Perusing the search engine results for “allowance for kids” reveals something telling: The top results can’t seem to agree with each other.

Some finance articles quote experts or outspoken parents hailing an allowance, stating it teaches kids financial responsibility. Others argue that simply awarding an allowance (whether in exchange for doing chores around the house or not) instills nothing in children about managing money. They say that having an honest conversation about money and finances with your kids is a better solution.

According to a poll, the average allowance for kids age 4 to 14 is just under $9 per week, about $450 per year. By age 14, the average allowance is over $12 per week. Some studies indicate that, in most cases, very little of a child’s allowance is saved. As parents, we may not have needed a study to figure that one out – but if your child is consistently out of money by Wednesday, how do you help them learn the lesson of saving so they don’t always end up “broke” (and potentially asking you for more money at the end of the week)?

There’s an app for that.
Part of the modern challenge in teaching kids about money is that cash isn’t king anymore. Today, we use credit and debit cards for the majority of our spending – and there is an ever-increasing movement toward online shopping and making payments with your phone using apps like Apple Pay, Android Pay, or Samsung Pay.

This is great for the way we live our modern, fast-paced lives, but what if technology could help us teach more complex financial concepts than a simple allowance can – concepts like how compound interest on savings works or what interest costs for debt look like? As it happens, a new breed of personal finance apps for families promises this kind of functionality.

FamZoo is popular, offering prepaid cards with a matching family finance app for iOS and Android. Prepaid cards are a dime a dozen but FamZoo’s card and app do much more than just limit spending to the prepaid amount. Kids can earn interest on their savings (funded by parents), set budgets according to categories, monitor their account activity with useful charts, and even borrow money – complete with an interest charge. Sounds a bit like the real world, doesn’t it? FamZoo can be as simple or as feature-packed as you’d like, making it a good match for kids of any age.

Money habits are formed as early as age 7. If an allowance can teach kids about saving, compound interest, loan interest, and budgeting – with a little help from technology – perhaps the future holds a digital world where the two sides of the allowance debate can finally agree. As to whether your kids’ allowance should be paid upon completion of chores or not… Well, that’s up to you and how long your Saturday to-do list is!

If you Google “how to be financially independent,” over 4 million search results come back.

And for a good reason: People are really worried about their finances. Last year, 40% of Americans feel that they’ve lost financial ground since the pandemic.

Do any of these top 5 concerns feel true for you?

1. Health Care Expenses/Bills – 35%
2. Lack of Emergency Savings – 35%
3. Lack of Retirement Savings – 28%
4. Credit Card Debt – 27%
5. Mortgage/Rent Payments – 19%

If worrying means that you suffer twice, millions of people are suffering twice over their finances.

What kind of double-suffering are you experiencing – and are you ready for a way out?

The best way to learn and achieve financial independence is with someone who already knows – an ally to walk the road with you. Someone who has been where you are. Someone with the tools to help you. Contact me today, and together we can get you moving towards financial independence – and some peace of mind.

It seems many of us can over-complicate how to achieve good financial health and can make the entire subject much harder than it needs to be.

Despite what you might read in books, hear on television, or see on blogs and websites, good financial health can be simple and sustainable.

Some of the following basic principles may require a paradigm shift depending on how you’ve thought about finances and money in the past, or if you have current not-so-great habits you want to change. Hang in there!

Let’s start with frugality.

Retail therapy may not always be good therapy

One of the biggest financial pitfalls we may get into is believing that money will make us happy. To some degree, this may be true. Stress over finances can rob us of peace of mind, and not having enough money to make ends meet is a challenging – sometimes even difficult – way to live. Still, thinking that more money will alleviate the stress and bring us more happiness is a common enough trap, but it doesn’t seem to usually pan out that way.

Get yourself out of the trap by reminding yourself that if you don’t have a money problem, then don’t use money to solve it. The next time you’re tempted to do some indiscriminate “retail” therapy, think about why you’re doing what you’re doing. Do you truly need three new shopping bags of clothes and accessories or are you trying to fill some other void? Give yourself some space to slow down and think it over.

Build a love for do-it-yourself projects

Any time you can do something yourself instead of paying someone to do it for you should be a win. A foundation of frugality is to keep as much of your income in your pocket as possible. Learning to perform certain tasks yourself instead of paying someone to do them for you may save more money.

Do-it-yourself tasks can include changing the oil in your car, mowing your grass, even doing your taxes. The next time you’re about to shell out $50 (or more) to trim the lawn, consider doing it yourself and saving the money.

Curb your impulse buying habit

An impulse buying habit can rob us of good financial health. The problem is that impulse purchases seem to be mostly extraneous, and they can add up over time because we probably don’t give them much thought. A foundational principle is to try to refrain from any impulse buying. Get in the habit of putting a little pause between yourself and the item. Ask yourself if this is something you actually need or just want. Another great strategy to combat impulse buying is to practice the routine of making a shopping list and sticking to it.

It may take some time and effort to retrain yourself not to impulse buy, but as a frugal foundational principle, it’s worth it.

Build your financial health with simple principles

Achieving an excellent financial life doesn’t have to be complicated or fancy. Mastering a few foundational principles will help ensure your financial health is built on a good, solid foundation. Remember that money isn’t always the solution, aim to keep as much of your income as possible and stay away from impulse buying. Simple habits will get you on the road to financial health.

A fresh perspective, a little commitment, and some discipline can go a long way toward building a solid financial foundation.

Many of us have probably had some trouble meeting a long-term goal from time to time.

