Category Archives: Women and Finance

Controlling the Controllable

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We’re all aware of the current economic and political climate – the headlines, the rapid-fire government directives, the sense that things are changing. The market is up. The market is down.

It’s understandable that you may feel overwhelmed and anxious. I believe that focusing on what we can control is the most powerful antidote to uncertainty.

My approach with my clients has always been to focus on what we can control. While we can’t always predict or prevent every external event, we can take proactive steps to manage our own situations.

We can’t control the stock market but we can control our investment strategy. We can control how we react to market fluctuations. We can control our financial plan and staying the course, with the goal that market fluctuations won’t feel as stressful because you have a plan.

A major area of stress is around data breaches, but can we control and protect our personal information?

The truth is, data breaches by those out to do harm are a common occurrence. We’ve seen several examples across the US and globally this past year alone. It’s so common that one could become blasé about it. But we can’t.

Unfortunately, cyber criminals are only going to continue to become better cyber criminals.

In our digital age, with the convenience of online shopping, medical record access, online tax prep and filing, online trading…the list goes on and on…we have all put our data out there for “them.”

This is why we should always be diligent in protecting our personal information, however, admittedly, it can sometimes feel like a losing battle.

I feel like I am requesting a new credit card every other month because one of mine has been compromised.

So, what can we control when it comes to protecting our data?

Here are some key steps you can take to enhance your data protection:

  • Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): This adds an extra layer of security to your accounts, making it much harder for unauthorized access, even if someone has your password. Think of it as a second lock on your door. This is especially important for any login you use to access financial or personal data. Which honestly, is just about everything.
  • Use Strong, Unique Passwords: Avoid reusing the same password across multiple platforms (especially financial ones). A password manager can help you generate and store secure passwords. I use LastPass and it auto generates unique passwords for every login.
  • Consider a Credit Freeze: This can prevent new accounts from being opened in your name, which is a common tactic in identity theft. You need to freeze it at all three credit reporting agencies, and I’ve included their information below. This does not affect you using your current credit cards, but it will prevent you (and a criminal) from opening a new one. You will need to unfreeze your credit if you need to apply for a loan or new card down the road.
  • Regularly Review Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your bank statements, credit card activity, and credit reports (at the same three credit reporting agencies mentioned below) for any suspicious activity. Early detection is key. I do this constantly with my credit card and debit accounts.
  • Be Wary of Phishing Scams: Be cautious of emails, texts, or phone calls asking for personal information. Legitimate organizations rarely request sensitive data in this way. This technique has really become rampant. Trust nothing.

Protecting our personal information should be a top priority for all of us, despite the feeling that it is a battle that can’t be won.

But in the meantime, we will control what we can control.

Here are the three credit reporting agencies:

Equifax:

Experian:

TransUnion:

Women and Their Why

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I was listening to a podcast recently with a functional medicine specialist. Like me, she works primarily with women who are proactively working to improve some area of their overall well-being.

One comment she made resonated with me as something I have found in my own practice working with women, and with myself personally when I am working towards a particular goal.

It is important for us to know THE WHY.

WHY is this you ask?

Because when we understand the WHY, we are MUCH more likely to stick with whatever it is we are working towards.

There is the “personal why” and the “process why”.

The Personal Why:

One of the first questions I ask a prospective client is “why do you want to work with a financial advisor”.

I want to make sure they have given thought to what their personal whyis.

I can give financial advice all day long, but if they don’t understand their own why, then the true motivation to make lasting change is not there and the process will grind to a halt.

The Process Why:

Someone very dear to me, who had worked in education her whole life and is a living, breathing saint,  always told me I would have made a great teacher.  

NO WAY! I would not last a day in a classroom filled with kids!

But I’ve learned over the years that teaching comes in many forms. I think I love what I do so much because I am a teacher.  I spend my days teaching my clients the whys of financial decisions in their lives.

And so it bears repeating:

Because when we understand the WHY, we are MUCH more likely to stick with whatever it is we are working towards.

Some clients want to understand fully, others do not, but I always try to explain why I am suggesting something for their personal situation.

This goes for ANYTHING  in life.

When you know the why, be it the personal why, the process why, or both, you have the ongoing answers and motivation to continue towards your goal.

Spring Cleaning!

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Everyone thinks of January 1st as the time to start fresh and change things we want to change, but I see spring as an even more opportune time for this.

