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When you were a child or young adult, there's a good chance that one of the major lessons you learned from a parent is the value of a dollar. As you get old enough to start managing your own bills and other living expenses, it's important to set your own financial goals to help protect your future. Budget Your Money In my days as a financial advisor, I found most people who claimed to be broke, weren't broke at all, they had a broken budget. Creating a budget will help you to identify where your money goes after you receive your paycheck. It will take a few months to get a comfortable average, but once you identify how much money you need for each bill during the month, you can start to eliminate the money drains that often cost you throughout the year. You will also have a good idea of what is left over after paying the necessities. All work and no play can lead to a very dull life, though. If possible, try to set aside a small amount each month so that you can enjoy yourself. Even if it's only $10 dollars to see a movie, think of it as a reward for staying on track.

As an executive, it’s likely that you’re feeling the pressure of putting together an estate plan. Because of the unique way you may be compensated as an executive, there are details to identify that not everyone else needs to focus on. Your accumulation of assets is more than likely in a variety of contexts including real estate, private equity or taxable investment accounts. Because these forms of wealth often come with complexities when transferring finances to your beneficiaries, it’s important to make a conscious effort to disperse your wealth properly.

Voluntourism is a trend in traveling that doesn’t seem to be leaving us anytime soon. And as you’re planning your next solo adventure or trip with the family, you may want to consider choosing destinations based on the volunteer opportunities they provide. Below we’ve provided a closer look at what exactly voluntourism is and what you need to know before choosing to participate in volunteering abroad.

Wondering if you’re best prepared for the upcoming giving season? Ready or not, before you know it, the holidays will be here and in order to minimize stress and maximize your charitable gifting abilities, it’s important to keep in mind a few details that you may or may not be aware. If you’re not sure how your finances match up with your upcoming year-end giving strategy, now is the time to prepare yourself by making your lists and checking them twice. Organization and planning ahead are keys in order to properly give this holiday season. Follow the five tips below to maximize your charitable giving strategy in 2019

Last week you read about how to trick yourself into saving money. Trick #3 was find a personal budget software app to simplify the important step of getting a handle on your budget so you can find out how much you can really be saving or where you need to reduce your spending so you can save. Problems with spending vs saving isn’t a new issue in America by any means. In fact, the stats have stayed fairly similar since 2009. But the good news is, today’s savvy savers are leveraging top software applications to help keep their family’s money on track. Here are the top five personal budget software apps you can begin taking advantage of today.

The stats don’t lie - Americans have trouble saving. The federal reserve’s 2017 Economic Well-Being of American Households report shed some eyeopening light on our current state. Approximately 40 percent of Americans would not be able to cover an unexpected $400 expense without either selling something or borrowing money.1 While that number is actually an improvement from 50 percent of adults in 2013, it still shows that saving where we can will help out a lot in the event of that dreaded car issue, dental expense or the multitude of unexpected costs that tend to be inevitable. But the problem is, spending is easier (and often more gratifying in the short term). The best way to save more? Trick yourself using one of these hacks...