Health, career, and personal enrichment goals are often abandoned or relegated to some other time after the initial excitement wears away. So how can you keep yourself committed to important long term goals – especially financial ones? Let’s look at a few strategies to help you stay committed and hang in there for the long haul.

Start small when building the big financial picture

Most financial goals require sustained commitment over time. Whether you’re working on paying off credit card debt, knocking out your student loans, or saving for retirement, financial heavyweight goals can make even the most determined among us feel like Sisyphus – doomed for eternity to push a rock up a mountain only to have it roll back down.

The good news is that there is a strategy to put down the rock and reach those big financial goals. To achieve a big financial goal, it must be broken down into small pieces. For example, let’s say you want to get your student loan debt paid off once and for all, but when you look at the balance you think, “This is never going to happen. Where do I even start?” Cue despair.

But let’s say you took a different approach and focused on what you can do – something small. You’ve scoured your budget and decided you can cut back on some incidentals. This gives you an extra $75 a month to add to your regular student loan payment. So now each month you can make a principal-only payment of $75. This feels great. You’re starting to get somewhere. You took the huge financial objective – paying off your student loan – and broke it down into a manageable, sustainable goal – making an extra payment every month. That’s what it takes.

Use the power of automation

It seems there has been a lot of talk lately in pop psychology circles about the force of habit. The theory is if you create a practice of something, you are more likely to do it consistently.

The power of habit can work wonders for financial health, and with most financial goals, we can use automation tools to help build our habits. For example, let’s say you want to save for retirement – a great financial goal – but it may seem abstract, far away, and overwhelming.

Instead of quitting before you even begin, or succumbing to confusion about how to start, harness the power of automation. Start with your 401(k) plan – an automated savings tool by nature. Money comes out of your paycheck directly into the account. But did you know you can set your plan to increase every year by a certain percentage? So if this year you’re putting in three percent, next year you might try five percent, and so on. In this way, you’re steadily increasing your retirement savings every year – automatically without even having to think about it.

Find support when working on financial goals

Long term goals are more comfortable to meet with the proper support – it’s also a lot more fun. Help yourself get to your goals by making sure you have friends and allies to help you along the way. Don’t be afraid to talk about your financial goals and challenges.

Finding support for financial goals has never been easier – there are social media groups as well as many other blogs and websites devoted to personal financial health. Join in and begin sharing. Another benefit of having a support network is that it seems like when we announce our goals to the world (or even just our corner of it), we’re more likely to stick to them.

Reaching large financial goals

Big, dreamy financial goals are great – we should have those – but to help make them attainable, we must recast them into smaller manageable actions. Focus on small goals, find support, and harness the power of habit and automation.

Remember, it’s a marathon – you finish the race by running one mile at a time.

When you deposit money into certain bank accounts, they’ll pay you interest.

Have you ever wondered why they do this? Banks perform lots of services. They’re holding your money for you, making it accessible at tens of thousands of points across the globe, facilitating purchases from e-commerce sites, processing automatic payments, etc. Oftentimes this is done for free or for a small fee. So why would they pay interest on top of all this?

Let’s find out.

Banks play both sides

We need a place to store our money. Some people might not like the idea of handing over their hard-earned cash to a financial institution, but storing their savings under the mattress might make it difficult to perform many transactions, especially online. Banks perform the essential service of giving much of the population a place to store their money while simultaneously facilitating payments between different participants.

Modern economies function on debt (so not all debt is necessarily bad). Corporate debt owed to a bank might be used to grow a business quickly by taking advantage of a great business opportunity.

People don’t always have the entire amount of money all at once to buy something very costly like a house, so banks can help out by lending them the money. To collect the money to lend out, banks receive deposits from other customers.

Thus banks play a fundamental role in the economy, but why do they pay interest? They obviously receive interest on loans, but on the other side, they already offer several free services, like facilitating payments and helping to safeguard cash. Why would they pay people to give them money?

Banks need depositors

Similar to other industries, the banking industry needs customers. This is not only true on the lending side, though. Banks also need customers on the depositing side, because they need to get their money for lending from somewhere. The more customers they have, the more money they can lend out, in turn generating more income.

Since banks compete with each other just like members of any industry, they need a way to attract customers. Sometimes they may offer more features for an account or more free services, but the most enticing incentive is usually the interest rate. And that is the simple idea behind why banks pay interest: zero interest in theory would attract zero customers.

Why more interest for longer deposit periods?

It seems like savings accounts usually pay better interest rates than checking accounts. Why is that? A person probably opens a savings account with the intention of storing their money over a relatively long period of time. The expectation is that the money wouldn’t frequently be removed from that account.

So why do banks generally pay more interest if they believe you’ll leave money untouched for longer? Here’s why. The money you deposit with a bank doesn’t sit idle. It’s lent out to other individuals and businesses in the form of loans. But every bank must abide by minimum reserve requirements,¹ and if they fall below the threshold, they can face serious consequences. Thus they are motivated to have their customers park their money for longer periods of time, and savings accounts are intended for just that purpose. The longer a customer intends to leave their money untouched at a bank, the more the bank might be willing to pay in interest.

Just about anyone may benefit from seeing a financial professional, but how do you know when it’s time to get some professional guidance?

Many people work through much of their financial life without needing to talk to a financial professional, but then something may change. Maybe you are approaching retirement and want to make sure you have your bases covered. Perhaps you just received an inheritance and aren’t quite sure what to do with it, or maybe you received a big promotion with a substantial raise and want a little help with your existing financial strategy.