Here are eight SPRING CLEANING items you can tackle now:

  • Tax planning: Did you owe more than you expected on your taxes? Was it a one-time thing or does this tend to happen every year? Review your current paycheck and adjust your withholdings as needed (using form W4), or talk with your tax preparer about paying estimated tax payments throughout the year.
  • Tax planning: Did you get a very large refund? You need to adjust how much is being withheld. Don’t give the IRS an interest free loan. That extra money could be put to much better use for your benefit
  • Tax planning: Could you have saved more on taxes in 2023 if you had increased your retirement contributions or added money to a deductible IRA? Make adjustments to your paycheck contributions now so you are not in the same position next year.
  • Employer Benefits: If every year feels like “crunch time” during open enrollment, now is great time to review the benefits offered to you and ask your HR team for deeper explanations or clarifications if you do not understand something.
  • Emergency Fund Checkup: Make sure your emergency fund is fully funded or consider boosting it if needed. Aim to have enough saved to cover 3-6 months’ worth of living expenses.
  • Investment Portfolio Review: Evaluate your investment portfolio to ensure it aligns with your risk tolerance and both short and long-term goals. Consider rebalancing if necessary. Do you have the right types of investments in the best type of account? It can make a big difference over the long term.
  • Educate Yourself: Use this time to learn more about personal finance topics that interest you. Whether it’s investing, retirement planning, or debt management, increasing your financial literacy can pay off in the long run. Working with a trusted advisor will speed up this learning tenfold.
  • Make a list: what is in your head that keeps you up at night regarding your finances? One of my clients refers to this as her “financial brain dump”, which she then sends to me for safekeeping. 😉 Just writing it all out can help take a load off your shoulders and give you more clarity, making tackling each one over the next several months seem less daunting.

Let’s face it, when the sun is shining, the days are longer and the temps are rising, we are typically more motivated in just about anything we do!

This Triple Scores You a Homerun

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Despite the snow on the ground and freezing temperatures outside, we are at least beginning to see the daylight lasting a little longer, the first sign that we “are on the other side” of winter.

Another sure sign of spring approaching for us hearty New Englanders is when the Red Sox report to Florida for spring training, and that time has arrived!

With baseball in mind, this month I introduce an underutilized and often misunderstood savings vehicle being offered by more and more employers.

Read on to learn how using a health savings account (HSA) can offers a TRIPLE TAX SAVINGS, ultimately scoring you a HOMERUN.

The Basics of an HSA

An HSA is a savings account for health care expenses tied to what’s known as a High Deductible Health Plan, offered as a health care option through your employer.

This type of account is different from a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), where you can lose any unused portion of your dollars set aside for a given year.

The money set aside in an HSA stays with you forever.

Even if you leave your current employer, your HSA dollars go with you. And as an added bonus, you are also allowed to invest your contributions. You don’t have to use them in that year.

How the high deductible health plan works and whether it is right for your circumstances is a newsletter for another time, but many who currently have this type of plan with an HSA don’t understand the benefits of the HSA in and of itself.

Triple Tax Advantaged

Your contributions are pre-tax, so they lower your taxable income in the year they are made. Think of this tax savings in the same way you think of your pre-tax 401(k) contributions.

You can invest your contributions and they will grow tax free forever, meaning any growth of your contributions is also NOT taxed. This account is like a Roth IRA in this regard, so for high income earners who are phased out of making direct Roth contributions, this is an excellent tax savings vehicle that offers the same tax free growth one gets from a Roth.

Withdrawals, AS LONG AS USED FOR QUALIFED MEDICAL EXPENSES, are 100% tax free.

Boom!!! A Triple Tax Homerun!

With ever increasing health care costs in this country, this is a great tool for your future self to have a bucket of tax free money to help cover your future medical care costs, and a great tool in the current year to reduce your taxable income.

‘Tis the Season to be…Fearful?

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Elf on a Shelf

Earlier this week, I was engaging in the nightly ritual of moving the Elf on the Shelf to a new location. As the tale goes, he had flown back to the North Pole overnight and reported to Santa whether my children were naughty or nice that day. Given my boys are now 16, 14 and 12, (edited: now 16, 18 and 20 Yikes!), there’s a whole lot of not so nice around here and long gone is the fear that Ruckert the Elf is going to tell Santa about it.

At best, my youngest is humoring me by even looking for the Elf each morning.

It got me thinking about what we all know as the “fear tactic”, most often used with children, to get them to do or act in a way which we desire…

  • Behave nicely or Santa won’t bring you any toys.
  • Eat your vegetables or you won’t grow big and strong.
  • And let’s not forget about Pinocchio and his nose!

But let’s face it, kids aren’t the only targets of the fear tactic.

If it’s a subject area I know little or nothing about (like car maintenance for example), I could be “told and sold” just about anything. After all, they’re the experts, right? 

