As I slide ever more deeply into middle age, I can look back on many relationships that I thought would last forever, and for some reason did not. Moving on made me feel guilty, strange, or sad. To my hairdresser, Bill: I thought you were the only person who could ever cut my insanely…
Happy New Year! Many of us look to improve our health with the turning of the calendar. That health can be physical (1 in 8 new gym memberships are initiated in January!), mental, or financial. Increase your 401(k) contribution. Did you know that in 2019, the maximum amount you can contribute to a 401(k) goes…
Give yourself the gift of financial sanity going into the new year with these 3 easy financial tips: Stop watching any sort of financial TV. MSNBC, Bloomberg, CNBC – they are all designed to sow fear and uncertainty in you so that they may sell more advertising. Their very programming advocates short term outlooks,…
Often, when discussing bond investments, people bring the idea of using municipal bonds. If the investments in question are in a non-retirement fund, this can make sense. But, how do we evaluate it? Let’s take a look First, some quick background. Municipal bonds are loans from the public to municipalities such as cities, counties,…
Since the stock market volatility of October, my financial planner friends and I have been pretty crabby. “Well, of course,” you say, “down stock markets are terrible for investment advisors.” Nope, that’s not the problem at all. Getting mad at the stock market for going down is like being angry at a toddler whose…
In times of uncertainty (rising interest rates, tariff wars), investors understandably want predictability, even if it means sacrificing return. Cash (savings accounts, money markets) offer stability, but not much interest. For people who are working, I suggest you keep 3-6 months of expenses in cash for emergencies and invest the rest for longer term…
My husband recently forwarded me this great column that makes me feel better every time I read it. So, why not share these wise words with my faithful readers? The theme is life lessons the author wished he had learned by his 20s. Click here for the full list, but here are my 5…
Looking for something different to put under the tree this year? How about these beauties? Don’t be bored with your old board games! Give these adult versions of classic games from Hasbro a try! Clue (lost in Vegas), Sorry, not Sorry (get embarrassing confessions from fellow players), and Life: Quarter Life Crises (paying off…
Let’s face it, even the most animated family and friends can have conversation lags during a whole day spent cooking, snacking, drinking, snacking, basting, mashing, snacking, yelling at the football game, moving things around frantically in the oven, and finally, eating! So here are 5 Conversation Starters for your Thanksgiving Table: Thanksgiving Mad…
I don’t mean to brag (well, of course I do – anyone starting a sentence like that is about to brag), but I have been making cornbread dressing for my family since my teens and it is really good. I mean better than yours. Or your mama’s. Or your Aunt Ethel’s. And because I feel…
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