not even earn interest. Rather, your […]

The Three Buckets Principle

The world of finance is tricky to navigate. With so many options available for your investments, it can seem complicated and daunting when trying to plan for your financial future. The three buckets principle is a way of simplifying the complex and is suitable for people with substantial savings as well as people who are […]

Making Volatility Work for You

Do you want to start investing but fear you will be buying in at the top of the market? Well, what if I told you there was a way to invest in which you could take emotion out of the equation altogether, not only banishing market anxiety but actually taking advantage of dreaded market volatility? […]

How to Move From Financial Detour to the Straight Highway

Coming from sunny southern California, there’s nothing quite as nice as an aimless, leisurely drive down the coast. As delightful as that is, it’s not a metaphor for life. Life is complicated and moves fast. It’s easy to get sidetracked. That’s why when it comes to any of your goals, especially financial independence, a clear […]

Capitalizing on Your Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan

Let’s talk about employer loyalty. For much of the 20th century, Americans (by and large) followed a standard script: enter the workforce and work for a single company for decades, then throw a retirement party at 65 and cash in a pension – a reward for years of company loyalty. This pension provided retirement income; […]

It’s Time to Pay Yourself First

We all know we should save more. We all want to save more. Yet, month after month we face the same Groundhog Day scenario: paying all of the bills only to realize that – yet again – there is simply nothing left to save. Sound familiar? Think about it for a minute. In our Groundhog […]

Finding the Right Fit: Selecting the Right Financial Role Model for You

Role models have a very powerful function. They shape values and behaviors in all facets of life, including our relationship with our finances. Knowing the influence they have, it’s obviously important to select the right financial role model. However, many are selected with very little consideration, if any at all. When it comes to something […]

Why Automatic Savings Plans Create Financial Confidence

With a long weekend with my sons and my wife out of state for a reunion with friends, we found our way to Home Depot, the library, a car wash, and of course, a local pizza parlor. These small, but meaningful experiences for our boys’ weekend left me appreciating why a commitment to an automatic, […]

Making It Personal: Crafting a Personalized Mission Statement

I am a big believer in personalization in all aspects of life. The road to your goals, financial or otherwise, is paved by the personalized steps you’re willing to take and in the direction you wish to work. Driving all of that should be more than an idea or a simple plan. What is needed […]