Top 10 Blogs of the Year! {Which was your Favorite?}

Top Financial Blogs of 2019

It’s been another year (and a labor of love) of successfully writing 52 unique blogs. Since I know you’ve read them all, you can attest that some certainly were better than others. In the spirit of reflecting, I thought I’d summarize my top 10. Maybe it’ll give you an opportunity to catch some of the ones you’ve missed as you curl up around the fireplace during these cold months ahead.

• The Life Lesson Learned from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel– This one made my list not only because I just got done watching the fabulous season 3, but also because it hit home. I really try to provide my clients and readers some form of escapist reality. I also like promoting living life to its fullest. This article focused on the importance of unplugging and getting away on a vacation once and awhile.

• Our Parents Affect Our Relationship With Money– This was a fun one to write, as it got to the root of our relationship with money. It also spotlighted the many ways we help shape our kids’ relationship with money from a very young age.

• My 3 Financial Guilty Pleasures– I got a lot of feedback on this article, which is always a sign of success for me. This one spoke about my personal idiosyncrasies with finances. Did you relate to any? Or do you have ones that make you truly unique? Regardless, I’d love to still hear about them.
• Finding Your Passion– This blog was a powerful one for me. It’s critical to think of what we truly enjoy (your passion) and how to go about living a life full of that passion. The alternative is letting life run us and getting consumed with work.

• What I Learned From People in Bad Financial Shape– In this one, I talk about the critical life lessons learned from those who have been dealt a bad hand. I have a unique perspective in that I’ve seen both great and horrible planning/finances. You learn as much from your failures as your successes, right? Well, this article gives some great lessons to all!

• The 10 Big Retirement Mistakes to Avoid– Retirement can be an exciting, but also terrifying time in your life. Here I give 10 big items to check off before retiring. This is great for all ages and also a good one to share with friends you know who are looking at retiring themselves.

• Irregular Regular Expenses– I use this catch phrase with clients all the time. It summarizes the disconnect between what we think we spend and what we actually spend. We often forget about these pesky little expenses, but they’re critical to capture in planning. If we don’t capture them, they can lead to poor or inaccurate financial planning/modeling results.

• When to Bring Your Children Into Your Finances– I always love writing about family, finances, and bringing multiple generations into one conversation. This piece speaks to the delicate balance of getting your children involved in your finances at the right time and at what level. Spoiler alert–there is no one size fits all answer!
• Stages of Retirement– I tease my partner Kyle Hill about this all the time. Not because he is the “old man” of the bunch and closest to retiring, but because of his favorite saying. (If you don’t know or recall his saying, check out the article again.) This also gives a fairly realistic depiction of the 3 stages to a typical retirement.

• To Lease or Not Lease Your Car (Part 1 & Part 2)– Double whammy alert! I get this question all the time and thought this would be great to write about. I’ve had many clients refer to this blog, as it tackles the difficult decision about buying or leasing a car. (An aside little insight into Andrew Rosen, the Double Whammy is my children’s favorite “mocktail.” When we’re at the R Bar–which is found in my basement–I make them my world famous Double Whammy. Don’t worry, it’s half orange soda and half sprite with a little bit of grenadine and a cherry. The kids love it!)

• *Bonus Blog*- The Fulfillment Challenge– This was my favorite blog of the year. I gave it a distinct accolade as it gets to the core of what we try to do with clients. Not only do we want to help make smart financial decisions, but we want to get you to the core of what makes you fulfilled. If we can connect with each and every client on this level, we have a real chance to change lives.

That’s a wrap

Alright folks, after a nice little break over the holidays I’m coming back charged and ready for 52 more blogs. I truly hope you enjoy them all and please keep the feedback coming; it all helps me improve.

Here is to a great 2020 for us all!