Ideally, as an artist, I would move through these steps starting as a young artist at the beginning of my career and moving on from there, but you know what they day about planting a tree. The best time to do so was 20 years ago, the second best time is today. Stage One Assess…
It’s only natural to worry about your financial future; the last thing you want is to reach old age and then realise that you don’t have enough money saved up to tide you over through your elderly years. For a bright financial future, the work has to begin today. You won’t reap the rewards unless…
Being a real estate agent is like playing a running game of 20 questions, with the same questions being asked again and again, with slight variances and asked by different folks. Before placing a bid on a house, home buyers are going to want to be sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that they…
As the saying goes, you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family. That is especially true when it comes to your parents. After all, it is the lottery of life which decides which family you are born into. For some, this can be a blessing as they are literally born with a…
Life is all about learning from our experiences. We learn by trial and error, and hopefully by the time we have to make the really tough decisions, we’re able to discern what does and doesn’t work. We don’t only experience our first lessons as children. Every day could lead us to experiencing something new and…
I’ve been working with a pretty awesome 22-year-old assistant the last few weeks on my newest show and I kind of constantly see myself a decade ago reflected in her. We got to talking about IRAs for a minute the other day and she sort of laughed at the notion of having one and all…
Everywhere I turn there seems to be a new BuzzFeed article about bucket lists – especially bucket lists for your 20s, bucket lists for singles, etc. When I was a teenager, someone told me about bucket lists and they seemed like such a cool idea I went ahead and made one – but my bucket…
Many of us have lived in our parents’ houses for at least 18 years, so the opportunity to venture into an independent living situation is a prospect that’s simultaneously terrifying and exciting. People tend to worry about numerous things before they move out on their own, but some of the top concerns are usually related…
It sounds counter intuitive to save money if you plan to buy a house. Because despite the lower amortizations of real estate today, home ownership is still expensive. The maintenance alone is enough to make you broke. But, a house is great investment for people looking into long-term plans. With a house, you have a…
Adulting is hard. Constantly being the boss of yourself is exhausting. Every day is an endless stream of decisions and it would be so much easier at times to have my mom making them for me, like when I was a little kid. Do I start the day with Captain Crunch or oatmeal? I know…
I was visiting two old ship friends last week when one of them asked if I’d ever noticed how noncommittal our generation is, and actually, I had. We were planning to do something and she had sent a friend a text to join us saying: “We’re thinking about doing whatever this afternoon.” While the conversation…
We’ve come to a close here with the Doin’ It By the Decade series and I made my first attempt at an infographic to break down some key points we’ve covered over the last month: Yes, I know my infographics really need some work. All that aside, I hope some of the information has helped…
If you’re in your 60’s, you’ve made it pretty close to that big financial goal of a happy retirement. Hopefully. But whether you are cruising there on easy street or struggle like crazy to catch up and hopefully just retire sometime before you die, here are some pitfalls to avoid in your 60’s. Here’s what…
The 60’s are your home stretch before sliding into retirement (for most people anyway). Some people are playing a fast and furious catch up game with their finances to make that transition and some are coasting to the finish line thanks to 4 decades of good saving habits. 1.) Assess your financial state for retirement.…
You may think people in their 50’s have it all together and don’t make any financial mistakes (I like to hope that anyway, right?), but turns out there are still some decisions that are best not made. Here are some things NOT to do in your 50’s: 1.) Overpay on your mortgage. Lots of…
On to the 50s. I think I’m actually looking forward to this decade. I mean, I rarely meet a 50 year old who doesn’t seem like they’ve at least got some of life figured out. On the flip side, I do not. Financially speaking, at least, I’ll let you folks benefit from my research… if…
The other day we covered some great steps to take to keep you on track with your finances throughout your 40s. Here’s a look at some of the traps it would be wiser to avoid. Here are some things you should NOT do: 1.) Think your debts will sort themselves out later. Seriously. Even social…
1.) Assess your financial state for retirement. Everything I keep reading says 40 is when you hit mid-life (which sounds swell, because mid-life doesn’t sound Over the Hill to me at all). So if you’re rounding the corner on another phase of life, it’s probably a real good time to evaluate your financial achievements. You…
If you’ve reached your 30’s and it is more like The Great Depression. Let’s look at how you may have got here (also check out What NOT to Do in Your 20s). If you’re just starting out this decade (go team early 80s), here is a list of pitfalls to avoid. Here is some helpful…
If you got down and dirty with your finances in your 20’s, you are probably in an entirely different spot than other 30 year olds who are now facing The Great Depression. That point when club hopping, hot shoes and all night benders don’t cut it anymore and they wonder exactly where the heck all…
The other day we covered steps to make your twenties a success. On the flip side, let’s look at some things better avoided today. Personally, looking back, I probably shouldn’t have moved to one of the most expensive cities in America (seriously, it’s #3 on Kiplinger’s list and the average apartment is $2,630/month – which…
Your twenties are pretty awesome, because I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I will ever have as few responsibilities pulling at me for an entire decade ever again. Don’t get me wrong, my income bracket also reflects the whole just starting out thing, but still, it’s easier to make decisions as a…
This September is kicking off my first attempt at a series. I’m going to look at things you should and should not be doing during each decade in effort to prepare myself (and loyal readers – 13 of you guys) for the future. And maybe pat myself on the back a little for making some…