And they ALWAYS have my best interest at heart, right?

Well, the financial services industry is no different. There are folks out there trying to instill fear to get you to take action.

And not always, but often, that action is favorable to them in some way.

Statements such as:
What has happened to YOUR 401(k) balance with the recent market volatility? 
Are you afraid of outliving your money?

and my personal favorite….

Don’t let the nursing home take all of your hard earned cash. Come see us before it’s too late!

FEAR TACTIC at it’s best!

The point is, when it comes to financial decisions, making a rash decision to DO or BUY or CHANGE anything out of fear is often met with regret down the road.

You have time… to ask questions and understand, to plan according to your needs and to make a decision from a place of knowledge and clarity.

Punt Returns and Roth IRAs

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Family & Football

I’ve been watching my boys play football for years, and I LOVE watching them, but I still struggle with many of the rules.

Recently, I’ve been trying to figure out punt return vs kick return and when you are supposed to touch the ball vs not touch the ball and just let it roll. Go ahead football aficionados, have your laugh.

No matter how many times my husband explains it, or I ask my football guru friend Tricia what is happening, I can never seem to keep it straight.

I mention this because instances like this help me to remember how my clients might feel when I am spurting out planning concepts and recommendations for them.

One topic area that can be difficult to keep straight, even for us advisors, is the rules surrounding Roth IRAs.

Read on to see how I will now differentiate between a punt and kick return.  

When it comes to Roth IRAs, there are TWO ways they can be funded and TWO “5-year rules” that must be differentiated when it comes to distributions from the IRA.

But like the punt and kick return, they may seem like the same thing, but they are not, which is what leads to the confusion.

First, some differences between the two ways a Roth can be funded:

ROTH CONTRIBUTIONS

  1. Contributions are made with after-tax dollars.
  2. Contribution amounts are limited each year by the IRS.
  3. If you earn too much (according to the IRS), your contributions may be phased out, or you may not be able to directly contribute to a Roth IRA at all.
  4. Your CONTRIBUTIONS can be withdrawn at any time, penalty free (but the goal is to keep them in!)

ROTH CONVERSIONS

  1. Conversions are typically made from an IRA. You are converting from a “pre-tax” account to an “after tax” account.
  2. Conversions are not limited by amounts or income levels. You can convert as much or as little as you want at any time, regardless of how much you earn (this is the rule that allows for the back door Roth strategy)
  3. Since you are converting pre-tax dollars, you must pay taxes on the amount being converted in the year it is converted.

Now here is where the PUNT RETURN analogy comes in – Don’t touch it, just let it roll.

There are two 5-Year Rules for Roth IRAs.

5-Year Rule #1 – Pertains to Growth only (for both contributions or conversions)

For the GROWTH in your Roth IRA to become what is called a QUALIFIED DISTRIBUTION (tax and penalty free distribution), two conditions must be met:

  • 5-Year Rule #1 – the account must have been open for at least 5 tax years (there are favorable rules around when the clock starts on the 5-years).   AND
  • The IRA owner must be 59.5 or older (or totally disabled; a few other exceptions exist)

Don’t touch it, just let it roll.

5-Year Rule #2 – Pertains to the CONVERSION amounts

The SECOND 5-year rule pertains to whether the amount you converted can be withdrawn penalty free. Unlike Roth CONTRIBUTIONS that can be taken out penalty free at any time, you cannot pull your conversion amounts out before the 5-year clock is up (unless you are 59.5 or older),or you will pay a penalty on the withdrawal.

Don’t touch it, just let it roll.

It’s too much to dive into the specifics on the ”start clock” for the two 5-Year rules, but know that even the start clock rule has rules. But the gist is… Don’t touch it, just let it roll.

Ultimately, the rules for Roth IRAs exist to keep the “spirit of the law” in place to prevent misuse of this type of tax advantaged account.

But when managed effectively, and in the right situations, Roth contributions and conversions can offer great planning opportunities for many clients.

The Psychology of Money

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In a recent meeting with a client who had just made a significant purchase, I asked the question, “How are you feeling about it?”
 
An emphatic “Great Question!” was her response.
 
We had discussed it often, run the numbers more than once on various options, and the numbers showed she could both afford it and choose how she wanted to finance it.
 
Yet, she still seemed to be a bit wrought with the decision, which prompted my question.
 
Money and feelings are connected? You betcha!
 
You see, the financial industry as a whole is looked at as a “math based” profession, fraught with spreadsheets and formulas telling you which financial decision makes the most sense.
 
