Take these steps to create a strategy for lasting financial health
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Wednesday, 27 October 2021
When you consider your overall health, you probably take stock of your physical health and mental health. You may even think in terms of spiritual health. However, how often do you factor your financial health into the equation of your overall well-being?
According to a recent article from CNN, seventy-three percent of Americans are stressed about their finances. When it comes to younger generations, including Millennials and Gen Z, that stress level increases above eighty percent.
Financial health is a critical component of your overall health. By taking a proactive approach to your finances, increasing your financial literacy, and committing to some consistent habits, you can achieve financial success. Use the 10 ingredients below to create a recipe for financial success in your life.
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.
10 Steps That Can Make All the Difference in 2021
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Friday, 15 January 2021
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.
How would you describe your level of financial confidence? One thing I have noticed in my line of work is just how many people find it difficult to talk about money. A lack of financial confidence can have a variety of root causes. Some people still consider money a taboo subject, some suffer from numerophobia,, others find it overwhelming or stressful, and still, others want to discuss it but feel silly asking questions they believe they should already know the answers to. Regardless of the origin, a lack of financial confidence is a roadblock on your path to accomplishing your goals.
If you want to feel more financially confident in the new year, follow the ten steps below and take control of your financial outlook for 2021.
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.
It's Important to Consider Financial Matters Before Making this Big Decision
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 24 August 2020
If you’ve got a teen thinking about college, chances are they’re more focused on details like dorm room size and meal plan options than the cost of tuition and fees. Of course, you want your kids to choose a college experience that they’re excited about, but it’s important to remember the financial impact, too. If you’ll be helping with college costs, you certainly have a stake in the discussion. If your child will be relying on student loans, start a conversation about the realities of debt so that they truly understand how much college costs could affect them many years after graduation. While cost certainly isn’t the only factor to consider when choosing a college, it’s not one that can be ignored either.
