finance

  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Weekly column to review financial, investment topics
Weekly column to review financial, investment topics 500 302 Donna Skeels Cygan
This month I will be posting a series of articles that were published on the Albuquerque Journal. These articles will explore the relationship between money and happiness. This week's topic covers the stock market. The first quarter of 2016 felt like a roller coaster for many investors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average began a downward [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Experiences, not things, create happy memories
Experiences, not things, create happy memories 644 364 Donna Skeels Cygan
This month I will be posting a series of articles that were published on the Albuquerque Journal. These articles will explore the relationship between money and happiness. This weeks topic covers how spending money (with intention) can make you happier. Psychologist Daniel Gilbert said, “Money itself doesn’t make you happy. What can make you happy [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

Nature’s Surprises
Nature’s Surprises 956 850 Donna Skeels Cygan
Nature is full of surprises. Sometimes, Mother Nature reminds us that she has tremendous power, such as when a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake strike. Fortunately, in most cases, the surprises from nature are much more subtle, such as wildflowers blanketing a meadow a few days after a storm in New Mexico. Or, hummingbirds flitting about [...]read more
  • Donna Skeels Cygan

The Psychology of Vacation Overspending: How to Rein it in This Summer
The Psychology of Vacation Overspending: How to Rein it in This Summer 540 300 Donna Skeels Cygan
It happens every summer. You book a vacation at some pricey locale—depending on your circumstances, “pricey” could mean Europe, Disney World, or perhaps an oceanfront hotel room—and you wait anxiously for your time in Paradise to arrive. Meanwhile, you make your flight reservations and  buy some new clothes. You search the Internet for great restaurants [...]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 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
  • 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

Reframing Leads to Powerful Changes in Your Financial Security
Reframing Leads to Powerful Changes in Your Financial Security 150 150 Donna Skeels Cygan
Reframing applies to your attitude about money. If you know that you have a serious problem—always trying to keep up with the Joneses—you can deliberately work to change your perspective. Rather than lusting over the new car in your neighbor’s driveway, think about the positive lessons you are teaching your children about living within your [...]read more

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

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