But humans are fraught with FEELINGS. And EMOTION. And BIASES. And EGO. And even GUILT, when it comes to making financial decisions.  
 
And that’s not just for big financial decisions, it goes for smaller, less impactful financial decisions too.
 
Like buying ice cream.
 
I have become a food shopping ninja since prices began to skyrocket last year. I have no choice. I can’t put into words the amount of hard core food my three boys eat in a week.
 
And for some reason, I have put my foot down when it comes to buying ice cream – I refuse to pay more than $2.99 for what is not even a half gallon of ice cream!
 
I can’t tell you exactly why, I just refuse.
 
And although I can’t tell you exactly why the price of ice cream has become my chosen boycott, I CAN tell you what is working in the background of this albeit small, financial decision. It’s the same as what is at work with my client’s big financial decision.
 
The PSYCHOLOGY OF MONEY is at play.
 
And I know it’s this, because the night after I go food shopping and refuse to buy ice cream for more than $2.99, I’m willing to spend $16.00 at Three Pugs Creamery for HALF the amount of ice cream I would have gotten at the store.
 
That’s FIVE TIMES the amount of money for HALF the amount of ice cream.
 
It doesn’t take a math wiz to figure out that I am making the “wrong” financial decision when it comes to my ice cream purchases.  
 
EXCEPT for the understanding that in nearly every financial decision we make, there is more at play than just the numbers.
 
There is the PSYCHOLOGY OF MONEY at work.
 
When I spend $16.00 at the quaint ice cream shop in town, I’m buying quality time spent with one or more of my kids, I’m buying a future memory they’ll have of the small town where they grew up, I’m supporting local small business.
 
These are all touchy feely things, but they have a price I’m willing to pay.
 
So even though ON PAPER it makes perfect financial sense for my client to make her large purchase and no financial sense for me to be buying ice cream at Three Pugs Creamer instead of Shaw’s, our humanness will often be telling us otherwise.
 
The point is, we all have our own unique “money story” that has been developing and shaping our views since the time we were first learning to count our pennies. It can be helpful to have this awareness as you make financial decisions, big AND small.

Favorite Quote

Everything has a price, but not all prices appear on labels.

― Morgan Housel, The Psychology of Money

The Financial Brain Dump

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Happy New Year to you!

The craziness of year-end tasks and the holidays seems to carry right over into the new year, with a sense of urgency on a whole new list of things. But hopefully you found some respite along the way before diving in to 2023!

Last year at this time, I wrote to you about “real change” taking time, suggesting that it doesn’t just happen overnight.

I highlighted not beating yourself up over “failed” new year’s resolutions by February or March, because real change seldom comes about that quickly.

Here is my INSPIRING message that kicked off 2022!

But for this month, I’d like to add another concept that one of my clients recently employed. She completed what she called her “financial brain dump” and sent it over to me. She got all of the financial items that were swirling around in her head written down.

I could almost hear the sigh of relief through her email.

Not because all tasks were miraculously completed, but because she got it all out of her head, onto paper and over to me. And by sending it to me, she knows we will address these items together in the new year.

The brain dump is not a new concept. It is a proven method to help untangle our thoughts, serving to relieve some of the stress and anxiety created by our never ending reel of to-dos and uncertainties.

Tying it into last year’s message, I had discussed taking broad resolutions like “save more money” or “get finances organized” and breaking them down into smaller, more specific and manageable tasks.

THE FINANCIAL BRAIN DUMP will help accomplish that for you. So give it a try this month and see what it does for you. Then share the psychological load by sending it to your advisor, knowing they will help elicit “real change” for you in your financial life this year!

Front of Mind Thoughts

What is Your Earliest Money Memory?

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The first impactful memory I have around money always comes to me right away. It’s a story I shared at my dad’s 70th birthday celebration. I was about 10 years old and was with him at the ATM. He always counted the money before putting it in his wallet.

When he counted it on this particular morning, there were two $20’s stuck together.

My 10-year old mind thought, “How AWESOME is THAT”?

I must have not only thought it but also said something along those lines because I remember CLEAR AS DAY my father’s response:

“Susan, this is not my money. I’ll return it to the bank on Monday”.

IMPACTFUL.

Sometime not too long after, he called me over to his chair where he sat every night to watch the evening news and read the paper. He showed me a piece of mail he had just opened. It was a letter from the president of the bank thanking him for his honesty in returning the $20.

IMPACTFUL.

