How to be a trustee – Attack!
We lost a relative this summer, and now one of her children is the trustee of her estate, so I’ve got estates on my mind more than usual. It’s a hard job on many fronts. The problems Giving support Knowing this, last night I sent the trustee an email to…
Deciphering your spending is like deciphering your child
I’ve learned so much about personal, professional and financial psychology from trying to learn more about parenting. Today I was watching a presentation by Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhardt, pediatric psychologist and parent coach, as a part of The Executive Function Online Summit (TEFOS). While I was watching, I was struck over…
“An antidote to the college admissions mania”
While Dr. Seuss’ book “Oh the Places You’ll Go” is a popular high school graduation gift, when it comes to paying for college, I think it’s more important to have had discussions with 9th and 10th graders about “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An antidote to the…
“The Brave Art of Motherhood”, and Moms make great financiers
I know a lot of amazing women. Women who are professionals, daughters, moms, and occasionally self-care takers. In the right environment, we feel comfortable asking questions to learn more, and getting advice from those who have already walked in their footsteps. But in the wrong environment, we put up our…
“Rainwater Harvesting” as a parallel to building your life
One of the many books I was reading this month was “Essential Rainwater Harvesting”, a book in the Sustainable Building Essentials series, available from the Rochester Public Library. While I was reading this book in support of my desire to be more efficient with rainwater (especially important in the drought…
Aging parents – Understanding adult day centers for Mom or Dad
In our last article, we listed a number of types of services your aging Mom or Dad might need. One of the most commonly used senior services types is an adult day center, serving an average of 237,400 adults per day. The National Adult Day Services Association outlines all of…
Aging parents – Understanding senior services for Mom or Dad
Senior services are not the bright and flashy attractive things to talk about, the way the early retirement years of trips, dining out, and spending time playing with the grandkids are. But they are a reality for many people who are well into their retirement years. Most people who are…
Book Review – “High Conflict”
When a married couple gets divorced, everyone takes a financial hit. Women take a larger hit than men, especially if that woman had stepped back or entirely out of her career to care for children. Even worse for a woman’s financial future is when there wasn’t a prenup, whether customized…
Book review – “Visual Thinking”
I read the Temple Grandin, PhD book “Visual Thinking”, and wanted to share my thoughts on it with you. Your first thought may be “Why this book? This doesn’t seem like anything to do with personal finance.” And directly, you’re right. Indirectly, it’s quite related – in terms of learning…
Book Review – “The Case Against Education”
We all know that college is expensive. It is one of the largest expenses an individual will face, and often it’s the first of the major ones in their lifetime – made at a time when social pressures and a lack of experience are more likely than ever to push…