Micro Financial Planning
I help my clients plan for the next 1-5 years. This was considered “short-term” planning in the world of personal finance. However, there is so much uncertainty in the world right now that planning for the future seems like an exercise in fantasy. Think back to a year ago… did you think 2020 would turn […]
Time to Refi?
Rates are at lows that I have never seen. The US weekly average rates were 2.71% for a 30 year fixed and 2.26% for a 15 year fixed for the week of 12/10/20. Over the last ten years, you can see on the chart below that these rates are rock bottom for fixed rate loans. […]
Up, Up and Away
I first starting working with Dan and Robin back in October 2012 when they were in their early thirties, newly married and just starting their lives together. At the time, they were earning around $230,000 per year and were never big spenders. Their monthly outflow was around $5,600 per month, which adjusted for inflation today […]
45… The Tipping Point to Becoming Debt Free
I turned 45 during confinement. Including a two year break from the workforce for business school, I have been working 20 years. So, I’m halfway through my working years based on retiring at 65. It’s a cliché, but I like what I do and don’t have a desired target retirement date in mind. That said, […]
HOW MUCH IS YOUR HEALTH WORTH?
Health insurance, co-pays, out-of-network, out-of-pocket, OT, PT, etc. are significant costs for a family. Add to those costs a gym membership, fitness classes and mental health costs and you’re talking a couple of thousand dollars a month. This is doable when you are employed and have a steady paycheck coming in, but Covid-19 has shown […]
PAYING FOR THE UNEXPECTED
Every year something unexpected comes up. Sometimes it is fun stuff, but usually it’s a broken windshield, root canal or something even more unforeseen. Last summer, I booked us a trip to the Canary Islands for February break. Tickets were affordable, and I was told by my friends in Europe that it was like their […]
Build Your Financial House
I have no idea where the phrase “getting your financial house in order” comes from. A quick Google search resulted in nothing useful. I guess the idiom makes sense since a house starts with blue print (plan) and is comprised of rooms that have purpose like a kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms (specific accounts or areas […]
When is Enough Enough?
In a culture of work and spend, there can be an endless search for more. However, research shows that money only affects emotional well-being or happiness up to an annual income of ∼$210,000 per family, or ~$275,000 when adjusted for the cost of living in the Bay Area. Too much money can actually have a negative […]
Maximizing Fun
I love doing fun things! Who doesn’t? Living in Europe provides me with a new playground of opportunities, and after being in France for more than a year I can look back and see how much money I have spent on that fun. My budget is not unlimited, so for the next year I am […]
Keep On Truckin’
In 2014, I started working with Bill. He wasn’t my typical client. Divorced, dad to two teenage sons, not working in finance, law or technology. He was laid back, and he knew what he loved: his boys, his dog, music and surfing. Financially speaking, he felt like a wreck. He wanted a budget, to get […]
