Finances

  • 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
money envelope
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Reduce Your Expenses, Increase Your Savings
Reduce Your Expenses, Increase Your Savings 350 233 Donna Skeels Cygan
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. This post gives tips for reducing expenses. As you reduce your expenses, recognize that the items we spend money on can [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Manage Your Human Capital, Part 2
Manage Your Human Capital, Part 2 1698 1131 Donna Skeels Cygan
The Joy of Financial Security covers many financial topics and many strategies for increasing one’s happiness. In Human Capital, Part 1, I described that human capital involves managing our income stream throughout our career, in a way that allows for consistent savings which can lead to financial security. One of my long-term clients retired from [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Manage Your Human Capital, Part 1
Manage Your Human Capital, Part 1 1698 1131 Donna Skeels Cygan
This is Part 1 of a 2 part series on the topic Human Capital. In financial planning, we focus on financial capital, which is basically money. This includes your investments, how much you save, how much you spend, the growth within your investment accounts, withdrawals during retirement, and many other factors. Another important concept is [...]read more
yellow pie plate
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate
Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate 450 244 Donna Skeels Cygan
The book The Joy of Financial Security covers many financial topics, including estate planning. I encourage my clients to get their finances and legal documents “in good order” so that members of their family or an executor can more easily sort through everything in case of their disability or death. I provide my clients an [...]read more

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

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