Empowered Planning Blog

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

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 31^st.

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...

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....

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...

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...

Is now a good time to buy a home?

Will real estate prices continue to climb?

How much should I spend on a mortgage?

I tackle these questions and more in this video training on the current real estate environment. 

I sit down with real estate agent Jenifer J. to talk about how we can mentally and emotionally prepare for the home buying process in this wacky real estate market. She gives us great tips for navigating the housing market in 2021.

A year ago, I wouldn’t have guessed that we would be impacted by the pandemic in such a dramatic way. We have been challenged in ways we couldn’t imagine and a lot of growth has come alongside this journey. So where do we go from here? Here are 3 tips you can use to make sure you can practice financial wellness going into the next few months.

• Raise Financial Awareness – Whether you have money on your mind all the time or it’s an afterthought, I want to invite you to simply be aware of your spending. In general, spending during lockdown has decreased because we’re not grabbing grub at our favorite spots and travel has been almost non-existent. If you have kids, all the extra’s have been put on hold. As stimulus checks flow in and karate classes and your favorite brewery opens up, do a pause before you swipe. Trust me, I want to eat out and not do the dishes for the millionth time and I’m ready to jet set but spending blindly can be...

The pandemic has more women leaving the workforce than men. As women are faced with the impossible choice of career over family, we are in what is now being called the SheCession. Learn what we can do to prevent losing decades of progress for working women.