“Most Terrifying Experience of My Life”

by Matthew Boyle, Katy Song Financial Planning Summer Intern 2023 It happened in the early morning. My dad got up with what he thought was heart burn, returned to bed, and then was unconscious. My mom called 911, started CPR, and the police arrived first in under five minutes. The ambulance and fire service shortly […]

Is it time to buy an EV?

Tesla, Tesla, Tesla, Rivian, etc… Electric cars seem to be everywhere now. Many families are considering electric cars (EVs) because they are better for the planet and owners are sick of paying high gas prices. They might cost more upfront than regular cars, but they end up being cheaper overall. First, you need to decide […]

Investing in Teens? 

My financial planning practice focuses on families with young children. Those first families that I worked with in 2008 have babies who are now full-blown teenagers. They are about to apply to college. Parents swap stories of stressful test-prep and college applications. It seems like a frenzy starting junior year, and I want nothing more […]

Abundance vs. Scarcity Money Mindset

Abundance vs. Scarcity Money Mindset

Most people develop their money mindset at a young age. We see what our parents do with money andwhat they say (or don’t say) about it. And the frame of reference through which we view money as we get older typically falls into one of two camps: scarcity or abundance. What is a Scarcity Mindset? […]

Private vs. Public

Public vs Private

The pandemic threw a wrench in education plans for countless families. With public schools closing and shifting to a virtual curriculum, many parents felt stuck between becoming the part-time instructor themselves or finding alternative options, like independent schools. And while the sudden shift toward independent institutions happened quickly, it could prove to be a transition […]

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. […]

The Big Win- A Client Story

Christina and Tom are like many couples. They worked hard, built careers, had a baby, saved money and kept thinking about buying a house. Pre-Covid, they had already decided that they were pretty sure they wanted to move to the Boston area to be closer to family and be able to afford a nicer home. […]

Guess How Much I Make?

We make up stories in our head every day to explain things around us. If a neighbor buys a new car, we think they must have gotten a bonus or done really well to afford such a luxury. Or if someone new moves into the neighborhood, we make assumptions about how they got the money […]

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 […]

SINGLE PARENTS & MONEY

Single parents have it harder. There is only one person to do everything. Earn the money, raise the children, be involved in school and the community, do the grocery shopping, sign up for camps… the list goes on and on. Some divorced parents fall into this category as well, and sometimes they have it even […]