MONEY MATTERS with Christopher Hensley

Most people have heard about loaded mutual funds and use caution when considering these sometimes overly expensive investments. When it come to embedded fees or hidden fees many people are not aware of what is being charged within their company retirement plan. The 401 k fee disclosure law will change this by making these fees more transparent. Listen in to learn how to give yourself a raise by si...

The state of working women has been declared, debunked and debated since the days of Rosie the Riveter. The headlines, and the statistics behind them, however, don’t tell the whole story. The truth is, many women today are breadwinners; and these breadwinners are struggling. They are caught in a perfect storm of male-dominated culture at work, traditional social norms at home, and outdated schedul...

"You go to work each day tasked with (1) inventing brilliant solutions that (2) meet specific objectives by (3) defined deadlines. If you do this successfully you get to keep your job. If you don't, you get to work on your resume. The moment you exchange your creative efforts for money, you enter a world where you will have to be brilliant at a moment's notice. (no pressure, right?)"  Here's the h...

Today we discussed College Funding, Financial Aid and Taxes. As you know tax returns are tied to many processes. In relation to FAFSA, students applying for Financial Aid must provide their parents tax return if they're under the age of 23 and not officially "independent" according to FAFSA guidelines. What are some of the best practices when saving for and funding college savings? We also hit on...

On todays episode we answered those lingering questions you still have about the Affordable Care Act. Nothing in America is required by law for you to own. The Affordable Care act changes that statement on January 1st, 2014. You will be required by law to own health insurance on January 1st, 2014. If you cannot afford health insurance you will be subsidized. If you do not own health insurance you...

For ages, money has meant little metal disks and rectangular slips of paper. Yet the usefulness of physical money—to say nothing of its value—is coming under fire as never before. Intrigued by the distinct possibility that cash will soon disappear, author and  Wired  contributing editor David Wolman sets out to investigate the future of money…and how it will affect your wallet. Our guest today was...

Our guest today was Houston Mayor Annise Parker. We discussed the LIBOR Scandal, Houston Money Week, Job Growth, Economy and the need for Financial Literacy in the Houston / Gulf Coast Region.  Mayor Annise D. Parker serves as the Executive Officer of the City. As the City's chief administrator and official representative, the Mayor is responsible for the general management of the City and for se...

What are some common and costly money mistakes people make without realizing it? We review the 2013 annual impact report from Houston Money Week and got a quick update on past guest and comedian Dan Nainan who was on the front page of Yahoo Finance this week. http://finance.yahoo.com/video/finfit-frugal-habits-millionaire-next-120100801.html     After the break we were joined by Financial Educat...

Have you lost your job, been laid off or thinking of changing jobs. On this episode we discussed some often overlooked resources for job seekers. I will be offering the following free report: Starting a New Career Surviving Financially When Unemployed Financial Survival After a Job Loss Coping with Unemployment Changing Jobs? Take Your 401(K) and ... Roll It?  After the break we were joined by t...

Do you want to help out your kid's school or PTA but find the idea of pushing candy at work or selling gift wrap lame. On Todays show we discussed fundraising and I shared some of my fundraising horror stories. After the break we were joined by Sarah Barrett author of the book A Mom's Guide to School Fundraising:  A Mom's Guide To School Fundraising You can listen live by going to www.kpft.org an...

Todays topic on the show is Pay it Forward - 5 Unique Ways to give to a Charitable Organization. We discuss some of the reasons that people don't give to charities or non-profits. We also take an in depth look at five different options for charitable giving that leave the donor in control of there donations.   At the 2nd 1/2 of the show we are joined by Richard Simonds Director of the Thrive Conne...

Have you ever heard a CEO or Public Relations person from a company speak to the press and then thought "what the hell is this guy talking about?"  During the first part of the show we continued our discussion of Corporate Responsibility and Accountability. After the break we were joined by Author and CEO L.J. Rittenhouse ( www.rittenhouserankings.com ) L.J. Rittenhouse is a trust and valuation ex...

