Class V moves on Class III whitewater
As a whitewater slalom racer and whitewater kayaking enthusiast, for decades I’ve taken the stance that there’s a lot of fun to be had on your local class II/III river. Despite the adrenaline junkies’ attitude that bigger is better, you can build great skills on smaller rivers, without having to…
The most common retirement planning questions asked of advisors
Lots of people have anxiety about their finances. Teens take magazines quizzes to make themselves feel like their concerns about friendships, acne, hormones, and appearances are normal. Adults look around the internet, or talk to family and friends, to reassure themselves that the financial questions they have are normal. Indeed,…
Your finances should be like a visit to the Civic Center
By which I mean personalized. Our Rochester Minnesota Civic Center has recently announced that for guests who are easily overwhelmed by sensory input, they can request a sensory reduction kit to borrow during their visit. That’s a personalized experience that can be opted into, to greatly reduce the challenge for…
“At Your Best” – book review
As part of one of my professional mastermind groups, we recently read “At Your Best” by Carey Nieuwhof (available in Minnesota through Inter Library Loan) and discussed the book as a group. Big topics from the book included: But the biggest take-aways from the book from my perspective were: A…
Brain development and executive functioning – why the future isn’t real yet
Earlier this month I attended a presentation by executive functioning coach Sarah Ward, co-director of Cognitive Connections. She was teaching parents how to make their home structure support better executive functioning. I was attending this to help figure out how to set up my home to better support my children,…
Jumping on a moving train – a metaphor
As a data scientist, I’m often brought into a research study after it’s been in motion for months or years. Similarly, financial planners don’t start life with you, they join you when you are already well along in life. These two situations have a lot in common – the situations…
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…
Cortisol and spreadsheets and you
My husband likes to listen to the radio, he can’t tell me the attribution of this (approximate) statement he brought home this weekend, but it’s along the lines of “You cannot look at a worksheet or spreadsheet and change the amount of cortisol in your brain.” I disagree. Looking at…
What happens when you’re in the wrong place?
Everyone has their own needs. Without a space and support that’s just right for you, you won’t thrive. What happens when we’re in the wrong place? We don’t thrive, we don’t meet our goals, we feel lingering discontentment and disappointment in ourselves. Three examples of the bad definitions Having space…