A few weeks ago, we did an episode called Five Steps to Start Your Financial Plan. Well, this episode covers the first topic in those 5 steps in further detail. Cash flow planning is the solution to the "Budgeting" problems that people face when trying to get a better idea of where their money goes. It's all about creating a plan that works for you, that you can stick to. 

Questions? Tweet me @15MinuteFA or Email [email protected]

Typically, we encourage people to get started investing as soon as possible. But it's important to cover the basic elements of financial planning. It's really simple, but not always easy. There are always exceptions, of course, but once you've met your most basic financial planning needs of spending less than you make, getting out of debt, and having some extra cash for emergencies, you can invest fearlessly. 

Questions? Tweet me @15MinuteFA

Echoing last week's encouragement to get started planning, the follow-up this week is all about having a strategy. The two go hand-in-hand. When you look at your retirement savings, are you excited? Are you stressed? When you think of all the things you'll have to pay for in the future, do you get anxiety or lose sleep? The antidote is a strategy that works for YOU. It's all about doing what is right for you, and nobody else. 

Questions? Tweet me @15MinuteFA

Getting started on your own financial plan is a great way to start your New Year on the right track. In the first episode of 2019, we cover 5 steps (plus a bonus) with actionable ideas so you can start your own financial plan. The steps are: Cash Flow Planning, Risk Management, Financial Independence, Tax Planning and Investment Planning. 

The Bonus is a quick thought on estate planning and wills. 

You control money, or money controls you.

Questions? Tweet me @15MinuteFA

Equity compensation can be confusing, from terminology to tax-treatment, award dates and vesting schedules, it's critically important to know what you have so you can make a plan to maximize these resources. In this episode, we cover the basics including a brief overview of RSU's and Incentive Stock Options. We will probably cover each type in-depth in future episodes. If you have questions, reach out to your stock plan administrator or plan provider. 

Questions: Tweet me @15MinuteFA

New York Times best-selling author Dr. Daniel Crosby and I share a conversation about investor behavior, toilets, rap music and hummus. At this point we know THAT our mind can wreak havoc on our investment strategies. Dr. Crosby, in his new book, The Behavioral Investor, gives us tactics we can USE to combat some of the cognitive biases that make investing more difficult. 

Questions? Tweet me @15MinuteFA

It was an honor to spend some time chatting with Pete Matthew. Pete is the host of the Meaningful Money podcast, video series, and a new book called the Meaningful Money Handbook. His show was the inspiration for mine, and in our conversation, we talk about tax advantaged savings vehicles in the UK and the US, and some time-honored money strategies that work no matter where you are in the world. Plus, Pete has a great accent!

Learn about Pete at Meaningfulmoney.tv 

Questions? Tweet me @15MinuteFA

Nobody likes investments that lose money, but markets go up and go down. With that gyration in the markets, the investments that make up a portfolio may find themselves in negative territory. Investors may realize these losses to counteract any gains they may have realized earlier in the year, or gains they may realize later in the year. In this week's episode we look at some things to be aware of when determining whether tax loss harvesting is the right strategy for you.

Questions? Tweet me @15MinuteFA

The majority of American adults have a credit score, but many don't know how it's calculated, what factors affect their score, and who controls the data. In this week's episode, we cover some facts and some common misconceptions about credit scores. 

Questions? Tweet me @15MinuteFA

This episode came from a FB Live I did recently. I break down what I call worthless debt, or debt that is used to buy something that typically goes down in value. And, non-worthless debt, or debt that is used to buy something that typically goes up in value. 

The episode points out a few questions you should ask yourself when you're considering taking on debt to make a purchase. 

Questions? Tweet @15MinuteFA