I’d be remiss to leave out my mom in my earliest memories around money and the impact they’ve had on me. Mom handled all the day to day family finances and taught me how to balance a checkbook…to…the…penny. Of course, with today’s technology I don’t balance a checkbook anymore, but I do still watch every penny. It was also her influence that taught me that just because you can afford something doesn’t mean you should buy it and that if you can’t afford something, then you definitely shouldn’t buy it.

That’s Cash Flow Planning 101: Needs vs Wants and Spend less than you make.

And from all this, a trusted financial advisor was born. Thanks Mom and Dad!

My clients have heard me say that not every decision around money is black and white, that there is often an emotional component to our decisions that can make things a bit gray. Behavioral Finance has become a field of study in and of itself and is often a seminar topic at  financial industry conferences.

I’m sure my parents had NO IDEA at the time that all these little things would serve as defining moments for me and my approach to all things money in the future.

But it’s something I try to remember when working with my clients; we all have a money history that started way before we ever knew it was happening.

Quote

Great things never come from comfort zones.

Ways You May Be Losing Money EVERY Year

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A friend recently came to me with a business idea that she felt could be really useful to many.

She felt quite strongly about it because she knew it would be very useful to HER, and she correctly assumed that many (many) others are in the same position.

Let’s call it:

I PAY LITTLE TO NO ATTENTION TO WHERE MY MONEY IS ACTUALLY GOING, and I could really use some help trimming the fat.

Her request was not so much about budgeting, but simply about TUNING IN, knowing where the dollars are going and trying to cut out the fat.

And let’s face it, with inflation having snuck up on us with a vengeance this year, we all need to covet and stretch every dollar, because our dollar can no longer afford what it could just 8 months ago.

Sometimes money “lost” is simply due to our failure to tune into things, like is that medical bill accurate, did you actually get the sales price advertised or are you sitting on unreturned merchandise.

I recently received a medical bill for almost $3,500. It looked right. I mean, we did use that provider on that date, and we do have a high deductible plan. BUT, because I tune into the EOBs (explanation of benefits) that come from our insurance provider, I knew our portion was only supposed to be about $1,500.

I potentially could have tossed $1,500 out the window if I had just paid it without tuning in.

I’m also a grocery store Ninja, I’ll admit it, even pre inflationary times.  I should be on THE PRICE IS RIGHT.

And never more than now do I play their game because with three teenage football players in my house, you would not believe my grocery bill.

So while investing is an important aspect of your financial health, and it is disconcerting when the markets are down, it’s the day to day spending that you have the most control over that can make tangible differences.

If you feel like your spending could use some trimming (mine definitely could) and especially if you are finding you need every dollar just to cover the basics, here are some “tuning in” tips to think about:

Shopping:

  • Get rid of Door Dash. I will not let my kids order anything on my dime through Door Dash. I never have. What a money suck that is! Old fashioned pizza delivery, sure, but not Door Dash. I saw a receipt once that showed my son paid $9+ to have an $11 burrito delivered!
  • Tune into shipping costs and try to avoid. They can really add up.
  • Shop the grocery store circulars. Use the apps if you need to for certain “big” deals. Stick to what you would normally buy, don’t buy it because it’s on sale. But if it’s on sale AND it’s on your list for the week-fantastic. Check the receipt before you walk out the door to be sure you received the sale price. Head straight to customer service if you did not.
  • Buy store brand/generic wherever it truly does not matter, which is most of the time. But hey, we all have our favorites. I won’t give up my Charmin.  
  • Buy cards at The Dollar Store. Honestly, you should never again purchase a card anywhere else. They have great ones.  And let’s face it, your money literally gets thrown in the trash after it’s opened!
  • Return items you bought but will not be using. I’m a nut about returns. We all buy things either in store or on line that don’t work out as we had hoped, but you MUST return it or you are just throwing your money away.
  • If you are a Target shopper, use the app to place your order ahead of time and have it delivered to your car. My personal experience is you end up spending much less when you are not walking the aisles. And unlike some of the on line grocery delivery services, there are no extra fees (yet).

I wish I could say “get rid of Amazon”  but I’m trying to be realistic.  😊

Other:

  • Employer benefits I’ve seen not insignificant amounts of money left on the table when people have not used plan benefits to their best advantage.
  • Pay attention to bills you are receiving, even if you have them set to autopay. And medical bills for sure.
  • Don’t carry a balance on your credit card. For every dollar you save with smart shopping, you’ll be paying way more in interest rate charges.
  • Ask yourself the age old question, “do I need this or do I want this”?

Whatever your financial situation, remember the mantra to pay yourself first (savings) and spend less than you make. You’ll be on your way to sound financial footing!

Quote

Do not LET what you cannot do interfere WITH what you can do.

– John Wooden