So you decided to quit your square job and follow your dreams. Now its time to pay the rent. What roadblocks does one face putting together a budget when you are self-employed or an independent contractor. During the first part of the show we discussed tips for budgeting if you are self employed or have irregular income coming in. After the break we were joined by Comedian, Actor and Author Dan Na...

On todays episode of Money Matters we discussed some of the issues around raising money smart kids. We examined what steps a parent can take to introduce children to positive financial behaviors at an early age. Is it okay to give kids an allowance and how much is appropriate? We were joined by family psychotherapist and author Dr. Fran Walfish. Dr. Walfish is the author of The Self Aware Parent:...

I hosted the Open Journal show this morning on KPFT 90.1 FM to promote Money Matters which streams live every Friday morning at 10 AM on the HD3 channel. After a short introduction I was joined live in the studio by Jessica Bolanos and Nelson Vanegas of Goodspero. Goodspero is an organization that focuses on education, literacy and gender equality in education. The husband and wife team have helpe...

On this episode we will react, and discuss the city of Detroit declaring bankruptcy. We discuss how this could lead to a ripple effect in the municipal bond market and in turn affect your own retirement savings plan. When entire cities declare bankruptcy how can an individual avoid going down the same path? We were joined by Financial Coach Daniel Scholl with Family Services of Greater Houston who...

On this episode we discuss Corporate Social Responsibility and what a company can do to help people, The planet and still earn a profit (Triple Bottom Line). We were joined by bank whistleblower and freelance writer Brian Penny. A former project manager and analyst at Countrywide Home Loans and Bank of America. Penny worked with Anonymous to leak confidential BofA emails to the media and public in...

Have you ever wondered what it is that drives us to make irrational choices when it comes to money. On todays episode we talk with Dr. Margaret J. King from the think tank The Center for Cultural Studies and Analysis. We discuss Financial Behaviorism and Neuro- Economics. I also share with you some of the process that I use in my financial planning practice when helping my clients put together a f...

Do you have teenagers who are constantly asking you for money? On this episode we cover teen finance and money skills. Our guest is Deidre Jackson with Family Service Centers of Greater Houston. Deidre talks with us about the "Ways to Work" car loan program available through Family Service Centers. This program helps parents with credit issues purchase a car for their teens or themselves. Listen i...

On this episode we explore general Legal Lessons such as having a will and beneficiary designation checks. Our guest is author and local attorney Melanie Bragg. Melanie offers some fun items to help you move forward in your estate planning and information on her upcoming novel, Crosstown Park. Listen in! Money Matters broadcast every friday at 10 am on KPFT Houston. To hear us go to www.kpft.org a...

On this episode we have live coverage of the 2013 Gulf Coast Symposium on HR Issues. Coverage includes interviews with HR Houston President Tracy Frazier and Executive Director Barbara Lane. We also interviewed attendees as well. Listen in to get a behind the scenes look at what goes into putting this event together. This show was recorded in KPFT Houston studios on June 14th, 2013 To find out mor...

On this show we covered Adult Learning & Humor. Our guest for this show was improvisational comedian and professional speaker Steph Dewaegeneer. Listen in to learn how add humor to adult learning and how to keep training fun. Show was recorded live on June 7th at KPFT Houston studios

On this show we covered the topic "You and Your Credit". Chris played live questions and answers from talks he gave at the Baylor College Of Medicine over a 3 day period During the first week of May. Listen in to see how and why knowing whats on your credit report might save you alot of trouble down the road. Show was recorded live on May 31st at KPFT Houston studios.    

This is the 2nd episode of Money Matters. We discussed bartering and trading. Guest included Kyle Sadler creator of www. Barteronly.com . We discussed the ins and out of bartering and how someone with no experience might be able to get started trading. Show was recorded live on May 24th at KPFT Houston studios.

Here is the first episode of Money Matters. It was recorded on May 3rd. This show introduces the Society For Financial Awareness is and what we do. We also explore what the radio show is about and what topics we will be covering in the next few months.