Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Financial Organizing”
Nearly one in eight American taxpayers file for a tax extension. That’s about 19 million taxpayers. Are you one of them? If so, be sure to put October 17 on your calendar. It’s your new tax day. I also suggest you keep plugging away now (and perhaps reaching out for assistance from a financial organizer / personal money manager) …
It’s challenging to get people to sit down and create a will (no surprise that over half the adult population is without one). Lack of time and focus, fear, even superstition get in the way. I am not an attorney: I clearly leave will-writing (and all other legal work) to those professionals. As a financial organizer / daily money manager …
Want to make up for that lost Daylight Savings hour? Here are four simple Personal Money Manager™ paper-organizing timesavers to the rescue! Choose one or more to keep papers under control. Rest assured that all have been field-tested with my senior clients. Some tips are “one and done” (like #1), while others take maintenance. I encourage clients who are so …
What is an “Owner’s Manual” for a household? A few months ago, I wrote here about creating an Owners Manual with essential contacts, financial, and household information in one easy-to-access place. So what do I mean by an Owner’s Manual? Start by reading that short blog post. I create custom Owner’s Manuals for clients (and keep them up-to-date). But whether …
It’s not an easy lesson. And I learned it the hard way…. One spring evening in London, I went to hear Robert Bly recite his poetry. He had won the National Book Award for Poetry in the US a few years earlier in 1967, yet the audience was small. Afterwards, we all went to the local pub for a pint. …
The CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) changed the tax benefit of charitable giving in a big way. For the first time, you do not have to itemize to get a partial deduction for cash contributions. To encourage more charitable giving in 2020, single or joint filers could claim a $300 “above-the-line” write-off on their tax returns. …
Remember when we were taught “the magic word”? That word was “please”. And it opened doors. We were also taught two other magical words: “Thank you.” At the start of this grinding pandemic, new attention was paid to those on the front lines—in healthcare, government offices, and the supermarket. Even those at the other end of the phone—to answer our …
No two Personal Money Manager™ clients are alike. But one thing they do have in common is that they each have an Owner’s Manual—though they didn’t have one before we met! What is an “Owner’s Manual” for a household? While some clients have an abundance of files and filing cabinets and many have lists in their heads, they all benefit …
My writing inspiration this month comes from two different childhood sources. One was Writers at Work, a book my Mom gave me with interviews with authors about their lives. (Mom wanted me to become a writer, and I chose Personal Money Manager™ with a blog). The other was a memorable sermon one Shabbat morning. They both had the same theme: …
I learned as an insurance broker and disaster recovery planner to consider worst case scenarios. It helped me design air-tight insurance programs and risk management procedures for my clients. We reduced uncertainty and everyone could sleep better at night! In those days, my focus was on risks such as forklifts, deep fryers, and youthful drivers. As the State Farm ad …