Big Banks

November 2018 International Trade

By: Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA

A quick guide for spending with intent, being present and having meaningful conversations with those you love.

It feels like the period of thankfulness and thoughtfulness brought on by a Thanksgiving feast is getting shorter every year. Black Friday looms large, ready to bombard us with shopping and deals. Consumption once again saddles in and takes precedence. In 2017, on Thanksgiving Day, online revenue grew by 28%. [i] If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed at the thought of another year of maxing out credit cards and rushing into the bargain-hunting fray to fight it out for the perfect gift item that no one really needs, then read on. For those who want a little more thankfulness and thoughtfulness this holiday season, I will discuss five ways to promote and nurture gratitude through the holidays and beyond.

A lot of people have fantasized about suddenly striking it rich. They imagine that a financial windfall – inheriting a fortune from a distant relative, collecting royalties for a best-selling novel, or even winning the lottery – would make all their dreams come true.

By: Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA

Once thought to be the exclusive arena of the ultra-wealthy, charitable giving has become a national phenomenon across all tax brackets and households. In fact, charitable giving surged to a record high of over $400 billion in 2017 alone, and Individual giving accounts for the majority of those donations. [i]

Philanthropy and giving are not only good for the charities and organizations receiving the donations, but for the givers themselves. Research has shown that charitable giving can help you feel better, improve life satisfaction and even activate the reward centers of your brain. [ii]

While some of us are spenders, others savers, most of us fall somewhere in between.  Can you account for where your cash goes, or do you frequently find yourself wondering exactly where your money goes each month? The good news is that there are a lot of things you can do to save money starting today.

Here are just a few of them.

Most professionals say boredom and bad culture are reasons for looking