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What are you waiting for?

December 8, 2014 by

Procrastination. It is soooo human. It is sooo seductive. If we  just put something off, we feel like we don’t have to stress about it. But, if we delay, dawdle, postpone, ignore, we actually deceive ourselves.

Why? Procrastination is magic. It is based on illusion. 

Illusion?

Yes. Because  you think that it costs you nothing to drag your feet.

But procrastination is amazingly costly!!!!!!

The longer you wait, the more you lose. The longer you dawdle, the more you squander your self respect.

This is especially true if you put off focusing on your money and its role in your future. The longer you wait to take steps to improve your finances, the more money you lose.

Good news. If you stop procrastinating, you could have your money working for you. Your Hot Flash Stash of Cash could be building up for you.

Bad news. If you continue procrastinating, for instance ignoring your credit card debt, you will squander amazing amounts of your money on interest payments and fees.

Sooooooo………….Stop procrastinating. Start to take control.

If you, yourself,  can’t get past the seduction of delay, (and can’t DIY within a month of reading this), consult a professional.

Conferring with a professional should not be a strange idea. After all, you turn to a professional to cut and style your hair, or paint your toenails. You go to  a professional to take care of your teeth…….So, if you don’t floss daily, that dental professional can help you, no matter how challenging the problem.

Your money challenges, right there on your procrastination list, can be deftly handled by a trained, experienced professional.  S/he can clarify what you need to do, give you a set of steps to take, and support you while you get you get your finances under control. And s/he can help you with that huge challenge– having enough money to pay for everything you need for the rest of your very long life. If you want the dignity and self respect that financial security brings, it is time to consult a professional.

So what are you waiting for?

 

Filed Under: debt reduction, Divorce and its risks, Hot Flash Stash, Longevity Risk, Motivate you to ACT!, Vulnerability, Widows, women and money Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Mistakes?

November 29, 2013 by

Sally Krawcheck wrote a great piece recently. I have to bring her wisdom to you.

She begins with a few  “misjudgments” we women might make. Now I am sure each of you is….perfect. But just in case you are a bit more human, and so may occasionally err (like I do), I thought I would list a few here.

This list starts with a few the mistakes that wives/partners often make. One or two might seem a  little “retro.” Read them anyway, making sure you have not done these things, because you trust a partner too much, or  think you do not have enough time, or will never face a crisis like divorce or the death of a partner.

1. Letting your husband or partner manage the money, without getting involved.

2.  Signing a joint tax return without reading it.  

As a woman in the 21st century, you need to know how much money you hold as an individual, how much he/she holds and how much you both hold jointly in accounts. You need to know where the money is stashed, how it is managed, and if it is managed or mismanaged. You also need to be able to discern whether your partner is hiding money or misdeeds from your  (like maintaining “another woman” or engaging in some nefarious and illegal activity) and doing so with your money and risking your good name.

You also need to know how much money your partner/husband earns. That dollar amount is written right there on the front page of the the tax return, and the W-2 slips that you need to provide to the IRS. If your partner earns a substantial amount, you need to concern yourself with the ways in which this money is spent or retained to increase your joint financial security. Does your partner/spouse share income with you? Do you each hold accounts in your names, and/or joint accounts? Or does he (or she) hold it all in his/her name?  Are there provisions made for loss, such as a death? Are there steps taken to make sure you will not be left penniless? And if you  have children, what has been done to provide for them, as heirs or orphans.

This becomes important whether you are dependent upon your partner for an income, or if you both earn a living. You need to make good decisions about the income you both earn. Why? In the 21st century, one of you is likely to lose a job, at some point–due to corporate restructuring, downsizing, mergers & acquisitions, etc. So you need to deploy your income while you each work to make sure you have an emergency fund (to tide you through job losses). And you  have to make certain you are saving enough cash from each paycheck and investing it in case of a long term loss of income, a disability or loss of your partner.

Let me offer you a third one on her insightful list. 

3. Making decisions about staying at home, versus retaining employment after you have children (or care for an ill parent, in-law etc.) without calculating the long term impact on your career and your family’s income, is a lapse.