Whatever the case may be, here are a few signposts that indicate it may be time to see a financial professional.

You are unsure about your financial future

If when thinking about your financial future, and you keep coming up with a blank slate, a financial professional may help you formulate a solid savings strategy. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by differing financial responsibilities, a conversation with a financial professional may help you sort it all out and develop a roadmap.

If you’re juggling a lot of financial balls, such as student loan debt, retirement savings, credit card debt, building an emergency fund, trying to buy a house, etc., you may benefit from some professional financial input.

You have inherited a large sum of money

Coming in to an inheritance is a key signal to seek out a financial professional. A financial professional may be able to help you determine the options you have to manage the money that you may not be aware of. The important thing with an inheritance is to take your time when making decisions and consider any long term implications for your family.

You want a professional opinion

Say you like managing your own money, and you’ve been doing a pretty good job of it. You read the financial news and keep up with the latest from Wall Street. You may feel you’re doing just fine without the help of a financial professional, and that’s great. But, getting a second opinion on your finances from a qualified financial professional may go a long way.

Sometimes with our finances we may have a blind spot – a risk we may not see, or an opportunity to do something better that we haven’t noticed. A financial professional may help you find those opportunities and help eliminate those risks. Even if your finance game is on a roll, a little professional guidance may help make it even better.

Starting your business requires making a myriad of decisions.

You’ll have to consider everything from a marketing budget to the theme of your website to how you’re going to arrange your office. But if you give careful consideration to the financial decisions concerning your business, you’ll start off on the right foot.

What is your business structure going to be?

Business structures have different tax and liability implications, so although there are only a few to choose from, make your selection carefully. You may consider:

Sole Proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is the simplest of business structures. It means there is no legal or tax difference between your personal finances and your business finances. This means you’re personally responsible for business debts and taxes.

Limited Liability Company

Under an LLC, profits and taxes are filed with the owners’ tax returns, but there is some liability protection in place.

Corporation

A corporation has its own tax entity separate from the owners. It requires special paperwork and filings to set up, and there are fees involved.

Do you need employees

This may be a difficult decision to make at first. It will most likely depend on the performance of your business. If you are selling goods or a service and have only a few orders a day, it might not make sense to spend resources on employees yet.

However, if you’re planning a major launch, you may be flooded with orders immediately. In this case, you must be prepared with the proper staff.

If you’re starting small, consider hiring a part-time employee. As you grow you may wish to access freelance help through referrals or even an online service.

What are your startup costs?

Even the smallest of businesses have startup costs. You may need computer equipment, special materials, or legal advice. You may have to pay a security deposit on a rental space, secure utilities, and purchase equipment. Where you access the funds to start your business is a major financial decision.

Personal funds

You may have your own personal savings to start your business. Maybe you continue to work at your “day job” while you get your business off the ground. (Just be mindful of potential conflicts of interest.)

Grants or government loans

There are small business grants and loans available. You can access federal programs through the Small Business Administration. You may even consider a business loan from a friend or family member. Just make sure to protect the personal relationship! People first, money second.

Bank loans

Securing a traditional bank loan is also an option to cover your startup costs. Expect to go through an application process. You’ll also likely need to have some collateral.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a relatively new option for gathering startup funds for your business. You may want to launch an online campaign that gathers donations.

What’s your backup plan

A good entrepreneur prepares for as many scenarios as possible – every business should have a backup plan. A backup plan may be something you go ahead and hammer out when you first create your business plan, or you might wait until you’ve gotten some momentum. Either way, it represents a financial decision, so it should be thought out carefully.

Develop a backup plan for every moving part of your business. What will you do if your sales projections aren’t near what you budgeted? What if you have a malfunction with your software? How will you continue operations if an employee quits without notice?

How much and what kind of insurance do you need?

Insurance may be one of the last things to come to mind when you’re launching your business, but going without it may be extremely risky.

Proper insurance can make the difference between staying in business when something goes wrong or shutting your doors if a problem arises.

At the very minimum, consider a Commercial General Liability Policy. It’s the most basic of commercial policies and can protect you from claims of property damage or injury.

Make your financial decisions carefully

Business owners have a lot to think about and many decisions to make – especially at the beginning. Make your financial decisions carefully, plan for the unexpected, insure yourself properly, and you’ll be off to a great start!

If you’ve just come into an inheritance or another windfall like a settlement, it may be tempting to spend a little (or a lot) on some indulgences.

Even if – especially if – you’re already prudent with your budget and spending habits. You might be thinking, “I’m on top of my finances. What’s the harm of blowing a little cash on a few treats?” But read on. An inheritance or other monetary bonus – if handled wisely – has the potential to make a lifelong financial difference.

Start with these tips to help you make some lasting decisions about your newfound money.

Don’t make quick decisions

If you’ve received an inheritance from the death of a family member, you may want to take some time to grieve and start to develop a “new normal” before you make any big financial decisions.

Consider parking the money in a money market account or a high-interest rate savings account and letting it sit until you’re ready. A good rule of thumb when making a major financial decision is to give it at least 30 days. Shelve it for 30 days and then see how you feel. If you’re still not sure, put it back on the shelf for another 30 days.

Don’t feel rushed into making decisions about how to handle the money. It’s more important to take your time and make a careful decision than rushing into purchasing big-ticket items or making investments that may not be right for you.

Don’t shout it from the rooftops

Be cautious with whom you talk to about the inheritance. It’s best to discuss it with only a few trusted friends or family members. The more people you tell, the more “advice” you’re going to get about what you should do with the money. Some might even ask you to invest in one of their interests. (Which may be OK – that’s up to you!)

