Empowered Planning Blog

Preparing to Pay Your Taxes as a Business Owner or Gig Economy Worker

Nov 07, 2023

Or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Episode Summary:

We have about two months left in the year, which is crazy to say, but as we're gearing towards the end of 2023, I'm starting to get a lot of questions around taxes if you have a side hustle, if you're part of the gig economy, if you started freelancing, or if this is your first year as an entrepreneur. There is a lot of unknown in this area for most people, this can lead to a bit of panic but rest assured you have time to figure it all out if you start to be proactive today! In fact, I believe now is the perfect time to start planning for your taxes because you're getting yourself ahead of the holiday season, which can be an expensive time of year. So dive in with me as I walk you through steps you can take today to feel more confident about filing your taxes come the new year!

Topics:

  • The most important things to keep in mind as you prepare to file your taxes for 2023
  • Why Shinobu believes the first thing you...
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The 6 Most Common Money Blind Spots (and how to overcome them!)

Nov 01, 2023

Or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Episode Summary:

Last week on the podcast, we talked about how to unpack all of the money baggage that we essentially got through our childhood and growing up, so if you haven’t listened to that episode, go do that now! This week I want to take things a step further and talk about the six most common money blind spots, as I call them, that tend to show up in our lives. Money blind spots are beliefs or thoughts that obstruct the way that we view money in our lives. In this episode, I want to try to normalize this for you because we have all of these voices in our head that we interact with throughout the day that can prevent us from moving forward in our lives if we don't really address them. My hope is that you’ll listen to this episode and leave with actionable steps you can take to heal your money blind spots to become more confident in your financial decision making!

Topics:

  • How Shinobu identifies money blind...
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Unpacking Your Money Baggage

Oct 23, 2023

Or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Episode Summary:

Everyone’s money culture in their home is unique and it creates different perceptions and behaviors that they take with them as they grow older. This is the same culture that creates big emotions that arise when you have to create big financial decisions. So what do you do with those feelings? That’s what I want to talk about today – unpacking your money baggage. I’ll share a little bit about my own money story and how it affected me, then I’ll move into the different forms of fear that come up around money and how to overcome them. Then, stay tuned for next week when I’ll cover the six money blind spots that are commonly showing up in many people's lives! 

Topics:

  • Shinobu’s own money story and how this informed her financial decisions as an adult

  • The different ways that Shinobu has seen people think about money 

  • What heuristics are and the role that they...

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Inflation: What it is and how to combat it

Oct 18, 2023

Or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Episode Summary:

Today I want to talk to you about a really hot topic: INFLATION. The high levels of inflation that we're facing have been putting a dent in everybody's wallets, so today I want to talk to you about four money moves you should be making with your money during these high inflation times. I’ll also share two tips to consider when thinking about your cash because there are ways to take advantage of this high interest rate environment that we are also in at the same time. But even before I get into these tips and start thinking about strategies for you, I want to talk to you a little bit about what exactly inflation is and why we care and what we should expect going forward. I hope this episode helps you feel more confident and hopeful.

Topics:

  • What exactly inflation is, the different things that minimize or increase inflation, and how this can affect our day to day 
  • The impact that the pandemic and low...
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3 Steps to Feeling More in Control of Your Finances

Oct 18, 2023

Listen In:

 Or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Episode Summary:

Hello and welcome to the Empowered Planning Podcast, Honest Financial Conversations for the Modern Woman! This podcast has been a long time coming for me and I finally took the leap to bring you a space to have open, honest conversations about money and investing. I've been in the financial industry for over 15 years, both as a financial planner turned educator and coach. Because the financial markets and the economy are fluid, they are forever changing, this really impacts how we spend our money, how we invest our money. With this, I always consider myself a student first and I want to share with you what I learn along the way and take that research, the data that's out there, kind of weed through all the noise and really help you put those into practice.

In this first episode of the podcast, I want to give you a backdrop of how as women we got to where we are with our money and then provide you with...

