May 2010

To Save or Not to Save

May 31, 2010
Thumbnail image for To Save or Not to Save

That is an excellent question! As a financial planner I usually advise my clients to save as long as their personal financial situation permits it.  As a person who has the worst luck in the entire world I also personally like to have savings set aside in case of an “emergency”.  Over the past two [...]

Read the full article →

Becoming Self-Employed

May 28, 2010
Thumbnail image for Becoming Self-Employed

Have you ever thought about starting your own business? It could be work that you ease into and do on the side while you keep your full-time job. You might consider having a side hustle as a backup plan in case you lose your job. Or it could be just a temporary venture to earn [...]

Read the full article →

Shares and Stocks and Bonds OH MY!

May 27, 2010
Thumbnail image for Shares and Stocks and Bonds OH MY!

The stock market game can be very profitable or you can lose your shirt. Actually, considering the instability of the market over the last two years you would be lucky if you only lost your shirt. The key to investing in the stock market is to fully understand what you are getting in to and [...]

Read the full article →

Less Than Perfect for a Mortgage

May 26, 2010
Thumbnail image for Less Than Perfect for a Mortgage

Waiting for a decision on your mortgage application is like waiting for blood test results or waiting for your tax return. You secretly hope for one answer but you are also prepared for the worst. If your mortgage application result comes back negative, then don’t worry…you have other options. As a financial planner my primary [...]

Read the full article →

Simplify Your Budget. Don’t Sacrifice It!

May 25, 2010

Budgets can be Simple, you just need to make a plan and stick to it. Budgets are for everyone, not only for people with limited income.  Making a budget can be compared to making a new weight loss plan.  Don’t try to make too many drastic changes all at once; otherwise you will never stick [...]

Read the full article →

Economics and Modern Philosophy

May 24, 2010
Thumbnail image for Economics and Modern Philosophy

Ah…my day to shine. Good news ahead. The federal government has planned the creation of a consumer financial protection agency. Ralph Nader himself is turning over in his grave with interest. Or wait… Ralph Nader is still alive—I think. Anyway, he’s turning over somewhere—probably in a cozy sofa chair at Starbucks in DuPont Circle. Here [...]

Read the full article →

Weekly Recap: Don’t Let a Man Mess with Your Money

May 21, 2010
Thumbnail image for Weekly Recap: Don’t Let a Man Mess with Your Money

Happy Friday May 21. The topic for the recap this week is the thing that makes us our money…our jobs, and the toxic relationships that we form at our workplace.  It is normal to become attached to people we work with because we spend at least 8 hours a day with them and some of [...]

Read the full article →

How Does Marital Status Affect Your Taxes?

May 20, 2010
Thumbnail image for How Does Marital Status Affect Your Taxes?

It’s the time of year when couples like to tie the knot. The beautiful weather and flowers in spring and early summer make having an outdoor wedding an occasion to remember. But in all the excitement, it’s easy to forget about tax issues that need to be addressed when you get hitched. What to Do [...]

Read the full article →

Financial Advisors are Investors too

May 19, 2010
Thumbnail image for Financial Advisors are Investors too

Let me tell you that working in the financial services industry does not make it any easier when trying to predict the future market conditions.  I don’t have a crystal ball that magically appears in my office after every fiscal crisis to predict what will happen next. First of all I don’t do that. I [...]

Read the full article →

Numerophobia

May 18, 2010
Thumbnail image for Numerophobia

Numbers? Ahh! Recent work highlighted in this week’s Economist showed that, after accounting for a whole host of differences between people who took out “sub-prime” mortgage during the run up to the housing finance crisis, the defining variable that predicted whether or not these people would miss payments, default, or be foreclosed upon came down [...]

Read the full article →