If you do come in to some money, one of your first calls should be to a qualified financial professional. Remember, it’s probably best to keep input minimal at this point, so tell as few people as possible.

Create a financial strategy

When you’re ready, it’s time to create a financial strategy. A financial professional can help you clarify your financial goals and offer a roadmap to get you there. No matter how much you inherited, developing a financial strategy is a must. Here are a few considerations to start:

Debt: If you have debt that is costing you money in the form of interest, this may be a good time to pay it off.

Emergency fund: If you don’t have a proper emergency fund, consider using some of the inheritance to fund one. An emergency fund should be 6-12 months of expenses put away in an easily accessible account for emergencies. An emergency is something like home or car repairs or unexpected medical bills (not a spur of the moment vacation or purchase).

Pay down your mortgage: If you have a mortgage, you may want to pay down as much as possible with some of the inheritance. The smaller your mortgage the better, because you’ll end up spending less in interest.

Saving for retirement: Saving some of your inheritance is probably never going to be a bad choice. Work with a financial professional to see what your options are.

Charitable donations: A charitable gift is always a good idea.

Have some fun

Coming into some unexpected money is exciting! You may be tempted to rush out and start spending. Make sure you do your financial decision-making first and then be sure to have some fun. Maybe give yourself 10 percent of the money to just enjoy. Maybe you want to take a cruise or buy a new high-end kayak. The point is to treat yourself to something, but only after you have a solid financial strategy in place.

An inheritance is a gift

Keep in mind that an inheritance is a gift. Somewhere along the line, someone worked for every one of those dollars. Something to keep in mind is that you can honor that person’s hard work by being a responsible steward of their gift.

Contrary to popular belief, professional financial planning can potentially benefit people of all income levels.

So the question you may want to ask is not if you make enough money to need professional help, but rather, is your money working to create the life you want?

If your answer is “I don’t know” – no worries. There’s help!

A professional financial planner is, well, a professional

It’s true that personal finance is personal, but for many of us, it can be complicated too. Plus, it’s not something we usually learn about in school. So for many – even for those on the lower end of the income scale – a financial planner may have a lot to offer.

Even though there are some people who do just fine with financial planning on their own, many of us need help to connect the dots. Having a solid financial strategy often isn’t just coming up with a monthly budget and sticking to it. Many Americans don’t seem to have a grip on how personal finance intersects with their lives. In fact, about one-third of Americans haven’t even written down a financial plan at all.¹ (Are you one of them?)

Maybe you know exactly what you want – let’s say to retire by 60. But you don’t know how to get there. This is where a financial planner may help.

Maybe you don’t know what you want, even though you’re already a disciplined budgeter. You may still need a good financial planner who can help you imagine and create a strategy for the future of your dreams.

A financial planner can foster accountability

One of the most difficult things about creating and living by a financial strategy is accountability. Let’s be real. It can be difficult to find the discipline to consistently stick to a budget, save for retirement, and live within our means.

If you’re coming up short in the discipline department, hiring a financial planner may help create some accountability for you. This isn’t to say they’re going to wag their finger if you splurge on a spontaneous girls’ weekend in Cozumel, but they may help create a sense of accountability by checking in with you regularly to see if you’re on the right track. You might decide that girls’ weekend could be planned a little closer to home instead…

A financial planner offers expertise at every life stage

A financial strategy isn’t something you create and then forget about. A wise financial strategy changes as your life changes, so it must be revisited. A good time to take a fresh look at your financial strategy is during life events such as: • Getting a new job • Making a major purchase, such as a home • Starting a business • Getting married • Having a child

Every one of these milestones signals a time to revisit your finances. A professional financial advisor can help ease these transitions by taking the pulse of your financial health at every life change.

What a financial planner can’t do

If you’re not ready to deal with your personal finances, a financial planner won’t be much help to you. In other words, they can’t make you take initiative when it comes to your financial life. But if you’re ready to explore the world of personal finance, they may help make the difference between a dream and a reality!

Are your finances feeling tight? It may be because your debt has outpaced your income.

Your debt-to-income ratio is a key factor in determining your financial health. This ratio is simply your monthly debt payments divided by your monthly income, multiplied by 100 to make it a percentage.

Banks and other lenders will look at your debt-to-income ratio when considering whether to give you a loan. They want to see that you have enough income to cover your monthly debt obligations. A high debt-to-income ratio can make it difficult to qualify for new loans or lines of credit since it can signal that you’re struggling to keep up with your debt payments.

Fortunately, your ratio is easy to calculate…

First, add up all of your monthly debt payments. This includes your mortgage or rent, car payment, student loans, credit card payments, and any other debts you may have.

Next, calculate your monthly income. This is typically your take-home pay after taxes and other deductions. If you’re self-employed, it may be your net income after business expenses.

Finally, divide your monthly debt payments by your monthly income. Multiply this number by 100 to get your debt-to-income ratio.

For example, let’s say you have a monthly mortgage payment of $1,000 and a monthly car payment of $300. You also have $200 in student loan payments and $150 in credit card payments. Your monthly income is $3,000.

Your debt-to-income ratio would be (1,000 + 300 + 200 + 150) / 3,000 = .55 or 55%.

A debt-to-income ratio of less than 36% is typically considered ideal by lenders—anything more can signal financial stress.¹

If your debt-to-income ratio is high, don’t despair. There are steps you can take to improve it.