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Repost of Forbes Article: 10 Authors That Will Make You Rethink Small Decisions

Jul 15, 2021

I was stoked to receive this incredible shoutout from Forbes. The article highlights that through my book, Investing Is Your Superpower, your small decisions matter. 

I often find that people discount what they're able to accomplish today because it pails in comparison to their desired end result. Let's flip the switch on that thinking. Any small change that you implement today will have big impact on your future financial goals and ultimately your lifestyle. 

Find full article here:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/serenitygibbons/2021/06/22/10-authors-that-will-make-you-rethink-small-decisions/?sh=5a48dc9f7009

 

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Revenge Spending: 5 Tips To Live By

Jul 08, 2021
 

As Americans are vaccinated and stepping onto the scene, revenge spending is hopping into the front row! What exactly is revenge spending? It’s the desire or urge to overspend to make up for the loss of 2020. Personal savings rates hit an all time high last year but I’ve suddenly been dining out more and packages keep arriving at my doorstep. I want to share 5 ways to tackle revenge spending because you are not alone!

1. Set a savings goal from now until December 31st.

Commit to a dollar amount or percentage of your income but commit! If you are intentionally saving it’ll be easier to curb your appetite for spending.

2. Separate savings from spending. 

Have separate accounts for your savings goals and even your fun spending money. I have an account for all vacations. I put money in there throughout the year so I have a bucket of fun money to pull from. As I pay for plane tickets or hotels, it comes out of this account. When the balance gets low or to zero then...

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3 Wacky & Weird Post-Pandemic Impacts On Your Money

Jul 01, 2021
 

As we dust off our margarita glasses + shop for new flip flops, the breadcrumbs left behind by the global pandemic are all around us. I want to share these 3 Weird + Wacky ways our money is being impacted today. 

#1: Used car prices are up over 30% as compared to last year. Why?

-Stimulus checks + low interest rates + going back to in-person working pushed upgrading a vehicle to the top of many lists. 

-Disruptions to supply chains and chip manufactures due to Covid-19 have just about halted new car production.

Keep in mind, if you're looking to upgrade your car, you may want to hold off until prices normalize. On the other hand, if you have a car in good shape but lost your daily commute because of permanent remote working you may not find a better time to sell your car!

 

#2: Turn key homes are selling for a HUGE premium. Why? 

-Construction costs (labor + materials) are higher than ever. Lumber + steel costs have shot up as much as 50% throughout the country....

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Cryptocurrency Craze: Top 3 Must Know’s Before You Buy

Jun 24, 2021
 

Cryptocurrency has been making headlines in every news outlet around the globe. These eye grabbing headlines have investors scratching their heads asking, “Should I invest in Cryptocurrency?”. 

 

The short answer: Only invest what you can afford to lose. 

 

This is not the same tune I sing when I talk about investing in the stock market. The stock market has been around for hundreds of years and is flooded with regulation.  Before you jump head first into cryptocurrency trading, check out these top 3 must know’s!

 

  1. Uncertainty, Uncertainty, Uncertainty

The high price swings you see in cryptocurrency trading is a reflection of how many unknowns still exist in this space. The financial industry hasn’t exactly agreed on how to categorize cryptocurrency. For example, is it actually a currency like the dollar? Or is it a commodity like gold? Then there’s the question from the IRS. They want to share in the high profits but...

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What This 101 yd Pioneer Taught Me

May 06, 2021

In 1942 she received her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan

 She was one of the first females to graduate from University of Michigan’s College of Engineering

In 1941 she was the first Michigan woman to receive an honorary associate membership from Tau Beta Pi. They were a MALE-ONLY organization and women weren’t granted full membership until 1969.

 Her requests to visit the oil fields while working for Shell Chemical Company were denied again and again because women weren’t allowed on the fields in those days.

 AFTER she raised 4 children she earned a Master’s degree in Mathematics from Western Michigan University with a specialty in computer science.

She taught computer science for 14 years at Western Michigan University during the second half of her career.

At 100 years old, she threw herself a Centennial Ball because she was a competitive ballroom dancer. Yep, you read that right!

She is my...

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