By the time I was 25 years old, I was almost $50,000 in debt. At 25 I had amassed an annual salary worth of debt. I know you may be thinking, “That sounds about right because you went to college.” But what if I told you, it was not from student loans? I went to college on a four-year Army ROTC scholarship. So how could I walk away from college paid for and end up with a degree’s worth of consumer debt? Good question. This article will be in two parts. In Part I, I discuss how I got into this mess and why it was bound to happen. Part II will discuss how to avoid this mistake in your life and if ..read more

If only we could turn back the hands of time and start over with our money decisions, we would.  But we can’t. What we can do is make better decisions today and inform the next generation. This way they can make the right money moves early and often. I was reading a Facebook post recently that asked people, based on what they know now, what they would tell their younger selves about money. The responses were pretty good so I thought I would share. Money Management It doesn’t matter how much you make if you do not know how to manage it.  I 100 percent agree with this advice. And this ..read more

Money is energy, and it flows towards a path of least resistance. But most of us do not learn this growing up. Based on your experiences, you have established certain beliefs about money. Specifically, you learn beliefs on the purpose of money, how to earn it, how to spend it, and how to invest it. Some people learn to associate money with the hustle and hard work while others believe that money flows to them easily and effortlessly. Whether these beliefs come from your family, the media, or friends, these ideas create a money path that many unconsciously follow. Based on the statistics of 64 ..read more

I recently watched a YouTube video that proclaimed that one habit will reveal how a person performs in life. The video’s point was to state that how you do one thing, is typically how you do all things. You heard that right. How you do one thing, is how you do all things. It does not seem that way, but if you step back and observe your behavior, you may have to admit that it may be true for your life. Habits, the small things done over time will lead to a result. That is why your habits must align with the results that you desire because regardless, there will be a result. Since habits will le ..read more

Many people look forward to the day that they can retire from work. On average Americans typically retire around age 62. But while most people retire around this age, it really has nothing to do with age. It’s about income. Yes, some employers stipulate an age to be eligible to receive a pension, but this is not the only way to retire. Back in 1992, authors Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez introduced the concept of aligning your values with your money to become financially independent. In their book, Your Money or Your Life, the authors challenged readers to determine how much was enough to susta ..read more

Everybody can appreciate an accountable person. Accountability is a skill that is highly desired at work and in relationships. It builds trust, improves performance, and instills confidence that what was promised will be fulfilled. You understand the importance of being accountable to others. You may have heard the phrase, “Your word is your bond.” This means that if you tell someone you are going to do something, you follow through. In the book, The Four Agreements, the third rule is to Be Impeccable With Your Words. Often, people will be more accountable to others than they would be to thems ..read more

Spring is recognized as the season of renewal and new beginnings. This is a perfect time to clear out the old and welcome in the new. Over the winter months, stuff may have accumulated in your space and the clutter is taking over. Where there is clutter, there is also confusion. While many focus on removing the physical clutter, this is also the perfect time to clean up your money as well. When your money is cluttered and unorganized, it is a sign of overwhelm and stress. And overwhelm and stress stops you from building wealth.  Now is the time to release the financial stress, bad habits ..read more

One of the first lessons we learn about money is that it is used to buy things. We quickly learn that money is a means to get what you want. While part of that is true, many people did not get the lesson that money can be used to build wealth. By the time you realize that there is another purpose for money, you have already experienced the ‘buy whatever I want” philosophy. If that is not your story, it was definitely mine. Top Money Mistakes I Made In My 20s Spending money is a part of everyday life. Since every person must participate, it is a wonder why we do not learn how to spend money the ..read more

If you want a significant change in your life, it usually starts with making one fundamental decision. This one decision can dramatically transform your current results.  Even what seems to be a small decision can have a significant impact if practiced consistently over time. This same logic applies to your finances as well. One simple decision can turn your finances around from living paycheck to paycheck to building wealth. That one decision is to practice spending intentionally. Spending and Building Wealth Making and spending money is a part of life. There is no way around it. To live ..read more

According to the IRS, over 33 million people have processed their tax returns by mid-February 2022. The average refund check is $3,500. Many people look forward to receiving this lump sum of money every year. Receiving a tax refund may appear to be a good deal, but for most taxpayers, it is an interest-free loan to the government. But for some people, the benefits of receiving a refund check may outweigh the short-term loan. For instance, some people may not want to risk owing the government money at the end of the year. Or they may prefer to have this lump sum at one time. Personal finance is ..read more