First, try to increase your income. That can mean working extra hours, scoring a raise, finding a new job, or even starting a side business.

Second, you can lower your debt. You can do this by making extra payments on your debts each month or by consolidating your debts into a single loan with a lower interest rate.

Making these changes can be difficult, but they can make a big difference in your debt-to-income ratio—and your financial health.

If you’re not sure where to start, contact me! I can help you develop a plan to get your debt under control and to start building wealth.

It’s time to manage all those papers that are taking up space in your filing cabinets!

But how? Which documents should you preserve? Which ones should you shred? Here are 11 helpful tips on what to do with tax documents, legal documents, and property records.

Documents to keep.

At the top of this list? Estate planning documents. Your will, your living trust, and any final instructions should be carefully labeled, stored, and protected. Your life insurance policy should be safeguarded as well.

Records of your loans should be preserved. That includes for your mortgage, car and student loans. Technically, you can shred these once they’re paid off, but it’s wise to keep them around permanently. Someday you may have to prove you’ve actually paid off these debts.

Tax returns.

Here’s a trick—keep tax returns for at least 7 years. Why? Because there’s a 6 year window for the IRS to challenge your return if they suspect you’ve underreported your income.¹ Keep your records around to prove that you’ve been performing your civic duty by properly reporting your income.

(Check your state’s government website to determine exactly how long you’re supposed to keep state tax returns.)

Property records.

Keep all of your records pertaining to…

• Your ownership of your house
• The legal documents for buying your house
• Commissions to your real estate agent
• Major home improvements

Save these documents for a minimum of 6 years after you move out of your home. If you’re a renter, keep all of your records until you’ve moved out. Then, fire up your shredder and get to work!

Speaking of your shredder…

Annual documents to destroy.

Every year, you can shred paycheck stubs and bank records. Just be sure of two things…

First, make sure that you’re not shredding anything that might belong in your tax records.

Second, be sure that you’ve reviewed your finances with a professional who will know which documents may need preserving.

Once you’ve done that, it’s fine to feed your shredder at your discretion!

Credit card receipts, statements and bills.

Once you’ve checked your monthly statement against your bank records and receipts, you’re free to shred them. You may want to hold on to receipts for large purchases until the item breaks or you get rid of it.

When in doubt, do some research! It’s better than tossing out something important. And schedule an annual review with a licensed and qualified financial professional. They can help you discern which documents you need and which ones can be destroyed.

Starting a business can be an exhilarating experience.

It may seem like the next logical step for someone who’s looking to grow and develop their career. But before you take that leap, it’s smart to consider the pros and cons involved with entrepreneurship. In this article we’ll explore five things that budding entrepreneurs should think about before starting a new business venture!

The first thing to consider? Startup cost.

Depending on your idea, take some time to research what equipment or things will be necessary for getting started. Every penny counts. For example, if you’re opening an ice cream shop— which may seem simple enough—you’ll need freezers, scoopers, a storefront, and, of course, ice cream. That’s a lot of upfront investment for a little ice cream shop!

The second thing to consider is competition.

It’s wise to research what types of businesses already exist in your space before jumping into entrepreneurship. For example, what if there are five dog parks within a couple of miles from where you live and you want to open up a sixth? This may be fine if there’s a large population of dog owners in your area. But unless you’ve got a unique idea or innovation that will blow your competition out of the water, you may want to consider another type of business or a different location to get started.

The third thing to consider is customer acquisition.

How will you reach your customers? Do you know your exact market, their needs, desires, and insecurities? What’s the strategy for getting them in and keeping their business over time, even if there are competitors nearby with similar products/services?

At first, you might be able to rely on your friends and family as your first customers. But eventually, you’ll need to develop a marketing and brand strategy to acquire and keep new customers.

The fourth consideration should be building product inventory.

If you’re producing goods, do your finances allow for significant inventory investment? What if it’s a service-based business—will customers need to wait weeks or months before they receive the first round of services from their purchase with no cash flow in between?

When you first open, stock your business with every service or product you can possibly offer. Then, track which ones seem most popular and how much they sell. Then, start building inventory accordingly. You may need to scrap the services or products that aren’t making you money.

Finally, think about compliance with legal standards.

Some industries are regulated in ways that you may not anticipate. Food and beverage businesses need to follow health codes. Construction contractors must be bonded for their work on public projects like schools. And the financial industry is heavily regulated to protect clients. Whatever your industry, make sure you understand the legal requirements you’ll be asked to meet as a business owner.

There’s more to starting a business than excitement and glamour. It’s hard work that requires careful research and diligent preparation. Tackle these considerations before you start so you can lay the foundation for your business’s future success.

A 5 year study of hundreds of self-millionaires has revealed their paths to achieving wealth. The findings reveal key insights that anyone can adopt and apply.

Starting in 2004, Tom Corley interviewed 225 self-made millionaires. His goal was simple—discover strategies, habits, and qualities that unite the self-made wealthy.

Along the way, he discovered four distinct types of self-made millionaires.

These are more than abstract archetypes—they represent actionable strategies and attainable goals that you can imitate, starting today.

Here are the four types of self-made millionaires…

Saver-Investors

These wealth builders come from all walks of life. What they have in common is that they save, save, and save. Add a dash—or heaping spoonful—of compound interest, and their savings grow over the course of their career into lasting wealth.

Company Climbers

It’s simple—score a job at a large company, and climb the ladder until you reach a lucrative position. Then use your significant income, benefits, and bonuses to create wealth.

