Have you ever wondered what it would cost to take a month off of work and see part of the United States? I recently took a 26-day road trip across 14 states, though I really only explored about 8 of them. The rest were states I drove through on my way to the others. Before … Read more
Weddings. Could I pick a more controversial financial topic? I’ve always been flabbergasted by the price of weddings. With the average wedding cost around $30,000, it’s hard not to be. I know that figure is inflated by some people who spend over $100,000 on a wedding and brought down by others who spend $1,000. Either … Read more
Over the last 10 years, I’ve been in a fortunate position to have thousands of conversations about money. Doing so, I have heard and seen many things that most people don’t have the opportunity to see or hear. Unfortunately, people don’t talk about how money connects to life. They don’t openly talk about how … Read more
I quit my job. Yesterday was my last day as a financial planner with my prior employer. I’m one of those odd millennials – not because I quit my job, but because I was there for 10 years. It’s the only full-time job I’ve had. I started as an intern in 2011, worked part-time in … Read more
This is a year of transition. More on that in future posts. For some reason, turning 30 earlier this year has felt like a crossover point. I’m out of my 20s. The 30s are here, and with them, a whirlwind of change. I’m taking time to reflect on my 20s. Not only with personal life … Read more
You can’t create more time. The time you took to read the last sentence – you are not getting it back. You can create more money. In some situations, you can improve your health. Your home may be a valuable asset, but it is not the most valuable. Time is your most valuable asset. Someone … Read more
What an incredible gift to learn from others’ mistakes. It is a blessing to not actually make the mistake and still incorporate that knowledge and experience into your own life. Imagine if you had to make a mistake to learn anything. Life would be tough. Life would be really tough. Thankfully, people come before us, … Read more
Invest in yourself. If you don’t, who will? As people get older, I generally see people invest in themselves less. It’s unfortunate. An investment does not have to be purely monetary. We often think of an investment as putting money to work for us. An investment in education – a college degree – is one … Read more
Imagine the world without the financial media for a year. What would it be like? I think about this occasionally, and I smile. My gut tells me it would be a better world, but I have no evidence to back it up. I merely think about the time, forecasts, and after-the-fact explanations that tie our … Read more
It’s an odd title, right? You can choose to not make the “smart” financial decision. I put smart in quotes because there are many people who see financial decisions as purely a numbers decision. Does it increase their net worth? If yes, they choose that decision. Unfortunately, personal finance is…you guessed it – personal. People … Read more