Personal finance articles related to the delicate balance of money and relationships.
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Estate planning is one of those things everyone knows they should do. Still, most don’t do it. According to a recent Caring.com survey, only one in three Americans has a will or trust. And these statistics make sense when you see why people don’t do…
People often turn to loved ones in times of financial hardship. They might ask for a loan, financial advice, or help with budgeting or finding a job. But I have a relative that recently asked for a different type of financial help. Their financial circumstances…
Self-confidence is hard to define, yet it’s a concept we all feel and understand. Many believe it’s an essential key to success. When our confidence is high, it gives us the courage to speak up and try new things. But when it’s low? It feeds…
Financial independence commonly creates an image of work-free leisure in people’s golden years. But in recent years, the concept of FIRE (Financial Independence/Retire Early) has inspired people to pursue the goal of financial independence before traditional retirement age. Yet early retirement isn’t necessarily the goal…
Helping someone with money can be a double-edged sword. Assisting a loved one financially might temporarily get them out of a difficult position, yet if they believe they can always rely on someone else to get them out of a rough spot, it can deter…
The decision to move a long distance can be life-changing. And while it’s exciting to think about a new job or locale, there’s also a lot of uncertainty. Uprooting your life to embrace new ventures can be challenging. And there’s a lot to consider when…
When we’re young, it’s hard to picture ourselves or our loved ones as older adults—especially older adults in need of care. But many of us will need care as we age. Once we reach our 65th birthday, we have a 70% chance of needing some…
It’s not breaking news that almost half of married couples will eventually divorce; after all, America has the 6th highest divorce rate worldwide. Yet even though divorce is so common, we still hold distorted views about the reality of divorce and how it impacts women….
One of the most challenging jobs in life is parenting. Besides just keeping our children fed, clothed, and clean, there’s so much we need to teach them about life, from how to care for themselves to having healthy relationships with others. And that’s where this…
When making the decision to get married, we generally do so with the best of intentions. Partners set out living their lives together in anticipation of the relationship being “til death do us part”. Unfortunately, life has a habit of getting in the way of…
Homeschooling was on the rise before 2020. But the number of homeschooling families grew remarkably during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many children eventually returned to traditional school, but several continued schooling at home. The growing popularity of homeschooling has more families with school-age children considering it…
Why would you refinance a mortgage twice in just three years? My family went from a 15-year to a 10-year to a 30-year fixed mortgage in a short time. Here’s why we decided to refinance so many times. Starting with a 15-year Term In July…
The idea of investing can be intimidating. Especially when you’re young, have little savings, and know nothing about the topic. My husband, Alan, and I started investing before we knew what we were doing. And before we were on solid financial ground. At first, it…
No one likes to waste money. When Alan and I were newly married, we thought renting was a waste of our money. And we didn’t have that much money, so, of course, we wanted to stop throwing it away! But our (misguided) beliefs on renting…
Living on one income isn’t right for every family. It’s a big decision that depends on finances, family dynamics, careers, and more. Initially, I didn’t plan to be a stay-at-home parent, or a parent at all, for that matter. But, sometimes, life has a way…
Our big spending season is here. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend an average of $1,000 per household this holiday season. Yet before you head off to do your holiday shopping, consider what you and your loved ones will do with all…
Money affects many areas of our lives, including our relationships. And research shows couples that argue about money are more unhappy and likely to divorce. When I got engaged 25 years ago, I didn’t know the stats on money problems and divorce. If I had…
We’ve both practiced gratitude, yet it’s not as ingrained of a daily habit as either of us would like it to be. Still, we’ve witnessed how the practice of gratefulness has helped us and others in numerous ways so we continue to strive to do…
An outsider looking at our finances today may think my partner and I had it all figured out from the start. They may assume we knew what we wanted, set our goals, and reached them. But they’d be wrong. We’ve made money mistakes. And we’ve…
I’ve been a stay-at-home parent and spouse for two decades. I don’t regret a thing. But when I look back now, I can see the financial mistakes I made as a stay-at-home mom. Still, I had triumphs too! My hope is that sharing my mistakes…
While enjoying coffee with a friend, she told me that she was considering changing financial advisers. As we were talking it brought to mind many of the frustrations I had when managing a financial advisory business. It’s very hard to get clients and advisers on…
We all make mistakes, some big, some small. The good news is we can learn and recover from most if not all of them before it’s too late. When it comes to family, finances, and medical care in terms of estate planning, people make several…
Congratulations! Perhaps you’ve just become a new mother. Or maybe you’re just starting to get your finances in order. Either way, these are both important milestones that deserve recognition. As a parent, your number one priority is most likely saving for your kids’ future and…
Congratulations! You just got married! Maybe you even tied the knot without spending a fortune (now that is truly a feat). Regardless, you managed to get married in the middle of a global pandemic, so you deserve major kudos. Now what? As a newly-christened household,…
Financial education is essential and should start as early in life as possible. While the number of schools adding personal finance to their curricula continues to grow, many kids don’t get taught about managing money at school or at home. What’s one way to help…
Parents and caregivers may wonder when to start teaching young kids about money. Although there is no “right” time, starting early makes the most sense! Even at two or three years of age, children can start learning about money through their everyday family activities. Going…