Why consider this? Once you leave the workforce you are less likely to return to a position of equal status and income.  History has shown that women’s income is often only 77% of that of a man. Some argue that this lower pay is a function of our movement out of and back into the workforce. So, why not think this decision through, with the aid of a spreadsheet? Run some scenarios about the dates of your  return to the workforce. Make sure you calculate best case and worst case scenarios and then run a scenario for something in between these two.

These are just 3 of the “The Top 10 Financial Mistakes Women Make” according to Ms. Krawchek. I promise to offer you a few more in subsequent posts.

Filed Under: Budget, Divorce and its risks, Hot Flash Stash, Income, Invest, List of Assets, Motivate you to ACT!, Net Worth, Stay at home, Vulnerability, Widows Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Hot off the presses!

August 9, 2013 by

Here it is! Your very own paperback version of  Hot Flash Financial!

It is a grown up version of the website. No actually it is a development of the Hot Flash Financial approach. Yes it retains the hot flash method– laugh while you learn. And it offers clear explanations of complex issues, plus a set of STEPs to follow, STEPs you can rely on, if you want to increase your financial security.

So why buy a copy?HFF cover

The more you  know, the more control you will feel. Your stress about money will start to melt away, because you will know what you are doing with your money, and how. That is the best way that you can improve your future.

And, by the way, it is cheap. Your $15 investment will pay back a thousand fold!

So, hit the link to  buy your paperback copy  “and get one today!!!!” (as they shamelessly say on TV)

You will be glad you did.

 

Filed Under: Financial Plan, Hot Flash Stash, Housing decisions, Income, Income, List of Assets, List of Income and Assets, middle age, Motivate you to ACT!, Retirement, Risk, Save money, Social Security, Tools, Widows, women and money Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Open those envelopes

January 17, 2013 by

It’s that time again. When important envelopes come flying into your mailbox. These envelopes usually have BOLD text on the front that say something like

 IMPORTANT TAX DOCUMENT ENCLOSED.

What do you usually do with those envelopes? Just pile them up?

Aren’t you just the least bit curious about that important  information?

Why not do something different this year?  After all, you are older and wiser now.

Sooooooo

OPEN THE ENVELOPES!

READ THE FORMS!

Then file them in a  careful TAX file, so you can start getting more organized about your money.

In addition, your clever organization will help you get ready for taxes, early. And maybe file early so you get your refund early!


Those are some good reasons to open them and read them. So let’s tell you what to expect and why you should read them.

In January, here are 2 kinds of documents that come in the mail. The first set of envelopes hold statements that tell you how much money you (and/or your partner) made last year. The second set, usually 1099 forms, tell you how much you earned in dividends or interest, and provide other information.

Focus on the first set of envelopes. There are thick ones, and very thin ones.

  • The thin envelopes hold forms called W-2 (forms).  A W-2 tells you  how much money you (or your partner) earned last year.
    • When you see a W-2, look for Box 1. It lists WAGES, TIPS AND OTHER COMPENSATION. What is the dollar amount? That’s your “gross” or total income. The amount that you get paid before all the benefits and taxes are taken out. That is a good number to know. And, it is an important tax document. You will need it to fill out your income tax documents and send it to the IRS. So put it into your new Tax File.
  • The thick envelopes tell you how much money you hold in your retirement accounts, and other accounts at banks and investment houses. These are year-end statements. So grab them, and read them so you know how much money you held in each account on December 31 of last year. Then go one better. Add this information to a list, your List of Assets. (See the Tools menu for the template you can use.) Make this a New Year’s Ritual. Every year, write down how much money you hold in each and every account. Then add up the total. This total  is another important number to know.

Now let’s look at the second set of envelopes. They generally come from Banks or other financial institutions . They tend to hold forms called 1099s.

  • A 1099 form tells you how much interest (1099-INT) or dividends (1099-DIV) you earned in each and every account that you hold. There are also 1099-R forms and 5498 forms that list IRA accounts, and contributions made to retirement accounts.

While these forms may seem boring, they actually can help you understand a lot about your money. Let’s say you don’t remember how many accounts you or your partner holds. Well, these forms remind you. Each one lists the name of a bank or financial institution that holds your account your partner’s. And it tells you

    •  the type of account (like savings, or investment or retirement)  held at that Bank
    • the account number
    • and the name of the person, or persons who own the account and control the money in it.

