I’ve written a lot about how being a financial advisor is the best career in the world. And it is, for me. Lately, I’ve come to realize that it takes a certain temperament and skill set to enjoy the work. This is not a job you can leave at the office at night or on…
Personal Finance
Should I Invest in Real Estate instead of my 401(k)?
This week, I joined Ben Carlson on his weekly, live YouTube show, Portfolio Rescue, to answer questions from two listeners. I discussed my defense of the 401k loan and gave examples of when using a 401k might make sense. The second question was about contributing to a 401k versus investing in multi-family real estate. These…
IWD Updates
Happy International Women’s Day! March 8 has become a global day of recognition of the women’s rights movement bringing attention to gender equity, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. It is even a national holiday in many countries. New Book Announcement This year, I am excited to announce that I contributed a chapter…
If I Had a Billion Dollars
In case you haven’t heard, the Mega Millions jackpot for tonight’s drawing is over $1.2 billion. That’s Billion, with a B. Although the odds of winning are less than 1 in 300 million, I suspect that many nonregular lottery-playing Americans will purchase tickets. To put these odds in context, here are the odds of some…
And Just Like That
Today is my 40th birthday. The ‘BIG 4-0’ is what they called it when I was growing up, although today that level of intensity seems to have been pushed back a decade. Nevertheless, it feels like a big milestone and seems an opportune time to take stock of my accomplishments so far and to determine…
What It’s All About
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It has all the good characteristics of Christmas – family, food, tradition, and celebration – with none of the stress – gift buying, gift wrapping, house decorating, and toys that require ‘moderate assembly’. I also love the idea of a day dedicated to being grateful. Gratitude is scientifically shown to…
In the Weeds
I’ve been too busy to write lately, and I miss writing. All at once, five new families are coming on board as clients, and a few more are close to making a decision. We are holding year-end tax planning meetings with clients. Often these meetings result in action to be taken, such as opening new…
Moms Are Cool
I’ve always wanted to do pro bono financial planning work, but never found the right opportunity. Local FPA chapters will host walk-in clinics which were never my thing. I developed a financial literacy program during my active years in the Junior League, but I wasn’t involved in launching or teaching the courses. I have taken…
Other People’s Money
My dad tells this story about his Finance 101 class in college in the 1970’s. The finance professor walks up to the chalkboard and writes ‘O – P – M’. He points to the acronym with the chalk and circles it while telling his students that the first rule of finance is to use “Other…
Should You Consider a DAF?
Lately, I’ve been having a lot of conversations about donor-advised funds (DAFs). DAFs are like mini private foundations, allowing an investor to take a charitable deduction upfront, invest the funds to grow tax-free, and distribute donations to charitable organizations in future years. When funded with appreciated securities instead of cash, an investor receives the double…
