Sullivan Financial Planning Blog | Retirement Planning Advice

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…