So if you forgot to include 1 or 2 accounts in your List of Assets, these 1099 forms can remind you of their existence. After all, Hot Flash Financial wants you to keep track of every account that holds your hard earned money. So pile all of these 1099 forms into your Tax file, and use these forms to cross-check your holdings.

If you find more accounts, add them to your List of Assets. Then track down the total dollar amounts held in each and write it on your List of Assets.  When you add up your total balance, you will really be happy to see value of your assets grow!

So watch for these envelopes. Open them up and read them. Use them to update your List of Assets.That way you will  know how much money you have. And, you can get organized for tax time.

You will be glad you did.

———————–

If you get all your tax documents organized you can file your income taxes early. THAT MEANS YOU CAN GET YOUR REFUND EARLY!!!!

Filed Under: List of Assets, Motivate you to ACT!, New Year's Resolution, Tax Refund, Tax time, women and money Tagged With: , , , , , ,

A new tradition

January 6, 2013 by

Let’s start a new “tradition.”  (Humor me. I was trained as an anthropologist. We anthropologists  love rituals.) Let’s call it a Hot Flash Financial Tradition.

What is this tradition? First it, is a ritual that occurs around new years. How do you do it?  Every year, you revise your List of Assets to reflect the December 31, 2012 balances. After you have the year end balances, you add up the total. Then do the really smart, Hot Flash Financial thing– Celebrate what you did right. And use your new List of Assets to make some decisions to improve your financial security next year.

If you have not developed your own personal List of Assets, create your first one today. (Go to the Tools Tab and select List of Assets.)  You take the same steps as someone who has a List of Assets.

Here are the steps you can use to follow the ritual. Go on-line to access every one of your retirement accounts, as well as investment and savings accounts. If you already  created your list of assets, add a column and mark it December 31, 2012. Input the dollar values for the last day of the year for every one of your account balances.  Then add the dollar values all up to get a Total. Now, do what comes naturally. Find out if your retirement account balances are higher than last year.

The next part of the  Hot Flash Financial Tradition is crucial: figure out what you did right! Also figure out what needs to be improved.

What you did right:

  • If you added more money to your retirement accounts, the total should be higher.
  • If you were invested  in stocks (or stock mutual funds) your balances may be as much as 10% -13% higher. (The S & P 500 booked a 13% increase over last year, 2012. If you invested a portion of your portfolio in Bonds, you may not be as high. But you got stability or less crazy fluctuations in your account values. Why? you reduced your risk by investing in bonds. Reducing risk has a cost. But it also has a strong plus–it allows you to sleep better at night.)

This is the most fun of this ritual. Pat yourself on the back and celebrate what you did right!!!!!

If you added money to your retirement account, but the increase did not meet your expectations, figure out why.

What you could improve in the future:

  • Did you add enough money to your retirement account  to make the total budge?
  •  Are there other reasons for the shortfall in your expectations about your retirement account balances, and your overall Hot Flash Stash of Cash?
    • Did you decide to save for the future, but you deposited that money into a savings account instead of your retirement investment account(s)? A savings account probably gave you about 1% return in 2012  By contrast, the stock market gave about 10%-13% in the same year. Did you make the right decision, saving in a savings account rather than a retirement account? What will you do in the next 12 months? Invest in your retirement account or in a savings account?
    • Savings accounts are nice. They reduce the risk that you will lose the money you deposited. But remember there is a “risk-return” trade off. If you take on more risk–investing in the stock market, you are likely to get more return. (In this case, the return in 2012 [and most years] would have been positive, although the market did move up and down a lot during the year. While the dollar amounts fluctuated, over the long term, in this case a year,  you were ahead.) If you take less risk–investing in a savings account–you are likely to get a lower return. Lower risk is often correlated (as we say in the biz) with lower return.

Your handy- dandy List of Assets becomes a really important reference point.  It also enables you, no actually empowers you to make some important decisions and improve your financial security. Your decisions can increase the number of things you do that are right over the next few years. So you can celebrate more. 

