The term financial goals can seem vague and in the distant future, but in reality, your financial goals are a result of the choices you are making today about: The level of attention you give to your money Your daily spending habits Your daily earning habits (Days turn into weeks, then months, then years, right?) This paradigm can easily be seen when you look to see how much your money will be worth at a certain future date, based on the amount of money you put away to grow, and the earnings you achieve from investing that money. The importance of this concept led me to create a … [Read more...]
This Really Got My Attention
January 31, 2012 By 1 Comment
The old saying “the way you do one thing, is the way you do everything” keeps surfacing in my life. When something appears three times or more, it definitely gets my attention. I have thought about this statement quite a lot lately; I believe it’s really true, and have even decided to put it to the test. This year I have decided to choose a focus area for personal growth, and now plan to do this each new year; I think that business growth and personal growth are really one in the same; when we increase our skills or lifestyle, we grow personally as a result of that … [Read more...]
Sometimes Blessings Come in Disguise
January 26, 2012 By 2 Comments
Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; from discord find harmony; in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. Albert Einstein Let’s look at this quote from the context of the work being our financial plan, or the mission to grow money so we can reach our financial goals and have the life we desire. Out of clutter finds simplicity. Do you know how much money you have and where that money is? Do you know how much is flowing in and out every month? Can you easily access those numbers? January is the perfect time to reduce financial clutter while you are still motivated by … [Read more...]
What’s More Important Than a Pair of Jeans and Black Boots?
January 24, 2012 By 1 Comment
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Last week I had a great excuse for hiding out in bed with a huge stack of my favorite financial publications for an entire day; I had a nasty head cold. I fully realize that I am a bit of a nerdy introvert, and this is not what thrills most people about a “sick” day, but I ended the day feeling refreshed and wiser, albeit a bit stuffier. The fact that I get to share with you the best bits of information I read is what excites me about writing the financial woman blog! Spending this time also allowed me to focus on improving my own financial plan without the distractions of running … [Read more...]
3 Tips to Avoid Financial Analysis Paralysis
January 12, 2012 By 2 Comments
Recently, I wrote an article with 6 tips for finding good investment advice. From the feedback I received, this is an area that holds a lot of interest. In today’s post, I want to expand on avoiding paralysis by analysis, which is the first money expert tip. Here are 3 tips for avoiding analysis paralysis, which comes from having too much information, possibly even in the wrong areas altogether. 1. Figure out where you need to focus first. If you need to increase your cash flow so you can start the initial funding of a savings plan, then there is no need to spend a lot of time … [Read more...]
This Secret Will Speed Up Your Money Goals
January 9, 2012 By 1 Comment
Keeping track of your savings plan is more complex than ever with multiple retirement accounts, regular personal savings or brokerage accounts. This can be further complicated by having multiple financial goal categories, such as a vacation or remodeling fund, in addition to your nest egg. Let's first acknowledge that having some confusion about multiple savings accounts is a “good problem.” Confusion is the opposite of clarity, though, so let’s take a look at this easily solved issue. By creating some focus and order around our financial accounts, we can achieve positive results … [Read more...]
Holistic Financial Plans Define Money Decisions
January 5, 2012 By 1 Comment
Sometimes women ask me if it’s a good idea to actively trade in the stock market or even foreign exchange markets. The best answer to this question should be the result of an overall financial plan that includes many elements, such as time, money and risk tolerance related to that money. Risk tolerance is the result of other factors, such as dependents, skills, other income sources and net worth. Questions relating to your money cannot be answered without other considerations; this is yet another example of a financial principle that is the same as other life principles. The best … [Read more...]
Clarify Priorities to Live a Rich Life
January 4, 2012 By 3 Comments
At Financial Woman, we promote that financial goals and living a rich life are congruent. A rich life goes far beyond money; it’s about a life that includes spending your time in a way that’s meaningful, and also being surrounded by things you love that express your style, both in your home and your wardrobe. The third step in growing your money is creating positive cash flow, which simply means more money coming in than going out each month. (If you haven’t gotten my free video series explaining the 5 steps to grow money, you can get them here.) In reality, cash flow is the direct … [Read more...]
Are You a Leader of your Money?
December 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
As women, we are often leaders in many areas in our lives, including home care, children, and aging parents. Each of these categories has other sub-categories, such as food planning, shopping and preparation, home decorating and maintenance, along with numerous other areas. I hear from some women that they just don’t have time to be involved with growing their money. I would like to invite you to take a leadership role with your money if you are not already. Let’s look at some of the habits of leadership. Leaders learn enough to lead. They don’t learn it all, but they learn enough … [Read more...]
Want a Simple Task That’s Sure to Bring Financial Peace?
December 27, 2011 By 2 Comments
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Year end is a time when I feel drawn to create order with my personal finances as well as my life in general. With that in mind, I thought I’d share a video of an interview with Jean Chatzky on MSNBC Today’s Money. In this video, Jean shares the important legal and financial documents that everyone should not only have, but keep in a place that is easily accessible for loved ones when the need arises. The Letter of Instruction is one that is often overlooked; it’s a simple letter that lists anything that someone stepping in to handle both your personal and financial affairs would … [Read more...]
