Spending with Purpose: Harnessing Your Financial Optionality
7-Minute Read “By being a little hard on ourselves, it makes it harder for others to be hard on us. By being strict with ourselves, we take away others’ power over us.” Ryan Holiday from Discipline is Destiny A few months back, I wrote a piece called Cultivate Your Optionality that resonated with some people. While […]
How I Filed My BOI Report and Why You Might Do the Same
7-Minute Read I hope the timing of this blog is better late than never. It is a reminder about a FinCEN reporting requirement with a January 1st, 2025 deadline for most companies. If this is the first time you’re hearing about it, I don’t blame you. Under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA—passed in 2021), companies […]
How to Play the College Financial Aid Game
7-Minute Read You may be aware that the cost of college today is much higher than it was twenty years ago, and the country has a student loan crisis. Part of the problem is understanding the actual cost of your child’s college education. It is a challenge, and it’s more important than ever for you […]
Cultivate Your Optionality
4-Minute Read We all know what it means to consume. But if you look at the definition of the word, you might be surprised: To destroy or expend by use; use up To eat or drink up; devour To destroy (again – emphasis mine), as by decomposition or burning To spend (money, time, etc.) wastefully […]
What Expats Should Know about Receiving Social Security Abroad
5-Minute Read Maybe it’s a little ironic to release a blog about expats on arguably the most patriotic day of the year. But no matter where you end up living, retirement income planning is important. It also often involves discussions about Social Security. In an earlier blog, Your Social Security Statement May Not Tell the […]
Living without Sunk Costs
4-Minute Read “I have no sunk costs.” Daniel Kahneman Have you ever read the work of Daniel Kahneman? If so, you have probably gained valuable insights into how you and the people around you make judgments and decisions. An author, psychologist, and winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, Kahneman died this past March at […]
Has the Time Come for Slow Productivity?
6-Minute Read “Quality both demands slowness and enables slowness.” Cal Newport from Slow Productivity As a financial planner, I find value in exploring topics indirectly related to personal finance. One such topic is productivity. In a previous article, I discussed how you can improve productivity by Reversing Parkinson’s Law. While productivity is often emphasized at […]
How Guardrails Can Improve Your Retirement Experience
4-Minute Read Imagine driving along a winding scenic road beside an ocean cliff. While you want to enjoy the ride, you must ensure you don’t veer off the road. It would be reassuring to know guardrails are in place to nudge you back on track if you drift too far. This analogy can be extended […]
Thoughts on Paying off a Mortgage Early
5-Minute Read If you’re a homeowner with a mortgage, should you try to pay it off early? As a financial planner, I’m frequently asked this question. It often leads to some interesting conversations. I frequently gain new insights on approaching this decision, particularly from a psychological perspective. Of course, there are objective ways to think […]
Clear the Hurdles for Your Family’s First Estate Plan
6-Minute Read Have you been putting off creating your first estate plan? If so, you are not alone. Many people make this their New Year’s resolution but somehow get stuck. There are some hurdles out there, but how do you clear them? Having an estate plan is crucial as it ensures a smooth transition of […]
