As 2020 draws to a close (do I hear a cheer?), here’s something for those who, when it comes to paperwork organizing, would rather listen than read. I had the pleasure of appearing as a guest on the Taxgirl® podcast here. (Shout out to a colleague and loyal newsletter reader who recommended me to Kelly Phillips Erb, aka Taxgirl® .) …
I lost my mom in 2013, though the Alzheimer’s that gradually took her away makes it seem like several years before that. Remembering Mom Spending time with my grown daughters recently, I asked them if they had any “lessons learned” from their grandmother, my Mom. Stories emerged, from her amazing matzoh ball soup to her zany ways of seeing things …
From reporter to financial organizer / daily money manager Before starting Personal Money Manager™ I learned two important lessons from an earlier career as a writer and reporter. First, shut up and listen! If I didn’t have the “who, what, when, where, and why” plus a few good quotes by interview’s end, I was sunk. No story, no scoop. Second lesson: …
I’m Karen R. Caccavo, and I’m a Daily Money Manager (also called a financial organizer). I woke up recently with an earworm that I couldn’t shake. What was the tune stuck in my head? Aha! It was the music on hold for E*Trade! After all, the day before, it was my soundtrack for 45 minutes while waiting for a live …
Are you disorganized? Have you considered investing in assistance from a financial organizer / daily money manager or another type of professional organizer? When weighing the cost of professional services, be sure to put into the equation the cost of NOT getting the help you need. Being disorganized costs you BIG. Surprise! Being disorganized carries a big price tag, in …
“Too organized?” I don’t hear it often from clients or prospective clients who reach out to Personal Money Manager™. But occasionally over the last 12 years I’ve heard: “Maybe I’m too organized.” This stops me in my tracks. After all, if someone is TOO organized why would they be calling me for professional organizing assistance? Clearly, “too organized” (if there …
I’m a financial organizer / daily money manager. I help clients manage their financial paperwork. In my previous career as an insurance broker, I learned the importance of documenting client needs and information, and I use that experience in my work with senior clients. Now more than ever my senior clients need the support of another set of eyes or …
In the middle of tax time in 2020 — my 13th tax season as a financial organizer / daily money manager — I find that working with a client to organize their tax documents and information can provide a great learning experience for both of us.* “Tax time?” you ask. “Hasn’t that been put on hold?” Yes, but while July …
On a hot and sticky August afternoon, I arrived for my appointment as a volunteer Alzheimer’s research participant at the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research (NKI) in Orangeburg, NY. I was going to participate in NKI’s Memory Education and Research Initiative (MERI) Program, a study begun in 2003 to provide both evaluations to members of the community and …
Whether or not you make New Year’s Resolutions, here is a list of fresh ideas (not resolutions!) to inspire you as we enter a new year and new decade. Feel free to pick and choose the ones that appeal to you and edit them to better fit where you are right now. Please let Personal Money ManagerSM know if you …