Limiting Damage if You Have to Raid Your Retirement Savings

by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFANo matter how hard we try to focus on the positives and maintain an optimistic outlook on the future, no doubt things are getting ugly out there. This really dawned on me while reading a report from a recent out-of-state Savvy Ladies...

An Expert’s Guide to Family Budgeting

by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFA “I’m a CEO”, explained the new client with whom I had lunch yesterday, “yet I feel as though I have no control whatsoever over my family’s spending. I never have any money left to invest, store and credit card bills grow...

Top 5 Tax Savers

by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAMy friend, who would normally never talk to anyone about money, invited me over for dinner last weekend to discuss her financial situation. Her husband’s salary dropped significantly and they’re struggling to survive on her...

5 Money Lessons for Teens

by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAI read in the newspaper the other day that in a survey, high schoolers answered only 48% of basic personal finance questions correctly. The number was only slightly higher – 65% – for college students. This is scary, as good money...

Will a Cut in My Line of Credit Hurt My FICO Score?

by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAThis question popped up during a recent Savvy Ladies empowerment circle. The woman asking it had recently received a letter from American Express, letting her know that they had reduced her credit limit from $17,000 to $9,000. Credit score...

What Health Insurance Plan Is Right for You?

by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAWith the birth of my daughter just around the corner, my husband and I spent Sunday afternoon reviewing our family’s insurance coverage. Many times, the addition of a new family member means that a different provider or different type of...

Taxes: How Much Should You Withhold?

by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAWith only weeks to go before the arrival of my daughter, I go to a great deal of routine checkups. Fortunately, my doctor’s office is an efficient one, and I rarely have to wait for more than ten minutes. Yesterday, the other mother-to-be...

Top Ten Money Mistakes New Parents Make

by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAWhen I showed up at a recent Savvy Ladies seminar with my big belly, naturally, the conversation gravitated toward money and parenthood. Many soon-to-be and new mothers expressed concern about making financial mistakes that could hurt their...

Family Budget: Keeping Your Kids’ Expenses Down

by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAI met with a group of new mothers last week, who were eager to sort out their budgets now that two had become three. They all had a good understanding of the types of costs involved, but like many new parents, had underestimated the dollar...

What Types of Insurance Does Your Family Need?

by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAOne of the moms from the park called me last night, in tears. Not only had she come back to her apartment to find the door ajar and her things all over the floor – when she got hold of the landlord, he informed her that his insurance policy...