How to Use Your Values to Guide Your Investments
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 28 June 2021
When you think of your finances, your first thoughts probably aren’t about your core values. You’re more likely to be focused on the debt you are trying to tackle or the long-term goals you have for your money. Often, conversations about finances are more focused outwardly on things like interest rates, rather than inwardly on things like intrinsic values. At times, it may even feel like the values that guide your life and the pursuit of money are at odds with each other, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
With values-based financial planning, you can pursue your goals while staying true to yourself and the most important aspects of your life. Fortunately, it’s a fairly straightforward process, too. First, identify what matters most to you. Then, visualize your goals. Finally, determine a plan to reach those goals and get started implementing it.
It’s Time to Stop Believing These Financial Untruths
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 14 June 2021
When it comes to women and money, the relationship can certainly be complicated. However, the reasons behind that complexity are equally stratified and problematic. From dangerous stereotypes about women’s natural inclination for overspending to channeling women away from high-income jobs when making decisions about career choices, the lies women are told about money from a young age can wind up costing us in more ways than one.
Today, I want to debunk seven of these damaging money myths that keep women stalled in the workplace, stuck in negative relationships, and halted in the pursuit of their dreams for themselves and their families.
Six Steps to Solidify Your Family’s Guiding Philosophy
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 24 May 2021
Companies often use mission statements to describe their purpose, conveying why they do what they do and what they believe, often in a single sentence. While a mission statement might sound like a formal concept reserved for use only in the business world, the principles behind developing this guiding philosophy apply to families, as well. This mission statement, which succinctly defines your family’s values and goals, will be the standard against which all of your decisions - financial or otherwise - are measured.
Each of us makes hundreds of decisions every day. From buying that artisanal coffee in the morning to picking your route to the grocery store, some decisions are so subtle you may not even realize you are making a choice. Others, like purchasing a home or car, are topics that clearly require more thoughtful deliberation. Whether the decision is big or small, a family mission statement will help you and your loved ones stay true to your values and feel confident that you are moving in the right direction. Here’s how to create yours.
How to Navigate Financial Planning Challenges Common to Professional Women.
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 10 May 2021
After many years in financial services – a business still highly dominated by men – it’s become clear to me that many financial advisors do a disservice to women. They make assumptions, for instance, that women are uninterested in finance – or worse, that they are uneducated about money matters. In my own experience, my female clients are serious about understanding how to make their money work best for them and how it can bring them success in reaching both financial and life goals.
While there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all financial plan for women, I have found that successful female executives can benefit from using the tips below – and from avoiding common traps, too.
This new chapter of life can feel uncomfortable if you haven’t taken the time to emotionally prepare.
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 26 April 2021
There is a significant connection between retirement and emotions, and many retirees are unprepared for it. This is why I often work with clients who struggle with the discomfort of being newly retired. This struggle occurs for those who haven’t given enough thought to what their life might look like when they leave their career. The challenges might be associated with identity, relationships, finding new ways to fill time, or maintaining frequent social interaction.
It’s also common for “money emotions” to impact new retirees. There’s the excitement of closing one of life’s chapters and starting another, and of spending more time doing things you enjoy. However, there is also sadness in closing a chapter of your life, especially if you enjoyed your career. There’s the fear of “turning off” your paychecks, and of unexpected illness or expenses that could cause you to run out of money. There are also feelings of great responsibility for filling an unknown amount of time with a finite amount of resources, as you hope you’ve planned well enough for the retirement you want to have.
Below, we’ll discuss how asking yourself tough questions before you retire is the best way to prepare for the emotional challenges many new retirees face.
