finances

Take Charge of Your Money

“One can never change the past, only the hold it has on you.”  ~ Merle Shain It’s 2020!  A chance for a fresh start.  Hurray!  Isn’t that what the New Year is all about?  New beginnings can feel so good, so treat every day like a new beginning. Each morning when we wake up, we …

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The Awakening

Happy Spring!  I just love this time of year, especially living in Michigan because our winters are so long!  Looking out at the lake as I write this, I still see ice covering part of it.  The gardens will soon be bursting with life and in full bloom. Such a happy time.  I’m interviewing experts …

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The High Cost of Free Advice.

Most of us rely upon financial advisors, who dispense their counsel freely, for what we believe is good financial advice on budgeting, investing and our retirement. However, as a study from the Rand Corporation discovered, that can be a very bad bet – particularly in market downturns. In Rand’s paper, “Impacts of Conflicts of Interest …

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What Do Smart Women Want?

It’s the time of year when you are invited to review your employer and government health benefits through Open Enrollment, so our focus this month is on helping you make the best decisions when it comes to your health and money.   If you are still working and have benefits through your employer, you should be …

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Thinking Big about Money

Our theme this month is Thinking Big About Money, and I’m thrilled to be interviewing international speaker and author, Maddy Dychtwald of Age Wave, about a year-long study she and her organization conducted with Merrill Lynch on women and money.  The results have been published in a 28-page report called, Women & Financial Wellness:  Beyond …

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Smart Women Tip #15 – Estate Planning: Planning for the Unexpected

Almost 20 years ago when my mother married my step-father, they came to me for estate and financial planning.  My parents created their own trusts and set-up some assets in joint accounts.  To simplify things, they consolidated all financial assets into a brokerage account with American Express Financial Advisors, and I was their financial planner. …

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Smart Women Tip: #14 – Could Your Money Personality be Sabotaging Your Marriage?

It’s hard to believe that my husband, Mark, and I just celebrated our 32nd anniversary this month. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful relationship with my husband. He’s not only my partner, but he’s also my best friend and loudest cheerleader. Our marriage has always been strong, but I confess that I …

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