Family
Shopping Triggers and How to Curb Them: Depression
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAAt a seminar today, a woman desperate to take control over her finances confessed that her worst shopping trigger was depression. Whether she was feeling lonely, overworked, fat, poor, or just blue in general, the only way she could cheer...
What Size Allowance Should I Give My Child?
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAAt the park today, the moms were discussing allowances. At what age should a child start to receive them, and how much is appropriate? All at once they stopped and asked me, “You are the expert, tell us what to do!” Talk about pressure. I...
Taxes: Should You File Jointly or Separately?
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAEven after tax season has come and gone, one of the main topics of discussion at a recent seminar was: what are the benefits versus drawbacks associated with married couples filing separately? An excellent question. However, just like with...
The 10% Rule
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAYesterday, I went shopping with a colleague of mine. (Yes, I know I advise against hobby shopping, but if kept under control it can be a great way to bond with your peers.) Everything was lovely, until she found a suit she liked, determined...
When Your Account Is in the Red
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAA lady I met last night while I was waiting for my husband to arrive at a restaurant was intrigued that I am a financial planner. As usual I typically get questions about their personal investment and/or finances. This case was no...
Finding and Understanding Your Credit Score
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFA“Now that real estate prices are falling,” a woman told me over the phone today, “I would like to buy a town house or a condo. But I hear you need really good credit these days, and I have a feeling mine may be pretty bad.”I asked her what...
Four Rules for Paying Off Credit Cards
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFANumerous people have told me that Mary Hunt’s book Debt-Free Living is well worth a look. This weekend, I finally got a chance to read it. Sure enough, it had some excellent points. My favorite was her four rules for getting out of debt. I...
Talking to Kids about Money
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFADuring a dinner party last weekend, a woman told me her son had taken her by surprise by asking “are we rich?” She said she was dumbfounded, and as she had no idea how to respond, she mumbled, “no.” Her son got extremely anxious, and she...
Shopping Triggers and How to Curb Them: Sense of Entitlement
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAWatching TV last night got me thinking about how our entire society is built around this shopping trigger. TV and radio ads, magazines and catalogues all scream to us: you deserve this, you’re worth it, treat yourself! This is because savvy...
The Prenup
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAOver lattes today, my best friend reported that her friend was finally leaving the husband we all tried to tell her she never should have married in the first place. I am sure that you have a few girlfriends who you love in spite of their...
Living Together=Spending Together?
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAMy always-single girlfriend surprised me the other day at lunch, by informing me that she is moving in with her boyfriend. As this is a first for her, she had a million questions. Should she keep her apartment in case things don’t work out?...
Shopping Triggers and How to Curb Them: Bargain Hunting
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAThe more I blog about shopping triggers, the more they seem to pop up all around me. Here’s another one I have encountered three different times – just today.I saw that Gristedes has grapes on sale, so you can save over $2 per pound. Our...
