Category: Financial Planning

My readers have spoken! Both have asked whether I would post again. I must apologize, but my absence was not without merit. During these last few weeks I’ve accomplished quite a bit:

• I made a few changes to my will. (Remember: You can only change it while you’re alive.)
• We took a family vacation to the beach and returned with the same amount of dependents as we left with. (They’re more than dependents, of course. They’re also cheap labor sources.)
• I pressure-washed my deck and replaced a few ailing boards. Funny how a few steps forward can change your impression of the larger task at hand. Those new boards gave me the “umph” I needed to get the rest of the deck in order. And that, now, has led to a wonderful environment for the entire family. And it all started with that first board.
• Oh, and I also taught a class on financial stewardship to a group of 15 to 17 year olds.

Okay. Call me a cynic, but I’ve never been one to put my faith in prognostications made by people who read cards, roll chicken bones, or who answer to the name Dionne Warwick. So how I stumbled upon my horoscope today is beyond me. Just curious, I guess. And for all us Tauruses, our horoscope declares,

“…it’s important for you to think deeply about your current financial situation. Go through paperwork, and make sure you know what’s happening…If you aren’t certain what to do for the best, pick the brains of a financial whizz, such as a bank manager or a clued-up friend.”

Let’s see what we really have here for the ol’ bull…

My set up:

So my 7 year-old runs up to his mother and says, “Mommy, I know what I want for my birthday.” “And what would that be, Callahan?” she asked. Confident in his reply, he stated, “I want one of those cards with a horse on it that you give to people and then they give you stuff…and then they give you the card back.” Hmm…turns out he was referring to our credit card. And from his perspective and life experience, this is the coolest thing ever! We give someone a card, we get whatever we want, and then we get the card back to use again…and again. What a deal. He doesn’t know, bless his sweet heart, of the possible dangers lurking in this type of transaction. Problem is, some folks much his senior don’t know them either. Not until it’s too late.