First-Time Homebuyer? Here’s How to Prepare Financially

A house with grass and bushes in front of it.

Recently I was asked to send in my top tip for first-time homebuyers to be included in a blog post for Redfin.  It was fun to get it back and see what other thoughts the other CFP® professionals offered.  Apparently many of us think alike!  I don’t agree with everything said here, but it is […]

Let’s talk about the B-word

A woman wearing glasses and clapping her hands.

…the part of financial planning that everyone dreads, no matter their income. This week I received an email from a client with some answers to follow-up questions about her financial plan. At the end she wrote, “no progress on the b-word. Sorry.” It made me laugh out loud. The b-word that she so dreads is, […]

How to cut your budget while keeping your kids 

A boy writing on paper with a pen.

Marriage and budgets are tough enough.  Throw a few kids in the mix, and you may find yourself feeling like your money is slipping away.  Kids come with a lot of needs and wants and no ability to produce income. It is a both a joy and a challenge to meet their needs and to […]

How to cut expenses while keeping your marriage (Part III)

A woman and man sitting at a table with a laptop.

You are on the budgeting home stretch!  You have read Part I and Part II and completed those first steps. Before you continue reading, pat yourself on the back and give your partner a hug or a high five.  You have come together to tackle your budget. That can be a source of stress for […]

How to cut your budget while keeping your marriage (Part II)

A woman and man are looking at papers.

You and your partner have done the hardest work of making a budget: you have talked about why you want to budget and what is important to you.  You have created a list of all of your expenses and sorted them by category.  You may have downloaded one of the budgeting tools mentioned in this […]

How to cut your budget while keeping your marriage (Part I)

A man and woman sitting at a table with papers.

Making and sticking to a monthly budget is hard. Choices can be very difficult to make, especially when there are two people involved whose preferences are not the same. This series of articles will lay out a process for working through those choices together, while bringing your relationship closer in the process. Remember the Why […]