After celebrating, take a closer look at your List of Assets to figure out what you can do to increase your own, personal financial security in the coming 12 months.

Since we can’t shut up, we will suggest you do 2 things.

  1. Increase the amount of money you deposit in your retirement account. Increase it by 1%. And, if you can, work toward increasing your contributions, over the next year or 2 or 3, to deposit the maximum legally allowed.
  2. Decide if you are comfortable with a bit more risk. If so, invest a greater portion of your retirement savings  in the stock and bond markets, for the long term. If not, stick with savings accounts.

Make this  Hot Flash Financial tradition, your tradition  every first week in January. That way, you have more control. You have the knowledge of what you have done well. And you can take the steps you need to take to improve your financial security over the long term.

Filed Under: Health Risks, List of Assets, List of Income and Assets, middle age, Motivate you to ACT!, New Year's Resolution, Track Spending, Track spending, women and money Tagged With: , , , , ,

Want to win $50,000?

June 19, 2012 by

Get into the running for the Grand Prize of the Retirement Trivia Game!

Yes, you can win, but only if you take that important step, and start to learn about your finances and your future. Yup! You have to learn about things like social security, and creating a retirement budget. That means you  just have to find out about things that you will need to know in your future. Not a bad use of your time.

Trivia? Well it is the stuff you will be talking  about on the phone with your girlfriend, or other close person, when you reach a “certain age.” In this game, you will probably have to know precisely, what that age is for, let’s say, registering for MediCare.

How can you do this? It is free. Just take some time to learn more about retirement, on the AARP website. They have a lot of good resources that help you with retirement planning. These resources complement the Hot Flash Financial site pretty well. (So you won’t have to start from scratch.)

So what are you waiting for?

  • Click on this Link to enter the Retirement Trivia Game.
  • Read the information available, and push the red GET STARTED button.

Than win that $50,000 and add it to your Hot Flash Stash of Retirement Cash.  Brag about it on our Hot Flash Financial site (use the comments below).

 

Filed Under: Retirement Tagged With: , , , ,

Play on the internet and learn more

May 9, 2012 by

There are some really intriguing tool kits out there on the internet. They help us at  Hot Flash Financial help you  learn more, and get more control over your money and your future. So you  can become more financially secure. 

We like to recommend the sites developed by non-profits and research organizations, if not the U.S. government. They tend to be free, and they do not try to sell you anything.

Today’s recommendation: Take a look at NEFE’s (National Endowment for Financial Education) newly designed site. Be sure to explore the section called My Retirement Paycheck. This toolkit  helps you think about the kinds of  challenges you face, and the decisions you will need to make over the next 20-30+ years.

Take Social Security. We at Hot Flash  Financial encourage you to make a careful decision about the date you start your Social Security Benefits. Why, because you have more control than you probably thought you did. And Social Security is an very important part of most women’s income after age 65. So your decision about the age you start to take your benefits will have a very big  impact on your financial security. Social Security lets you decide to start to receive monthly checks when you are age 70, 66 or 62, or anywhere in between.

Why would you want to wait until age 70? Well NEFE points out that you will get a lot more dollars in your monthly benefit if you wait. How much more money? Oh, about 75% more than you would if you started at age 62. (That is almost, but not quite double the amount. So if you got $1,000 a nmonth at age 62, you would get $1,750 a month if you waited until age 70 to start your social security benefits. Now that might be worth waiting for.)

There are other really important  issues to consider. And NEFE puts them right up there for you to consider. What will be the best decisions to make about the money in your   retirement plan? What can you do about  medical insurance. What should you consider when you think about your home and  your mortgage? Pay it off? Or sell your home and downsize so you can take  the equity (or gain) and use it for income?

We at Hot Flash Financial encourage you to check out this site.  They have a format someone like ours. Ask yourself a question, and then get answers, right on the site.

So click around the web page devoted to retirement and your retirement paycheck. You will be glad you did.

Comment below so we can see what you think.

Filed Under: Housing decisions, Income, Motivate you to ACT!, Pension income, women and money Tagged With: , , , ,

What will motivate you? A bargain?

