Someone told me they have two primary emotions whenever they think about their financial situation: “It seems like I’m either frustrated or mad. Is that weird? Should money always make me so upset?” This admission reminds me of a book written more than 50 years ago by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in which she discussed five distinct …

Money Grief … and How to Leave It Behind Read More »

A client recently asked this question: I’ve got some money I’d like to leave to my grandkids. I want it to grow, but I’m not comfortable putting it at risk in the market. Meanwhile, safer investments like CDs seem like they’re barely keeping up with inflation. Do you have any suggestions? It’s a classic case …

A Question About Safe Money Read More »

A client told me: “I grew up poor. I was the first in my family to attend college. Now I have a comfortable income. But because of my background, I tend to be cautious with my money. Sometimes I wonder if I’m too cautious.” Hearing that, I thought of an interview with Erin Botsford in …

What Bad Financial Experiences Do To (or For) Us Read More »

In my line of work, I hear comments like this frequently: “Despite what some are saying, I don’t think our economic hard times are over. In fact, some are saying online that the ‘experts’ are hiding how big our problems really are. Some think the whole world is on the brink of bankruptcy. If that’s …

On the Verge of Economic Collapse? Read More »

A subscriber wrote and asked: I’m retired and widowed. My two adult sons still depend on me to pay some of their bills—even though one of them has a job. (The other can’t seem to keep steady work.) I’m worried that when I’m gone, they are going to fight over my money, even though I …

Adult Children Dependent on Parents Read More »

A few weeks ago, I shared some remarks I recently made to a classroom of college students.  You can go back and read my column from December 11th, but in summary I discussed the importance of dying well, living well, being “whole,” and remembering the truth that “life compounds.” The other four challenges I gave …

Life Planning for College Students Read More »