Finances

Photo Credit Gretchen Ertl for The New York Times
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

College Essays and Graduation
College Essays and Graduation 2048 1363 Donna Skeels Cygan
Ron Lieber wrote a great article for his Your Money article in the New York Times on 5/10/14 titled Four Stand-Out College Essays about Money. http://ow.ly/wHHze. Four high school seniors are featured, and their essays are thought-provoking. What resonated most with me was the caption for a photo of Andy Duehren and his father, David. [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Bicycles, Descansos, and New Mexico
Bicycles, Descansos, and New Mexico 1632 1224 Donna Skeels Cygan
New Mexico is an incredibly beautiful state with mountains, gorgeous vistas, and plenty of sunshine. No wonder there are lots of bicyclists who want to enjoy the scenery. Albuquerque has built many miles of bike lanes, trying to encourage a healthy lifestyle. Sadly, there are far too many “ghost bikes” throughout the community. These are [...]read more
Don’t Trust Corporate Earnings!
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Don’t Trust Corporate Earnings!
Don’t Trust Corporate Earnings! 1600 1200 Donna Skeels Cygan
Lately, there have been a slew of positive corporate earnings from the first quarter of 2014. These are encouraging, leading many to be optimistic that our economy is strong. Yet, I do not trust the corporate earnings. My mistrust is not because I think the financial executives are fraudulent, making up figures to put on [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Delia Ephron and Me
Delia Ephron and Me 325 225 Donna Skeels Cygan
While writing my book, The Joy of Financial Security (published November 2013; available on Amazon and in bookstores nationwide), I had to fight to keep personal stories in the book. A few stories were from my childhood and others were from my financial planning clients. Some editors and reviewers envisioned the book as a financial [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Simplify Your Financial Life, Part 3
Simplify Your Financial Life, Part 3 1024 683 Donna Skeels Cygan
There are many other ways to simplify your financial life beyond organizing your files. Consider simplifying your lifestyle and reducing your spending. You may significantly reduce your budget by not buying new clothing, and that money can be redirected into savings and investments. Instead of buying a new car, decide to stretch your car to [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Simplify Your Financial Life, Part 2
Simplify Your Financial Life, Part 2 800 600 Donna Skeels Cygan
Are your investment accounts scattered? Do you have accounts at three different banks and four different brokerage firms? Or, do you have three different 401k accounts or IRAs from previous employers? People who are great savers often respond to offers to open accounts at different banks and brokerage firms. With accounts at different places, it [...]read more
  • 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

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

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