financial planning

The stock market is already a little crazy this week. Is a storm coming? Let’s take a look at what’s driving markets right now. (Scroll to the end if you just want my takeaways.) A few things are driving the […]

Headlines are looking grim again, so let’s pause and take stock.

Why are the headlines terrible?

Because the media loves drama. This is not news to you or me or anyone who pays attention. The 24-hour news cycle is there to whip up emotions and keep us glued to the latest “BREAKING NEWS.”

Financial security won’t happen by accident, and it won’t happen overnight. Just as businesses have quarterly goals, annual revenue targets, and five-year business plans, you need to approach your life with a long-term strategy made up of a series of short-term actions and goals.

You could say that personal finance is a scientific art. On the one hand, it is about money and math. On the other, it’s about values, goals, and self-control. It’s easy to say that the key to financial security is to spend less than you make. Surely, subtracting a smaller spending number from your larger income number will result in a remainder which can be saved or invested. But that is not so simple.