Why Kids Should Work
Most parents try to teach kids the life skills they’ll need to thrive as adults. Some of those skills relate to money and work ethic. Sadly, particularly in affluent communities, children are often sheltered from the responsibilities and realities faced by adults. The percentage of high school-aged kids who work is at an all-time low, declining to 20% in 2013 [...]
A Financial Planner’s Perspective on the FIRE Movement
I’ve recently seen a couple members of the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) community speak on the movement that has gained momentum in recent years. While I admire some of the characteristics of adherents of this movement (e.g., careful spending, aggressive saving), and I’ve learned a few new terms (e.g., geo arbitrage, mega Roth), I’m left with some serious questions [...]
Looming College Deadlines
I’m currently taking a class on college planning, so this topic is top of mind. Additionally, the fall is the time high school seniors apply for colleges and financial aid. As such, it seems a good time to remind people of the various types of deadlines to stay on top of this time of year. […]
The Allowance Debate
It is our responsibility as parents to teach our kids the life skills they’ll need to thrive as adults. Some of the most important skills we can teach them relate to making smart money decisions. One topic that often provokes strong opinions relates to allowance: how much to give, whether to tie it to chores, and what it should cover. [...]
Protecting Yourself in the Era of Cyber Fraud
In light of yet another data breach this week (of CapitalOne in case you missed it), it seems a good time to review cyber safety. A client recently brought to my attention a type of identity theft that I had not heard of before. It involves a thief stealing your cell phone number and porting it over to a new [...]
Making Good Financial Habits Stick
I recently saw James Clear, the best-selling author of Atomic Habits, speak at a conference. The premise of his talk and book is that by making small incremental improvements, we can make big changes in our lives. He offers a well-structured system for getting 1% better every day by improving our daily habits. It occurred to me that his system [...]
Making Summer Count
As the mother of two middle schoolers, at this time of year my thoughts turn to how to keep them busy over the summer. While we have a family vacation planned and they’ll go to a few camps, I also like them to learn something new over the summer. Given my job as a financial planner, that typically involves learning [...]
Financially Savvy Travel Tips
With summer just around the corner, many people are in the midst of booking their summer travel plans. If your plans will take you overseas this summer, consider these tips to reduce the financial cost of the trip. […]