Your Money is About More Than Dollars and Cents
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Wednesday, 30 December 2020
The following article is based on the content covered in my book, Flourish Financially: Values, Transitions, and Big Conversations. If you’d like to read more, you may purchase a copy here.
When considering how to find a financial advisor, there are various methods people employ. However, I recommend finding someone who adds a personal touch to their work. After all, money is about much more than dollars and cents. It’s about our family, it’s about our first experiences with money, it’s about our life values, and it’s about the conversations we do or do not have with the people who influence our saving, investing, sharing, and spending. These conversations are key, but they don’t always turn into “big conversations” because money remains a taboo subject.
I’ve always believed that my job as a financial advisor is to help my clients to have these conversations so they can make the best financial decisions – ones that align with their goals and their values. This means getting to know my clients and how they think about money, both individually and as a couple.
If you want to develop a financial plan that goes beyond dollars and cents, and fits your personal needs and wants, the following steps offer guidance on how to find a financial advisor who will provide a personal touch.
Use These Tips to Consider When it May Be Appropriate for You to Retire
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 14 December 2020
The following article is based on the content covered in my book, Flourish Financially: Values, Transitions, and Big Conversations. If you’d like to read more, you may purchase a copy here.
Retirement is an exciting topic, but it can also be fraught with uncertainty, given the fact that many people will face a long retirement period of thirty years or more. When is the right moment to retire? What is the best retirement timeline for you? Unfortunately, there are no simple answers to these questions.
While many factors need to come together to make a cohesive and sustainable long-term plan, the biggest concern most people face is the fear of making financial decisions based on emotion. Here are some tips for decreasing retirement anxiety and increasing clarity on the road to sound retirement planning, including answering that very important question of “when.”
Tips for Transitioning to a Kid-Free Home
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 30 November 2020
The following article is based on the content covered in my book, Flourish Financially: Values, Transitions, and Big Conversations. If you’d like to read more, you may purchase a copy here.
When your children leave home to start their own lives as adults, the transition to having an empty house can be challenging. It can also be very exciting! Similar to retirement, divorce, or any life transition, the range of emotions can vary, and how you manage your time, feelings, finances, and relationships through the transition can have an impact on your well-being and lifestyle.
If you’re a new empty-nester or will be soon, it’s good to begin preparing for the changes you’ll experience. Read on for three tips to help you navigate this new phase of life.
How Forethought and Planning Can Give You the Retirement of Your Dreams
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 09 November 2020
The following article is based on the content covered in my book, Flourish Financially: Values, Transitions, and Big Conversations. If you’d like to read more, you may purchase a copy here.
The great retirement paradox is that there is so much time, and yet so very little of it. Yes, we are living longer, healthier lives, yet at some point, it will come to an end. So, what do we do with this new chapter of life that may last another twenty or thirty years? While that thirty-year horizon is full of possibilities, it can also be daunting and full of questions: Did I save enough? How will I spend my time? Where will I live? What kind of legacy will I leave?
Answering these questions will help you begin to identify your ideal retirement lifestyle and shed light on what steps you need to take to build it.
Strategies for moving through your current life transition
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 19 October 2020
The following article is based on the content covered in my book, Flourish Financially: Values, Transitions, and Big Conversations. If you’d like to read more, you may purchase a copy here.
In our line of work, we meet and help many people who are in the midst of experiencing big changes in their career, family, or lifestyle. We refer to these changes as life transitions, and they come in many forms. Whether your transition is due to the sale of a business, the loss of a spouse, a painful divorce, the receipt of an inheritance, or a combination of several transitions, it is often a difficult and challenging time that leads to much stress.
Below, we’ll discuss three ways to successfully move through a difficult transition, as well as six coping mechanisms to help you manage that inevitable transitional stress.