March 27, 2012 by

Are you one of those girls who wants to get something for free, or at least 20% off.

Well, have we got a bargain for you!

Hot Flash Financial’s 3 step Financial Plan to improve your money situation and your future. Hot Flash Financial offers a major breakthrough. Unlike competitors who offer just one method, we eliminate the discomfort of having too little money when you are 85.

Hot Flash Financial easily removes Money Stress. It is GREAT for any woman with, or without, Hot Flashes.

 

What’s more,  Hot Flash Financial is Absolutely  Free!!! (for more than 30 days).

But Wait! If you click right now, we will give you very professional advice to improve your money situation today and in the future. 
  Advice that you probably know you should follow.
If you click on this site now, we will give you 8 Questions at no additional cost. And we will give you some hints to help you formulate your answers.Then, we will give you the steps you can take to make your life better. You will see the results in 6 weeks or more.
So click on this site now!
You can Buy One and Get one FREE. That way you Girlfriend  can start TODAY!
Who else will give you such important information that will improve your life, while not asking for money from you? Your hairdresser wants to be paid for his/her time. So does the manicurist and pedicurist, your masseuse, doctor, dentist, ….. you name it. 
We at Hot Flash Financial don’t demand cash nor credit to “make your life better.” Take advantage of our offer.”
Filed Under: Financial Plan, middle age, Motivate you to ACT!, Uncategorized, women and money Tagged With: , , , , , ,

What will motivate you? Your personality?

March 4, 2012 by

Are you  conscientious, emotionally stable, agreeable, an extrovert, who is open to experience?

If so, researchers say that you are likely to be, or  become more financially secure.

Here is a link to a summary of findings at the great  Boston College site.

 

But what if you are not all those things?

What if, somehow you lack one of those great Girl Scout personality traits? You raised your hand and took the pledge, but you knew, deep down inside that you were, well…… human.

Well, we love you here at Hot Flash Financial. We accept you and think you just have to follow the steps we give you! You’ll do fine.

 

Here at Hot Flash Financial we don’t  believe that anyone can be “perfect.”  In fact, we know we are imperfect. After all, we have hot flashes, don’t we?  We believe we have to have a sense of humor about these things. So read about  Using Laughter as a Weapon. It is a crucial part of the Hot Flash improvement plan for Your Financial Security.

So  join us.

Write a comment.

Click around this site.

And get your best friends to read the blogs, write comments and use laughter as a weapon with you. After all, Hot Flash Financial wants you to enjoy a future shared with good friends, and other loved ones, rich with laughter, as well as financial security. So bring the girls in, and start sharing the laughter now!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Financial Plan, middle age, Motivate you to ACT!, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

What will motivate you?

February 27, 2012 by

We want you to take yourself seriously. We think you are worth it. So we are going to encourage you to take some time for yourself, and some money for yourself. So you can improve your finances and your future.

We are going to start with a series of blogs that ask you a question? What will motivate you to act in your own self interest? To improve your control over money and your future?

We are going to ask a lot of different questions. We recognize that there is diversity out there. We women have different backgrounds and perspectives, as well as different challenges. Some of us are younger, with hot flashes on the horizon. Others are older, with the heat and frantic fanning a distant memory. Some of us are married, some divorced or widowed and some have never, ever married. There are so  many differences that not all of us can be moved to action with the same set of words.

So read these blogs and focus on the Motivation issue that hits home for you. Is it

  • fear, or a
  • concern you will be a burden to your children? Is it
  • lack of knowledge? Is it that
  • you  have never been employed and relied on your partner for income? Is it that
  • you and your partner argue a lot about money and so you are rightly concerned about opening a Pandora’s box? Is it that you have
  • run into real trouble in the Great Recession–you may be unemployed, and/or your house is worth a lot less than your mortgage, or worse?
  • all of the above or some of the above?
Read our blogs. Comment on them. Click around on our sit. Tell your friends about us. Get them to click around the site too. Get them to join you as you ASK our questions and try to develop ANSWERS. Then ACT! to improve your control over your money and your future.

 

Filed Under: middle age, Motivate you to ACT!, women and money Tagged With: , , , ,