The Joy of Financial Security

Articles by the Author
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Simplify Your Life, Simplify Your Finances
Simplify Your Life, Simplify Your Finances 1024 683 Donna Skeels Cygan
When it comes to happiness, less is more Simplifying your life may include many different factors. It may be de-cluttering your house or office. It may involve getting rid of some responsibilities that are causing you stress. It may require that you stop being a perfectionist. It might mean saying “no” when people ask you [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Giving Back Your Time
Giving Back Your Time 1023 682 Donna Skeels Cygan
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Dalai Lama You can give back in different ways, including volunteering your time and talents or making charitable gifts of money. Both involve being compassionate toward others. Often, people derive a strong sense of purpose from their volunteer [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Giving Back Financially
Giving Back Financially 1024 680 Donna Skeels Cygan
“Money is like manure; it’s not worth a thing unless it is spread around.” - Brooke Astor, philanthropist One of my clients, whom I’ll call Beth, told me that she had given away $40,000 the year before, and that it gave her great joy to do so. She is not wealthy by most standards, but [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

How Much Are You Saving?
How Much Are You Saving? 1024 613 Donna Skeels Cygan
Do you think people with high incomes are wealthier than people with average incomes? This is a myth that needs to be dispelled. Many people have extremely high incomes, but their net worth does not reflect the high income. The key is not how much you earn, but how much you save. The amount you [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Strategies to Increase Your Savings Percentage
Strategies to Increase Your Savings Percentage 1024 881 Donna Skeels Cygan
If you didn’t save anything last year, strive to save at least 10 percent this year. If you saved 10 percent, strive to increase it to 15 percent or 20 percent this year. Increasing your savings usually comes from two sources. Either you increase your income (possibly by taking on a second part-time job if [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Neuroscience and “How Your Brain is Wired,” Part 3
Neuroscience and “How Your Brain is Wired,” Part 3 1024 683 Donna Skeels Cygan
This is Part 3 of a series titled “Neuroscience: How Our Brains and Wired.” Part 1 described that the two major parts of the brain that are involved in financial decisions are the amygdala (which controls our emotions such as fear, greed, impulsive behavior, and cravings) and the prefrontal cortex (where rational thinking and logical [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Neuroscience and “How Your Brain is Wired”, Part 2
Neuroscience and “How Your Brain is Wired”, Part 2 0 0 Donna Skeels Cygan
This is the second part in a series on Neuroscience. The first blog entry discussed that the two major parts of our brain that are involved in financial decisions are the amygdala (where emotions such as fear, greed, and impulsive behavior originate) and the prefrontal cortex (where rational decision making and logical thinking reside). So [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Neuroscience and “How Your Brain is Wired” Part 1
Neuroscience and “How Your Brain is Wired” Part 1 620 388 Donna Skeels Cygan
Neuroscience is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a branch of the life sciences that deals with the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, or molecular biology of nerves and nervous tissue and especially with their relation to behavior and learning.” A much shorter definition is simply the study of the brain. Although neuroscience originally resided within the field of [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Big Ticket Items to “Fast Forward” Your Savings Percentage
Big Ticket Items to “Fast Forward” Your Savings Percentage 1024 710 Donna Skeels Cygan
Although money does not buy happiness, it does impact our happiness. Having money can provide us with the freedom to live our lives the way we choose. Once we determine what makes us happy, we can then design our money to support our personal goals. In my book, many topics are discussed that can increase [...]read more
Money Messages Learned as a Child
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Money Messages You Learned as a Child
Money Messages You Learned as a Child 1024 683 Donna Skeels Cygan
What did you learn about money? During our childhoods we received messages about money, and they are deeply ingrained in our behavior as adults. Taking the time to reflect on the money messages you learned as a child will help provide perspective on how you manage your money now. Money is often considered to be [...]read more

© 2024 Donna Skeels Cygan, CFP®, MBA, Author of The Joy of Financial Security and Sage Choices.

Enter your
text here