Virtuosos

Got a knack for an in-demand skill? Then you may have serious wealth building potential. That’s because businesses will gladly pay top dollar for specific talents. Just remember—the virtuoso path to wealth requires both extreme discipline and extensive training.

Dreamers

From starting a business to becoming a successful artist, these are the people who go all-out on their passions. It’s an extremely high-risk solution—often, it can lead to failure. But those who succeed can reap substantial rewards.

The types may seem intimidating—after all, not everyone is positioned to drop everything and become a successful entrepreneur. But anyone can apply the basic strategies of the self-made wealthy to their finances…

Income is of the essence

The more you earn, the more you can save. Whether it’s by developing your skills or starting a side business, every bit of extra income can make a crucial difference on your ability to build wealth.

Save, no matter what

Unless you’re set on starting a business, you must save. Corely’s research suggested that saving 20% of your income is the benchmark for the self-made wealthy. Do your homework, meet with a financial professional, and start putting away as much as you can each month.

Invest in your skills Your skills dictate what you can earn. Take a note from the virtuosos—get really good at something that businesses need, and reap the benefits.

What type of self-millionaire could you become?

Maxing out your 401(k) is boilerplate financial advice.

That’s because so few Americans are on track to retire with wealth—as of 2017, workers age 55-64 had saved only $107,000 for retirement.¹

With such bleak numbers, it’s no wonder financial professionals encourage 401(k) maxing. When possible, it’s a simple strategy that can help you reach your retirement goals and avoid a post-career catastrophe.

But consider this—the 401(k) contribution maximum as of 2022 is $20,500. For a single professional making over $100,000, that’s no big deal.

But what if you earn $60,000? Or have a family? Or have medical bills?

Suddenly, $20,500 seems like a much larger pill to swallow!

The simple fact is that saving shouldn’t be your first financial priority.

Before you save, you should create an emergency fund with 3-6 months worth of expenses.

Before you save, you should secure financial protection for your income in the form of life insurance.

Before you save, you should eliminate your debt to maximize your saving power.

Even then, you may not have the financial firepower to max out your 401(k) and make ends meet. It may take a side hustle to supplement your incomes to increase your contribution ability.

A helpful rule of thumb is to at least match your employer’s contribution. It’s a simple way to get the most out of your 401(k) without overextending your finances.

And above all, consult with a financial professional. They can help evaluate your retirement goals, your cash flow, and steps you can take to make the most of your 401(k).

What happened to the days of the $10 lawn mowing job or the $7-an-hour babysitting gig every Saturday night?

Not a penny withheld. No taxes to file. No stress about saving a million dollars for retirement. As a kid, doing household chores or helping out friends and neighbors for a little spending money is extremely different from the adult reality of giving money to both the state and federal government and/or retiring. Years ago, did those concepts feel so far away that they might as well have been camped out on Easter Island?

What happened to the carefree attitude surrounding our finances? It’s simple: we got older. As the years go by, finances can get more complicated. Knowing where your money is going and whether or not it’s working for you when it gets there is a question that’s better asked sooner rather than later.

When author of Financially Fearless Alexa von Tobel was asked what she wishes she’d known about money in her 20s, her answer was pretty interesting:

Not having a financial plan is a plan — just a really bad one! Given what I see as a general lack of personal-finance education, it can be all too easy to wing it with your money… I was lucky enough to learn this lesson while still in my 20s, so I had time to put a financial plan into place for myself.

A strategy for your money is essential, starting early is better, and talking to a financial professional is a solid way to get going. No message in a bottle sent from a more-prepared version of yourself is going to drift your way from Easter Island, chock-full of all the answers about your money. But sitting down with me is a great place to start. Contact me anytime.

Most of us understand the meanings of “dollar” and “cost”, and we know what averages are…

But when you put those three words together – dollar cost averaging – the meaning may not be quite as clear.

Dollar cost averaging refers to the concept of investing on a fixed schedule and with a fixed amount of money. For example, after a careful budget review, you might determine you can afford $200 per month to invest. With dollar cost averaging, you would invest that $200 without regard to what the market is doing, without regard to price, and without regard to news that might impact the market temporarily. You become the investment equivalent of the tortoise from the fable of the tortoise and the hare. You just keep going steadily.

When the market goes up, you buy. When the market goes down, you can buy more.

The gist of dollar cost averaging is that you don’t need to be a stock-picking prodigy to potentially succeed at investing. Over time, as your investment grows, the goal is to profit from all the shares you purchased, both low and high, because your average cost for shares would be below the market price.

Hypothetically, let’s say you invest your first $200 in an index fund that’s trading at $10 per share. You can buy 20 shares. But the next month, the market drops because of some news that said the sky was falling somewhere else in the world. The price of your shares goes down to $9.

You might be thinking that doesn’t seem so great. But pause for a moment. You’re not selling yet because you’re employing dollar cost averaging. Now, with the next month’s $200, you can buy 22 shares. That’s 2 extra shares compared to your earlier buy. Now your average cost for all 42 shares is approximately $9.52. If your index fund reaches $10 again, you’ll be profitable on all those shares. If it reaches $12, or $15, or $20, now we’re talking. To sum up, if your average cost goes up, it means your investment is doing well. If the price dips, you can buy more shares.

Using dollar cost averaging means that you don’t have to know everything (no one does) and that you don’t know for certain what the market will do in the next day, week, or month (no one does). But over the long term, we have faith that the market will go up. Because dollar cost averaging removes the guesswork involved with deciding when to buy, you’re always putting money to work, money that may provide a solid return in time.

