Category: MARKET

How often have you found yourself making impulsive decisions about your investments based on headlines or peer pressure? Maybe you’ve even shifted your entire asset allocation because of these emotions.  If this sounds familiar, you’re far from alone.  Carl Richards, in his groundbreaking book “The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money,” taps into this pervasive psychology, breaking it down for us in layman’s terms. Richards coined the term “Behavior Gap” to […]

Socratic Questioning and Guided Imagery In our previous blog, we discussed how cognitive distortions can influence your decision-making, emotions, and, ultimately, your financial well-being. In this one, we’re diving deeper into specific techniques that can help you combat these distortions: Socratic Questioning and Guided Imagery. These tools not only help in mental health but can also be applied to reframe how you approach your financial life. Socratic Questioning: Unearthing Financial Illusions If you ever took a […]

The emotional toll of losing a loved one leaves us unprepared for the logistical labyrinth that follows: the administration of their estate. Navigating this complex process can feel like a second loss, rife with hidden costs, legal hurdles, and unexpected delays. With the insights from this blog, you’ll be better equipped to navigate these challenges. Understanding the Legal Framework First and foremost, get familiar with your jurisdiction’s laws governing estate administration. These laws set the guidelines […]

Debt can be overwhelming, often feeling like a never-ending battle against numbers that just won’t budge. It’s not just your bank balance that takes a hit; it’s your mental well-being, too. If you’ve been struggling with the emotional and psychological toll of financial instability, you’re not alone—and there’s hope. In the upcoming blogs, we’re going to integrate powerful cognitive tools like Socratic Questioning and Guided Imagery with actionable financial advice. Our goal? To help you reclaim […]

It’s fascinating to see how the world of financial planning is evolving. Today, more than ever, there’s a growing acknowledgement of the role psychology plays in our financial lives. A prominent voice in this field is Dr. Brad Klontz, a clinical psychologist who’s been shining a light on what he calls our “money scripts”. Imagine you’re at a social gathering, and the topic of money comes up. Do you jump in eagerly or shy away? Do […]

Navigating the world of personal finance is often as much about effective communication as it is about understanding the technicalities. Whether you’re conversing with a financial advisor, a spouse, or even yourself, how you communicate about money matters a great deal.  How we discuss and perceive our financial circumstances can significantly affect our decision-making, emotional well-being, and overall financial health. Understanding the role of communication in our financial lives begins with observing our personal communication styles. […]

The financial world can be complex, teeming with jargon, concepts, and strategies that can bewilder even the most diligent among us. One aspect of navigating this labyrinth that often gets overlooked is the importance of having an accountability partner who can offer support, challenge you, and help you stay on course with your financial goals. Essentially, an accountability partner understands your financial goals, shares your commitment to achieving them, and is prepared to provide honest feedback […]

We all know that the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. Even after we’ve gone, taxes are still levied against our estate. The more money we make, the more money the taxman looks to take. Tax can be a serious stumbling block in our financial mindset, especially when we think about all the ways in which we are taxed, where that money goes and how it is ultimately invested into our community, whether […]

“Remember the past, plan for the future, but live for today, because yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come.” The best time to live is in the present. It’s easy to get lost in a daydream of how life could have been different or how good life used to be. It’s equally easy to succumb to the speculative dreaming of what might happen in the future. Believing in a better future is hope, and being […]

As financial planning conversations deepen and explore more value, we find ourselves moving from the empirical to the emotional, from processes to perceptions and from products to people. It’s an enlightening journey that takes us away from numbers and allows us to reflect and reconstruct our future planning approach. But, it’s also extremely challenging as we find questions we can’t easily answer; but, that’s still healthier than having answers we can’t question! This point of reflection […]