How much is enough? According to some financial planning experts, you will need to save enough [in your retirement account] so that your retirement income is in the range of 70% to 80% of your pre-retirement income. You will need a higher percentage if you plan to improve your standard of living. If you…
Darned if we do, darned if we don’t. I had a hilarious conversation with a client who recently relocated to Arizona to be closer to her kids and grandchildren. She is still working at a job she loves, but thinking of retiring soon. She said to me, “I feel guilty when I’m playing with…
Do you have emergency cash? Building up emergency cash can be an uphill battle. So why not use that tax refund? That was my advice when asked by OAN (One America News Network) about replenishing funds that you might have used for something else during the year. “Now is actually an ideal…
Got your tax refund? Let’s go crazy! Shoot. You know me better than that. The average US tax refund was $2,800 in 2016. What to do with that mad money? Here are some ideas, in order, from your friendly financial planner: Pay off credit card debt if you have it. Create or…
If you’re paying more than 28% of your salary on rent… …you’re paying too much. In this article from Credit.com, I detail how your monthly expenses should be allotted. Let’s take a look If you’re like many Americans, you have debt. This is especially prevalent among young college grads. That has to…
So, I was cleaning my broiler pan…. Don’t ask me why, but this subject popped into my head while I was cleaning the broiler pan from making ribs in the oven. It’s a really big mess to clean up, so there’s lots of time to think. So, as I was scrubbing, I wondered,…
Let’s get detailed about reverse mortgages. This isn’t the first time I’ve tackled this subject. But Investopedia recently published a more detailed article (written by yours truly) that provides more information about reverse mortgages and whether or not they’re right for you. Take a look. Chances are high that when I mention the idea…
Yes, I know that New Year’s was a few months ago, but I just thought I’d check in and see how you’re doing with all of those financial goals you made at the beginning of the year. Here’s an article that might get you back on track: Jean Chatzky, one of my favorite personal…
Cleaning Out + Emotions = Feeling Overwhelmed One of the blogs that I have gotten the most response from was where I implored people to start cleaning out stuff so their kids don’t have to. Okay, let’s say that proactive wish didn’t come true and now YOU must clean out someone else’s lifetime full…
Ski season is over for the Sullivan family and it was a warm one. It was still fun, but we were skiing on slush as early as February. Not to get political, but this global warming debate is all fun and games until it interferes with my winter recreation. So, now it’s time to turn…
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