Search Results for: blog should you use a financial planner

Avoid Financial Surprises During Your Retirement

The subject of how much money a person needs for retirement is a tricky one. Each person’s needs are slightly different, which can make for difficulty in deciding what a good amount is. There are also some things that you may not think about which may come up later on and cause trouble. One of the most difficult things to think about or discuss is health care. No one likes to talk about it because as we grow older, many things can happen with our health. We may be affected by a major illness, for example, or arrive at a … Continue reading →

When You Are Swimming in Debt

Have you ever seen HGTV’s “My First Place”? It’s about first-time home buyers looking for the perfect place to call their own, within a set budget. I’m always amazed by how seemingly transparent they are with their finances. I’ve seen a few episodes where the buyers freely divulged how bad their credit scores were as a justification as to why their budget for house hunting was so low. Another episode followed a guy as he tried to repair his credit while house hunting. The show documented the jockeying he did with lenders as he waited for his score to improve … Continue reading →

We’re Broke! Why Do We Need a Financial Planner?! Part 1

After my divorce, the financial planner who had worked with my former husband and I continued to call me every six months or so, wondering if I was ready to put a new financial plan into place. I was flattered, if a little confused, about why he was bothering with me. I had primary physical custody of our infant daughter, I was receiving no financial support from her dad, and I was working for a notoriously underpaying local non-profit. Let’s face it, I was broke. The answer to the question, of course, is that it is an undisputed fact that … Continue reading →

When You Need Cash

Do you need more cash flow? Well, there are really only three ways to accomplish this. Let’s discuss them. Earn more money. The best ways to earn more are: • Ask for a raise. Seriously, why not? Think hard about your accomplishments and provide a good case. It doesn’t hurt to ask. • Take on a second job. Seasonal labor is always in demand. You can help a retailer over the holidays or a gardener in the summer. Depending on your skills and time, there are almost limitless options. • Look for freelance opportunities. Can you “sell” one of your … Continue reading →

Seek Financial Assistance

Are you getting calls from creditors? Do you live from paycheck to paycheck? Are your retirement years sneaking up on you? Did your business recently fail? If you are here reading this blog due to financial problems in your life, I want to tell you… don’t be afraid to get financial assistance. Problems with money are often treated with the attitude, “if I ignore it, it will go away.” But, just like a medical problem, ignoring your money problems will not make them go away – it usually only makes them worse. What is often hard to admit is that … Continue reading →

Take a Class in Financial Planning

Before you spend a dime to hire a financial planner, look into enrolling in a class. Many Junior colleges and community centers offer these types of finance classes. You will find them on a variety of subjects, from budgeting to estate planning. Usually the cost is less than $50 for a couple hours of instruction time. A financial planner will cost you far more than that, in both time and money. Numbers and money management is not everyone’s cup of tea; but even if you failed math class, you can still benefit from a financial planning course. It should be … Continue reading →

Do You Wish You Had a Personal Accountant?

Have you ever wished that you could hire a personal accountant that would just take care of your finances for you? That way you could simply spend your money, and not worry each week if you were going to overdraw. You could also save money on late fees and the hassle of paying your bills each month. While it is not realistic for most people, there are several things you can do to take the hassle out of your finances. 1) You can sign up for automatic bill pay. You can do this either through your bank or through your … Continue reading →

So, You Messed Up, Now What?

Mistakes happen. Bloopers, disasters, big messes, oops…all of these are fairly common occurrences and, just because you are operating a home business and attempting to do everything just so—this does not mean you are exempt from making mistakes. So, you’ve made a big mess or an enormous mistake—now what? You can either run or hide from your mistake or choose to face it. Chances are, if you are a sole proprietor, running your own small home business, there is no one else to cover for you or face your blooper for you so it just comes down to you and … Continue reading →

Financial Advisors

Even if you feel that you do not have enough money to talk to a financial advisor, you may want to take advantage of the services one could provide for you. A financial advisor can do more than simply help you with your investments; she can sit down and help you plan out your future. A good financial advisor will take the time to sit down and learn your goals and dreams, and then work with you to help you achieve those goals. Your financial advisor will likely look at your spending and saving habits. She may be able to … Continue reading →

Budgeting with Your Spouse

When it comes to budgeting with your spouse, you may find that one of you is more “into it” than the other one. There are several different personality types when it comes to dealing with money. One type is the person who tracks absolutely every penny, and rigidly assigns every dollar a very specific category. Another type is the non-spender—he never wants to spend a dime. A third type is the spender—she spends every penny as fast as she can and then spends some more. A fourth type is a semi-budgeter—he starts the month with a plan, but midmonth loses … Continue reading →