You may use dollar cost averaging with funds, ETFs, or individual stocks, but diversified investments are potentially best. An individual stock may go down to zero, while the broad stock market may continue to climb over time.

Dollar cost averaging is an important concept to understand. It may save you time and it may prevent costly investment mistakes. You don’t have to try to be an expert. Once you understand the basics of dollar cost averaging, you may start to feel like an investment genius!

It’s not a question if buying is better than renting. It’s a question of when you’ll be ready to buy.

That’s because rent money is lost to your landlord forever.

A homeowner, though, has the chance for the value of their house to increase. It may not be an earth-shattering return, but there’s a far higher chance that you’ll at least break even from owning than renting.

Even with its advantages, owning a home isn’t for everyone… at least, not yet. Here are a few criteria to consider before becoming a homeowner.

You’re ready to put down roots. If you’re not yet prepared to live in one place for at least five years, home ownership may not be for you.

Why? Because buying and selling a home comes with costs. As a rule of thumb, waiting five years can allow your home to appreciate enough value to offset those expenses.

So before you buy a home, be sure that you’ve done your homework. Will your job require you to change locations in the next five years? Will local schools stay up to par as your family grows? If you’re confident that you’ll stay put for the next five years or more, go ahead and start planning.

You can cover the upfront costs of home ownership. The upfront costs of buying a home, as mentioned above, are no laughing matter. They may prove a barrier to entry if you haven’t been saving up.

The greatest upfront costs you’ll face are the down payment and closing costs. A down payment is usually a percentage of the total purchase price of your home—for instance, a home priced at $200,000 might require a 20% down payment, or $40,000.

Closing costs vary from state to state, with averages ranging from $1,909 in Indianna to $25,800 in the District of Columbia.¹ These include fees to the lender and property transfer taxes.

The takeaway? Start saving to cover the upfront costs of purchasing a home well in advance. Your bank account will thank you!

You can handle the maintenance costs of home ownership. Say what you will about landlords, but at least they don’t charge you for home repairs and maintenance!

That all changes when you become a homeowner. Every little ding, scratch, and flooded basement are your responsibility to cover. It all adds up to over $2,000 per year, though that figure will vary depending on the size and age of your home.² If you haven’t factored in those expenses, your cash flow—as well as your airflow—might be in for trouble!

Do you have residual debt to deal with? The great danger of debt is that it destabilizes your finances. It dries up precious cash flow needed to cover emergency expenses and build wealth.

That’s why throwing a mortgage on top of a high student loan or credit card debt burden can be a blunder. You might be able to cover costs on paper, but you risk stretching your cash flow to take care of any unplanned emergencies.

In conclusion, owning a home is an admirable goal. But it may not be for you and your family yet! Take a long look at your finances and life-stage before making a purchase that could become a source of stress instead of stability.

Inverted Yield Curve. It’s a phrase you may have heard before. More financial gibberish, right?

Wrong.

Paying attention to the yield curve is critical because it may indicate there’s a recession on the horizon. And as of March 29, 2022, it inverted for the first time since 2019.¹

What Is the Yield Curve?

The yield curve is simply a graph that shows the interest rates of different types of bonds. With a normal yield curve, bonds with lower lifespans (i.e., maturity) have lower interest rates. That’s because they’ll face less inflation and need less growth to keep up. By that logic, bonds with longer maturities have higher interest rates.

Put simply, if the yield curve is normal, a bond with a two year maturity will have a lower interest rate than a bond with a thirty year maturity.

So what happens when that gets inverted? Bonds with short maturities have higher interest rates, and bonds with long maturities have lower interest rates.

Why is that a big deal? Because it’s consistently correlated with economic recession. There have been 28 inverted yield curves since 1900, and 22 have correlated with recessions.²

And the average lead time from when the yield curve inverted to when the recession began was around 22 months.

This is not to say that you should start buying land in West Virginia or emergency rations. These are unprecedented times, and there may be other factors at play. But it’s at least a check engine light for your finances. Are you prepared for job instability? Is your emergency fund fully stocked? The time to start preparing for these possibilities is now. Meet with your financial pro today to make sure you’re prepared for whatever the future holds.

Are Baby Boomers out of time for retirement planning?

At first glance, it might seem like they are. They’re currently aged 57-75, meaning a good portion have already retired!¹

And those who are still working have only a few precious years to create their retirement nest eggs and get their finances in order.

Perhaps you’re in that boat—or at least know someone who is. If so, this article is for you. It’s about some essential strategies retiring Baby Boomers can leverage to help create the futures they desire.

Eliminate your debt. The first step is getting rid of your debt. After all, it’s not optional in retirement—you’ll need every penny to fund the lifestyle you want.

That means two things…

1. Don’t take on any new debt. No new houses, boats, cars, or credit card funded toys.
2. Use a debt snowball (or avalanche) to eliminate existing debts.

That means focusing all of your financial resources on a single debt at a time, knocking out either the smallest balance or highest interest debt.

Eliminating, or at least reducing, your debt can help create financial headroom for you in retirement. It frees up more cash flow for you to spend on your lifestyle and on preparing for potential emergencies.

Maximize social security benefits. Delay Social Security as long as possible (or until age 70). Delaying Social Security increases your monthly payments, so it’s a simple way to maximize your benefit.

For example, if you started collecting Social Security at age 66, you would be entitled to 100% of your social security benefit. At 67, it increases to 108%, and by 70 it increases 132%. That can make a huge difference towards living your dream retirement lifestyle.

