By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Tuesday, 31 October 2017
Disasters can strike with little notice. Some are the product of mother nature, such as Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria, along with the horrible fires in California. Others, like the recent Equifax breach, are man-made. While these disasters may seem to have little in common, what they share is the personal and financial devastation left in their wake. The hurricanes devastated many homes and lives. In Hurricane Harvey alone, early estimates indicate that 230,000 homes were damaged and almost 13,000 of them were destroyed. The physical damage inflicted by Harvey was enormous, but the emotional fallout for all those directly impacted is harder to quantify. Losing your home, possessions and peace-of-mind is an unfathomable experience. While homes can be repaired and rebuilt, items such as old family photos and heirlooms are priceless and irreplaceable. The Equifax breach impacted the personal data of over 4.6 million consumers, leaving those affected fearing fraud and identity theft. Dire concerns about the health of your financial future can produce much anxiety, which only adds to the stress of a recent disaster. Both disasters left millions feeling afraid and vulnerable. Although it is always difficult to minimize the burden of stress and increase feelings of confidence and security after a disaster, being proactive and putting an emergency readiness plan into place before one strikes is invaluable.
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Friday, 29 September 2017
One day your life looks a certain way. You have goals, some are lofty and some are reasonable. You have a pretty decent plan for how your life is going now and how it will go in the future. You are content and comfortable with the life you have laid out before you.
When your life changes instantaneously from a financial windfall the impact can take a toll on you, both emotionally and physically. Depending on the circumstances of how you came into sudden money, the range of emotions can vary from elation to confusion to grief to guilt.
The choices that you make during this transition can impact your life for a long time. It is often making those decisions that can come to be the most difficult part of a sudden money transition. Based on our experiences working with clients that have gone through this transition, we want to share some insights into how people can successfully manage their emotions and finances in the wake of a financial windfall.
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Friday, 08 September 2017
It is said that change is the only constant. While that proverb can be confusing to people experiencing relative stability in their lives, it is the constant change and lack of certainty that can bring people in the middle of a major life transition to their knees. Transition and change are two very different things, and while one will never stop occurring (change), the other (transition) can feel in the moment like there may never be a light at the end of the tunnel.
One major life transition that impacts approximately half of all families, divorce, is one of the most challenging and stressful life events that a person can experience. The impact is emotional, psychological, physical and financial. The experience of having nearly every single aspect of your life changed is powerful and can take a toll on your will power and decision making skills. Divorce is also extremely challenging because, by its very nature, it is not something most of us typically plan for.
