Post Archive by Year

One of the biggest joys I get out of this blog is receiving emails from YOU the reader. Sometimes it’s an email thanking me for the inspiration that has led to financial epiphanies in YOUR own life. Other times it’s an email asking for guidance (I don’t give advice, just ideas, a little CYA). Recently a reader (Scott) reached out to me, explaining his current situation, and like many people out there he wants more for his family. The difference is he is taking the first step by acknowledging he is not where he wants to be. And by sending me an email asking for guidance, he hast taken the second step. Now Scott has the last and most critical step, …

Someone you’re close to asks you for money. Many of us have found ourselves at this crossroad at some point. These are typically trying times when you’re torn between extending financial help to a loved one or sticking to your guns to avoid an uneasy or strained relationship in the future. They say that money and friendship rarely mix, and this becomes evident when a close friend or family member asks for a substantial sum of money. Knowing how and when to draw the line between financial responsibility and family expectations can save you a myriad of potential personal problems. In fact, according to The Simple Dollar, the bitter truth is that regardless of the nature of the outcome or …

Most people who know me well would likely describe me as a super optimist and that’s the way I prefer to live life. The alternative is to be a Negative Nancy and the energy drain to you and everyone else around you is exhausting. I tend to believe that OPTIMISM actually CREATES ENERGY, EXCITEMENT, and PASSION. I would go as far as saying that optimism is the path to happiness and fulfillment in life. On the flip-side of the coin, PESSIMISM is the ULTIMATE DESTROYER of all the good things in this life. Therefore, pessimism is the path to depression and disappointment. What path would YOU rather be on? The key thing to realize is that the CHOICE is yours to make. If you choose the former (to …

Today we have a guest post on the topic of prenups, a topic that has the potential to sour the romantic nature of relationships. I still remember a guest that attended my wedding reporting back to me that my grandmother had just said “I hope he got a prenup.” The funny thing is most people probably misunderstand exactly what a prenump is and what it does. My grandmother also didn’t realize that my newly wife was actually bringing more financial assets to the relationship than I was at that time. My wife and I never really had a reason to consider a prenump, because neither of us had much in the way of assets, and everything we did build in …