Personal Finance Archives - Page 17 of 17 - Sullivan Financial Planning

Jargon Series Continued – Investment Terms Revealed

Investment Education, Personal FinanceBy Kristi Sullivan October 2, 2014

Let’s start with the basics. What’s the difference between a stock and a bond? I will explain this concept by starting a hypothetical company, Kristi’s Ranger Cookie Food Truck. Ask any member of my family, neighbors, cat sitter, or school bus drivers, I make the best Ranger Cookies on the planet. Stay tuned for bonus…

Financial Planning Jargon Series – What is a Financial Planner, Anyway?

Investment Education, Personal FinanceBy Kristi Sullivan September 25, 2014

Ladies and gentleman, watch carefully as I perform a magic trick. Before your very eyes, I will unmask for you the confusing and veiled language used in the financial services industry. These words make sense to a very few in who work in this business. This can lead to unsuspecting purchases of financial products that…

No-nonsense advice for strong personal finance.

Personal FinanceBy Kristi Sullivan September 18, 2014

You know how sometimes it’s better to hear something from an outside coach or counselor than your own parents or spouse? Maybe that’s true for blogs, too! So, for a fresh perspective and some down to earth advice, check out this column from Jonathan Clements. Financial Beliefs You Might Not Like by Jonathan Clements As a quick…

Budgeting Method #3 – Write it all down

Personal FinanceBy Kristi Sullivan September 11, 2014

Budget Method #3 – Write-It-and-Track-It This last system for managing your expenses is the one people mostly associate with making a budget. And probably the reason so few of us do it. But, there is a reason it’s still around: it works! Just like keeping a food journal helps people lose weight by making…

Budgeting Method #2: The Save First System

Personal FinanceBy Kristi Sullivan September 4, 2014

Budget Method #2: Save First System I’ll let you in on a shameful I-should-know-better-because-I’m-a- financial-planner secret of mine. I HATE making a budget and tracking my expenses. So, I don’t. “WHAT?!?! Don’t they make you turn in your meticulous monthly budget with corresponding receipts in CFP Class?” you say. NO! What’s my secret? Well,…

Budgeting Method #1 – The Envelope System

Personal FinanceBy Kristi Sullivan August 28, 2014

Budget Method #1: Envelope System Maybe you’ve heard your grandparents talk about how they managed money in their younger years. They got paid, cashed their paychecks, and divided cash into envelopes labeled for each monthly bill: Rent, utilities, groceries, gas, clothes, and entertainment. When the cash in each envelope ran out, you were done spending…

Budgeting – I know you hate it, but let’s do it anyway

Personal FinanceBy Kristi Sullivan August 21, 2014

Budgeting: Why we hate it and how to make it our friend. Do you know why so few people have a budget? Because budgeting stinks! Budgets are just like diets. They call to mind what you can’t do and how you can’t enjoy life. A general feeling of deprivation surrounds the word “budget.” And, as…

Don’t Raise Spoiled Brats! Great WSJ Article for Parents

Personal FinanceBy Kristi Sullivan July 17, 2014

One thing that I run into with older clients is a worry that they help their adult children too much. If they are worried about this, chances are they are right! By giving adult children money for cell phone bills, insurance, or unexpected car repairs, parents are not teaching them to save for unexpected expenses…

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