MONEY WITHOUT MATH

Congratulations, you’ve graduated! Whether from high school, trade school, or university, your next chapter includes an Intro to Adulting 101 and its companion class, Money 101. You’ll be learning more about taxes, inflation, debt, and plenty more that they probably didn’t teach you in school. In this episode, we are joined by Cary Carbonaro, CFP® Professional and author who has spoken all over th...

Inflation, debt ceiling, bank failures. Financial advisors and the industry often want to talk about technicals and the crisis du jour, but is this what most clients want to discuss? What are investors most concerned about right now? Are their needs being met and how can we change this? Guest Julie Littlechild, CEO of Absolute Engagement, will share takeaways from her recent research that addresse...

Known as the lost generation, the sandwich generation, and latchkey kids, Generation X is now aged roughly 43 – 58 years old (born between 1965-1980). We’ve been sandwiched between the 2 larger generations before and after us, the Boomers and Millennials, and we are also sandwiched between raising our children and caring for aging parents—basically we’re in a double-decker sandwich. Gen X is often...

For many small businesses to succeed, it’s important to get inventory management right. Have you ever considered doing a complete inventory of your personal life? Do you know what you have and can someone easily locate it if needed? Consider financial documents, your social media passwords, family recipes, decades of photos, medical records, emergency contacts and everything in between. Kristie Ki...

The 401(k) is a well-known retirement savings vehicle, but how well-understood is it? This episode is your intro class, geared towards helping you better understand the basics, from tax benefits, investment options, loans, to what happens when you leave your job. Tim Guilford, President of Guilford Retirement Services, works exclusively on developing and managing retirement plans. In this episode,...

Whether you are preparing to move to a smaller home or are helping your aging parents or family members, just the thought of downsizing or “rightsizing” can induce panic and anxiety. Living in the same place for decades and raising a family is typically accompanied by all the things that filled those days: clothes, books, furniture, papers, pictures, products, stuff. And attached to all that stuff...

 How many times have you heard, or said yourself, that kids should be learning financial topics in school? While that may be true, there’s more than one outlet for increasing financial literacy. Perhaps you want to initiate these conversations at home, but don’t know how. Enter Mac Gardner, author, speaker, CEO, and financial literacy advocate. His Four Money Bears initiative helps children unders...

While it’s not uncommon for college-bound students to prep, test, and re-take admissions exams to improve their scores, the college essay receives much less formal attention. And that’s crazy given that for many students, it’s a significant component in a college application. In surveys of colleges and universities, essays fall right behind grades, rigor of the curriculum, and standardized tests i...

When was the last time you thought about your childhood dreams and wishes? Before you chose your college major or career path, and before the world of what ifs collided with the real world—what spoke to you, interested you, and excited you? Whether you are heading towards retirement or ready to make some changes in your life, first you might want to take a step back...way back. Dialing into your c...

Credit cards get a bad rap, but they come with a number of consumer benefits and protections that you might not even be aware of. Some of these protections can save you thousands of dollars! Richard Kerr, Senior Director of Travel at Bilt Rewards, is an expert on loyalty programs and credit cards. From hotel and airline cards and points to the newest loyalty options, he’s in the know. He joins us...

Planning for college is not just a financial challenge, it’s also very emotional—for both parents and their students. In the battle of dream schools and “the college experience” vs. the family budget, the latter is usually trampled. How badly? Recent stats show that Americans owe more than $1.7 Trillion in student loan debt. The costs are overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Ann Garci...

Romance or sweetheart scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and steal from the victim. These criminals appear on dating sites, but can also creep up in your social media messages, in email or other apps. Seniors tend to be the most vulnerable and those ag...

Prenups have long been associated with the rich and famous. But not only is this thinking incorrect, it could be financially devastating. Assets are only part of the equation; consider that young Americans are holding record levels of debt and also bringing that into a marriage. Marriage is one of the biggest financial decisions many of us will make in our lives, with a known, high failure rate, y...

The self-help industry spans from bookstores to conference centers to Twitter threads. With all of this information, why do we still find ourselves struggling to make the desired improvements to our lives? As our guest Austin Brown points out, “If the key to success was information, we’d all be billionaires with six-pack abs.” Not only is willpower not enough to effect change, but books, blogs, po...

Most of us have heard of the gender *pay* gap, referring to the roughly 82 cents women earn for every $1 earned by men. What has not garnered as much attention are the *wealth* gaps that exist: It’s reported that US women own just 32 cents per $1 of male wealth—and this number is even lower for black and Latina women. Our guest Renée Baker, Head Advisor Inclusion Networks at Raymond James and TEDx...

Disability planning is a tricky and complex maze that requires understanding the nuances of Social Security benefits, Medicaid waivers, as well as state and federal benefits. If your child has autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, or any other Intellectual/Developmental Disability (IDD), it’s especially important to engage in financial planning with experts who are familiar with your unique chall...

Money decisions are inherently messy, because we are humans, not robots. As humans, we have brains that haven’t changed in thousands of years, and yet must reconcile the here-and-now with an uncertain future. Guest Neil Bage, co-founder of Shaping Wealth, is an applied behavioral science specialist working to bridge theory and the real world to help us make better money moves.  We discuss the prob...

Alzheimer's is a disease that slowly takes our loved ones away from us as it destroys memory and thinking skills. It’s the most common cause of dementia in older adults and kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. The disease can also take a toll on those called upon to provide care, usually family members and friends who contribute countless hours of support. If you...

Whether you’re just getting started or have been investing for years, the number of investment options to choose from can be overwhelming. What’s ESG? Should I buy crypto? Active ETFS or mutual funds? Some of these options are compelling, but it’s important to understand key factors before diving in. Loren Fox is the director of research at Boston-based FUSE Research Network. He has been researchi...

Estate planning isn’t just about you, money, and taxes; it’s mostly about the ones you love. Patricia De Fonte is an estate planning attorney and founder of De Fonte Law PC. She is passionate about delivering thoughtful counsel to help her clients preserve family harmony through careful and customized planning that also reflects their vision and values. In this episode, we discuss why a will is no...

Opinions expressed are those of Karen Coyne and not those of RJFS or Raymond James. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc.  Clarity Planning is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Karen Coyne, Financial Advisor l...

After almost a 6 month hiatus, we’re back!  At the beginning of the year, Maria Gamb, Founder and CEO of coaching and training company NMS Communications, joined Karen to discuss how to reconnect with your purpose and find your spark. Typically January is an exuberant time, as we look out upon a new year as a fresh start, a new beginning. This past January seemed to usher in a new year with a sens...

In a culture of hustle, grind, do more, get more, be better, go faster, now, when do we know when to say, “enough?” And more specifically, how do we reconcile more and enough when it comes to our money?  Behavioral finance expert Brian Portnoy, CFA, PhD, and author of “The Geometry of Wealth,” joins us to explore the intersection of time, money, living a joyful life, and the pursuit of enough in t...

What do you picture or think about when you hear the word “accountant?” Boring bean counters, debits and credits, nerdy number crunchers? Cece Leung, CPA, Founding Partner of The Entrepreneur CFO,  podcast host and author of “Dear Accountant” is on a mission to change that. Cece is also a mentor and coach who shares her experiences and insights to elevate young professionals entering the field. Ac...

Do you think you that you need a degree in economics or finance to truly get a grip on your finances? Think again. It turns out, getting a grip on your habits and behaviors is actually more impactful than knowing how to evaluate stocks or describe the IPO process. You don’t need to be a math whiz to be good with money; you need real life skills. Dr. Moira Somers, Psychologist, Professor, and Autho...