I’m obsessed. The concepts of debt elimination and realignment of financial goals we developed as a result of the Financial Crisis has become an obsession for me - on one critical point that drives the train for almost everything else. That point is simple to state: Do not allow [...]
There are a number of questions I get asked about Credit Cards – but the two most common are, “What if they take away my Available Credit?” and “What about my Credit Score?” Let’s tackle both of these. The “Available Credit” question stems from a combination of two concerns. [...]
This is a loaded question. The answer is, "However long you have waited, you have waited the longest time you can!"I will state the obvious to anyone who is 55+ years and wishes they would have begun planning for retirement much earlier. With that knowledge, the answer is simple, “You [...]
I like this title --- it prompts you to fill in rest of the clause. There are innumerable “fill ins” and I will leave you to think about them. Instead, I will share the one that prompted this Blast. Over the last six weeks, I contracted one of those [...]
Yes, don’t ya just love James Brown? Beyond feeling “hot” in this heat wave, I’m feeling good. The other day, I bumped into Bob (I changed his name), a client who I had not seen for a while. Back in 2015, Bob was saddled with $85,000 of credit card [...]
Are we heading toward a recession, given the dismal job growth number for May? Or - will a recession result due to tariffs on Mexican products and the looming trade war with China? These are legitimate questions we hear everyday. Here is my take. If you have too much [...]
Have you heard of the “Gangster Loan?” My guess is you have not. The “Gangster Loan” is the name given by a client of ours that took out one of those business loans you hear and see advertised on radio and TV. The gist of the deal is “We [...]
At first blush, capping the permissible interest rate on Credit Card debt at 15% and allowing the States the right to make the permissible rate lower sounds like a good thing. This is the genesis of the Loan Shark Prevention Act introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie [...]
Oh, come on. Redoing my estate plan sounds about as exciting as purchasing tires! Well – it just happens that tires are a perfect analogy. No one wants to buy tires – it is a necessity that occurs when the tread reaches a dangerous level – leaving your tires [...]
Clients often ask me this question and I always ask myself the same question. Sometimes it is in the employment context. Should I accept the offer or ask for more money? In this case, my advice is usually, “Go ahead and ask.” My reasoning is that if they have [...]
