Summer’s a quiet time for financial planners. Lots of clients worry about money in January after setting New Year’s resolutions, or in April when taxes are due. For now, everyone’s going on vacation! But summer is a great time to learn about personal finance. You’ve got time to fill on long flights, after all! And when you head into the winter and start thinking about what goals you’d like to set … [Read more...] about Personal Finance Blogs and Podcasts to Add to Your List
Saving and Investing
529 Plans and How to Save for Your Child’s College Education
At Gen Y Planning, we work with a lot of clients that are thinking about having kids in the next few years, or already have young children. As you can imagine, I get asked about saving for college a lot. With the cost of college going up about 5% a year, today’s newborns can expect their bachelor's degree to cost nearly half a million dollars if they go to a private school, and nearly $200,000 for … [Read more...] about 529 Plans and How to Save for Your Child’s College Education
4 Legal Ways to Lower Your Tax Bill
By now, you might have completed your tax returns for 2016 … and for some of you, the joy of getting your taxes out of the way is lessened by how much you owe the IRS. If it makes you feel any better, a big tax bill is a sign you made a lot of money last year! But I know that coughing up a few thousand bucks in the next few weeks is a pretty crappy way to celebrate your success. What if I told … [Read more...] about 4 Legal Ways to Lower Your Tax Bill
17 Quick & Dirty Money Moves You Can Make in 2017
It’s a new year, and you are pumped to make some changes to your finances. Only you don’t know where to start and you’re afraid to make a mistake. You’ll totally get around to it, though … once you’re done with a bunch of other chores you just remembered you had to do right now. I know. It’s easier to wrap your head around a to-do list item like “mop bathroom floor” than the one that says “start … [Read more...] about 17 Quick & Dirty Money Moves You Can Make in 2017
You’re 30 — Stop Doing What You Did in College
I’m a big fan of automating your finances as a way to grow your wealth. After about 30 minutes of set-up, your money is whisked into different accounts, and you’re less tempted to spend your savings because you don’t really see that money. But every year (or whenever you experience a big life change like getting married, having a kid, getting divorced, or getting a big raise), you should reassess … [Read more...] about You’re 30 — Stop Doing What You Did in College
Why Millennial Women Need to Invest, Even If We Don’t Think We’re Ready
When it comes to investing, women still lag behind men in terms of getting started and that means we miss out on years of compound interest. Investing is important because it allows your savings to grow considerably more than they would if you kept all of your money in a savings account. A recent survey by the investing app Stash found that a whopping 85% of Millennial women don’t invest! Why not? … [Read more...] about Why Millennial Women Need to Invest, Even If We Don’t Think We’re Ready