Monday, December 28, 2009

The ONLY New Year’s Resolution You’ll Ever Need

The ONLY New Year’s Resolution You’ll Ever Need



Right about now, hundreds of millions of people in America – and probably another gazillion worldwide – are gearing up for 2010 with their resolutions, ranging from quitting smoking to giving up poor eating habits to stopping overspending and starting to save money to religiously and regularly showing up at the gym. Year in and year out, those are the big 3: quit smoking, lose weight, get on track financially.

I have no doubt that all of these, as well as the countless other resolutions we make, are for good causes, as no one in their right mind would knowingly resolve to do something that harms them.

My point, though, is that ALL RESOLUTIONS ARE A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME WITHOUT DISCIPLINE ALL YEAR ROUND! So to keep it pithy, all you need is DISCIPLINE. If you’ve got discipline, trust me, you won’t need to try to stay in shape or quit smoking for the eighth year in a row, as some are preparing to attempt right about now.

Here’s How I See It

Recognizing that you have “bad” habits is hugely important, because without admission, no problem can be corrected. But the thing you also need to understand is that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING magical will happen at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2009 – or any other year, for that matter. So hurrying up to smoke or eat all you can before midnight on New Year’s Eve and “wishing” without discipline is simply a mind game – that’s why the average New Year’s resolution has a lifespan of about three weeks, to be generous.

However, with DISCIPLINE – which I would unofficially define as “the resolve to be dead serious” – you do not need to wait for December 31 to get started on any change you desire to make. But if starting for the New Year will make things “easier,” that’s OK. On the other hand, you can achieve whatever resolution you set your mind to whenever you set your mind to it, with discipline. So if you run a little short in the discipline department – and, frankly, who doesn’t? – work on that instead of wasting your time and repeating the whole exercise twelve months from now.

If something REALLY needs to be changed or accomplished, why wait until January 1 of next year to start? Honestly, the whole concept of New Year’s resolutions has never made any sense to me at all.

Relax – it’s not my intent to lecture you. I am nowhere near perfect and have my issues, too. My point is simply that if we can switch our focus to DISCIPLINE, instead of one-off resolutions that we will likely break regardless of how good our intentions, things will be a lot easier by the third week of January, every single year.

I think I am beginning to understand why at a speaking engagement the other day, the host introduced me as the in-your-face,-straight-talking-financial guy. Should I apologize for that? Come to think of it, shouldn’t you want your financial professional to be straight-talking?

Look, you’re going to do what you’re going to do. Declare those resolutions if they make you feel better. Then call us at (301) 949-4449 or visit us on the web to schedule your free consultation today! Any year now, I’m confident you will put an end to your financial resolutions, once and for all.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Wishing You a Lovely Christmas


Wishing You a Lovely Christmas

Ho, ho, ho! This is the week you're probably going crazy with last-minute stuff. For some, this is actually the week to start and finish all the holiday errands.


Good luck. Be safe. Enjoy the company of your family and friends.

And remember: we live, we learn, and we give so we can earn true wealth.

Merry Christmas! See you next week.

P.S. For those who've been looking for a reason and/or way to make Christmas more meaningful, here's a little video I just stumbled upon by a group known as Advent Conspiracy. They invite you to ask yourself how spending a little less money can bring a lot more meaning to this season of peace, love, and joy.


If you like this video, I invite you to pass it on. That's how these viral campaigns get their wings!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Three Christmas “Did You Knows” to Make You the Smartest Kid on Your Block

Three Christmas “Did You Knows” to Make You the Smartest Kid on Your Block

I wanted to share three quick, simple, and interesting facts about Christmas: 
  • Did you know that Christmas wasn't a holiday in old America – I mean way-back-when. In fact, Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the country's first Christmas under the new constitution. Christmas wasn’t declared a federal holiday in the United States until June 26, 1870.

  • Any idea how many – real – Christmas trees are sold in the United States each year? Between 30 and 35 million! Christmas trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold.

  • Did you know that Rudolph, “the most famous reindeer of all,” was “born” more than a hundred years after his eight flying counterparts? In 1939, Robert L. May wrote a poem about Rudolph to help lure customers into the Montgomery Wards department store.
You see? I told you it’d be quick – and you’d be the latest Christmas smarty pants! And just so you know, I adapted this information from the History channel.

OK - now you're smart about Christmas. But if you want to get smarter about your finances, that's where we can help! Call us at 301-949-4449 or come see us on the web to schedule your free consultation so that you can get your 2010 started on a smart, proven financial path!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Double-check Those Holiday Shopping Receipts

Double-check Those Holiday Shopping Receipts

As you embark on your holiday shopping expeditions – and afterwards – please pay particular attention to a trend that has been reported by some shoppers. Some people have noticed that additional amounts, ranging from $10 to $40 (at least according to the incidents I have heard about) were included in their final bill as “cash back” they had requested, when in fact they had requested no such money.

Some believe this is part of a new scam whereby unscrupulous employees at some retail chains are taking advantage of busy, unsuspecting shoppers during this hectic time of the year. Others explain these episodes as simply the malfunctioning of the payment processing machines.

Either way, no one should be out by even one cent in this manner – charged for something you did not request, let alone receive. Not to mention that credit card companies usually impose higher interest rates than usual on these types of cash advances.

Yes, it’s easy to get extremely busy, especially during the holiday season – but please, please, please do yourself a huge favor and take a moment to look closely and carefully at those pads, screens, and/or paper receipts before signing them. And also double-check your receipts afterwards just to be sure you paid for exactly what you intended to purchase.

Just remember to move aside while doing this, particularly if there are others in line behind you, because you know what can happen if you hold someone up, right?

Happy shopping, and be safe out there!
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For other smart tips and bits of financial wisdom that will help you make the most of your money, visit our website, or call us for a complimentary consultation at 301-949-4449.