Check out the Social Security Administration’s website to learn more.

Protect your wealth and health with long-term care (LTC) coverage. The next step is to protect your assets from the burden of LTC. It’s a challenge 7 out of 10 retirees will have to overcome, and it can be costly—without insurance, it can cost anywhere between $20,000 and $100,000. That’s a significant chunk of your retirement wealth!²

The standard strategy for covering the cost of LTC is LTC insurance. It pays for expenses like nursing homes, caretakers, and adult daycares.

But it can be pricey, especially as you grow older—a couple, age 55, can expect to pay $2,080 annually combined, while a 65 year old couple will pay closer to $3,750.³

The takeaway? If you don’t have LTC coverage, get it ASAP. The longer you wait, the more cost—and risk—you potentially expose yourself to.

Pro-tip: If you have a permanent life insurance policy, you may be able to add a LTC rider to your coverage. Meet with a licensed and qualified financial professional to see if this option is available for you!

Review your income potential with a financial professional. The final step on your path to retirement is reviewing your income options. You want to strike a balance between maximizing your sources of cash flow and keeping control over your retirement plan.

Many retirees lean heavily on two primary income opportunities: Social security and withdrawals from their retirement savings accounts.

And that’s where a financial professional can help.

They can help you review your current retirement lifestyle goals, savings, and potential income. If there’s a gap, they can help come up with strategies to close it.

You’ve worked hard and made sacrifices—now it’s time to reap the rewards of all that elbow grease. Which of the essentials in this article do you need to tackle first?

Buying a home is one of the largest investments many people will ever make.

It’s also among the most complicated and time-consuming transactions. So before you sign on the dotted line, it’s best to ask yourself these key questions:

What are my needs for space?

How much can I afford to spend each month on my mortgage, utilities, and repairs?

Are there pre-existing problems with this property?

How is the neighborhood? Is it safe? Are the schools good? What kind of amenities are nearby (i.e., grocery stores, restaurants, sports)?

How much will I need for closing costs and my down payment?

What’s my strategy for a bidding war?

What are my needs for space? When you’re buying a home, it’s important to take stock of your needs for space. Do you need a lot of bedrooms for a growing family? A large backyard for barbecues and birthday parties? Or would you be happy with a more modest property that will save on monthly mortgage payments?

Planning ahead will help you stay within your budget and find the right property for your needs. Take time to sort through the options and be vigilant to rule out homes that may seem appealing at first glance, but might not truly serve your family.

If you’re unsure about what you need in a home, consult with a real estate agent who can help figure out the amenities that are best suited for you.

How much can I afford to spend each month? It’s important to be realistic about how much you can afford to spend each month on your mortgage. A good rule of thumb is that your mortgage payment should not be more than 30% of your monthly income. And remember—just because you’re pre-approved for a certain amount, that doesn’t mean it’s what you can actually afford to spend.

It’s also a good idea to have a budget for other costs associated with homeownership, such as property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, utilities, maintenance, and repairs. It’s impossible to fully estimate these costs in advance. But by planning ahead, you can get an idea of your potential monthly expenses and weigh them against your income.

Are there pre-existing problems with this property? It’s critical to be aware of any potential problems. This includes checking for any major repairs that may need to be done, as well as researching the surrounding neighborhood. Is this house in a flood plain? How is the foundation? When was the last time the roof was replaced?

It’s a good idea to have a home inspection done before making an offer on a property. This will help you get a better idea of the condition of the property and what repairs need to be made.

If you’re not comfortable with the condition of the property—no matter how beautiful or spacious the house is—it’s best to walk away and find a property that’s a better fit overall.

How is the neighborhood? Is it safe? Are the schools good? What kind of amenities are nearby? When you’re buying a home, it’s important to take into account the surrounding neighborhood. This includes researching crime rates, checking out traffic patterns, inquiring about the schools, and seeing how close you are to stores or activities that are important to you.

If you have children, it’s critical to research the schools in the area. You’ll want to make sure that there is a high-quality education available. You’ll also want to be aware of any negative reviews about the schools in the area.

How much will I need for closing costs and my down payment? There are a number of costs that you’ll need to budget for. This includes the down payment, closing costs, and moving expenses.

The downpayment is the amount of money that you pay upfront when you buy a home. It’s usually between 5% and 20% of the purchase price. So if you’re buying a $400,000 home, you’ll need to pay between $20,000 and $80,000 upfront.

Closing costs are the fees that are charged by the bank and the government when you buy a home. These costs can range from 2% to 5% of the purchase price. So in the example above, you would be paying between $8,000 and $20,000 in closing costs.

Moving expenses can range from $500 to $5,000, depending on how much stuff you have and how far you’re moving.

It’s important to budget for these costs ahead of time so that you’re not surprised when you sign the paperwork and are handed the keys.

What’s my strategy for a bidding war? It’s a problem that’s caught many off guard in the current housing market. That’s why it’s important to have a strategy in place. This includes knowing how much you’re willing to spend and being prepared to make a higher offer than the other buyers.

It’s also important to have your finances in order. This means that you should be pre-approved for a mortgage and have enough money saved up for your down payment.

If you’re not comfortable with the idea of a bidding war, it’s best to walk away and find a property that’s a lower price.

Buying a home is never an easy decision. That’s why these questions should all be considered ahead of time—preferably with your realtor—so they don’t catch you by surprise when buying a house! What other factors can you think of? Let us know what future homeowners might want to consider when purchasing a new home.