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Too often during uncertain times, we inadvertently compare ourselves to the people around us – and that leads us to make financial mistakes. In his book Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, Dan Ariely remarks, “We don’t have an internal value meter that tells us how much things are worth. Rather, we focus on the relative advantage of one thing over another, and estimate value accordingly.”
Will you make a New Year’s resolution this year? One of the smartest resolutions might be getting your finances in order. But as we all know keeping that promise to ourselves is another matter.
A lot of people make money resolutions. According numerous studies, the most popular resolution every year is to lose weight, followed by getting organized, and saving more money. It’s good to see that a financial-related resolution is in the top three.
Here is framework for making your New Year’s resolution stick.
Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) are attractive investment accounts because of the tax-free income that they provide with qualified withdrawals. However, many higher-income earners are not eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA.
Fortunately, there is a strategy to navigate around this – often referred to as the "Backdoor Roth IRA". The process involves opening a traditional IRA, making your desired contribution - up to the annual maximum amount, and then later convert the funds to a Roth IRA…
Use money to enhance your life and the lives of those around you
Money matters are complex and even scary. How you choose to approach finances mentally is key to mastering them.
Financial advisors call this “money mindfulness.” And it’s a mentality that can be worked on while we’re following the current “stay-at-home” orders of our local and federal government.
It is difficult to deal with your finances on your own because the technical aspects can be bewildering. Investment options, taxes, interest rates and securities transactions in general are overwhelming for folks outside of the finance industry. Few of us understand the math necessary to handle our own money, even at a minimal level.
Plus, there’s a real element of danger about finances. Nearly everyone has been ripped off at some point. Many of us are wary of trusting anyone, even family members, with our money.
It Start with Our Behavior…
With its blinking lights, family traditions, and festive music, December is the most wonderful time of the year. And according to Charity Navigator, the month of December really is wonderful because December sees approximately 30% of all annual charitable giving.
Despite the greatest of intentions, many will inevitably make mistakes in how they give, especially if they wait until the last minute. So, here is a list of things for you to think about as you consider your year-end charitable donations…
When legendary singer Aretha Franklin died of advanced pancreatic cancer at age 76, she did not have a will or trust, according to documents filed in Oakland County Probate Court. And now the $80 million estate of the intensely private Queen of Soul is about to become very public – and possibly very taxing for her heirs.
"The decedent died intestate and after exercising reasonable diligence, I am unaware of any unrevoked testamentary instrument relating to property located in this state as defined under the law,” the form reads.
Aretha’s lawyer of nearly 30 years told the Detroit Free Press that he was constantly asking her to do a trust, but she just never got around to doing it.
"I was after her for a number of years to do a trust," Los Angeles attorney Don Wilson told the Detroit Free Press. "It would have expedited things and kept them out of probate and kept things private."
Have you ever embarked on a home improvement project? …One perhaps that you are confident in completing, but unfamiliar with the details. A “how to” clip is usually available on YouTube, but there isn’t a practical way to reach out with follow-up questions. What you may need is guidance from a caring individual.
This is where your local home improvement store comes into play. I usually have good luck with Home Depot. The employees not only know their craft exceedingly well but are excited to share their ideas. I'm always impressed with the greeter at our local store who welcomes guests and can direct them to the exact aisle of the item(s) that they're there to purchase. You can see it in their body language and the sparkle in their eyes when they explain the nuances of a project. Plus, they are happy to share any problems you might encounter and how to sidestep pitfalls.
They are, in one word, educators. What they have taught me and what I’ve learned through various projects in life is a fairly simple concept: “Experience isn’t the best teacher–someone else’s experience is.”
