The Financial Mirror

No matter what your financial goals are, most of them require you to increase your income. If you are trying to pay off debt, save for a house down payment, or put a little more into investing, we can all agree that having more money would make that a reality. I decided that I wouldn’t just tell you ways to do this, but instead show you through my own actions. I signed up for Instacart to be a gro...

The Big Game Edition is here and we have a great matchup between two teams that no one thought would be in this position. With that comes a lot of last minute wagers as Americans decide who they want to win by putting some money on the line to solidify that decision. This has become that much more popular as more states are allowing this action by legalizing sportsbooks, with New York becoming the...

There are so many emotions that people feel when they hear the words “Cheap” or “Frugal”. Some of these could include the feeling of being deprived, going without, getting nothing of quality, or even always having to say “NO”. The part that is alarming is that many think these are the same and even worse, automatically think they are bad. Today, I want to define what the differences in these terms...

We are on the verge of seeing three, maybe even four, interest rate hikes in 2022. This is leading a lot of people that haven’t jumped on board to refinance thinking they are about to miss out. Not so fast, refinancing has its perks, but it is truly not best for everyone in every single situation. In this week's episode, we are going to discuss when you shouldn’t refinance your mortgage to prevent...

Homeownership is supposed to be one of the most exciting times in your life. The issue comes when that house is now the reason you are “Poor”. This is actually so common as 50% of Americans actually fall victim to being “House Poor”. Simply meaning, that ½ of the people on average that are reading/listening to this falls into this category. My goal in this episode is to give you insight into how t...

In today’s time, it has never been easier to become wealthy and live an affluent life. The problem is that while it is easier, there are so many people that are overlooking the basics, making finances more complicated than they have to be. Today, I want to cover two things that are commonly misused, misunderstood, yet have a tremendous impact on your long-term financial situation. What I know is t...

It continues to be a question that many are asking, “How am I doing with my finances?” We’ll look no further than this episode. Today I want to cover the different age groups and what the average net worth's are for each of these age groups. When we look at the average, you can quickly get a reality check that may provide that little bump of motivation to make some change happen. No matter where y...

The New Year is here, it is finally 2022, and if you are like many other people, you are already thinking about New Year's Resolutions. When doing a quick search, I found that most people are wanting to eat better, sleep more, lose weight, and finally SAVE MORE MONEY. No matter what your resolution is for this year, I am sure we all can agree we want to have more money to either pay down debt, inv...

First and foremost, I hope you had a great Christmas and are looking forward to a great New Year. We have had the pandemic, the inflation, the job market, everything all of this is playing into the stock market. For us that are invested through brokerage and/or retirement accounts, we are probably seeing some simultaneous red days with our portfolio. Now, let me be the first to tell you, this isn’...

Inflation is continuing to be a highly discussed topic in the United States as the November consumer price index reached 6.8%. Many Americans are waking up to see that they are truly affected by inflation in some way as 37% of Yahoo News-YouGov survey respondents said they have had inflation impact them in a “GREAT” way, while 40% have had “SOME” impact. Nonetheless, inflation is here and until we...

Let us jump in a time machine and think back to 6000 BC, when bartering first became a way for the economy to function. People were trading horses for lumber, cotton for grains, and possibly labor for food on the table. The thing was, everyone provided goods or a service for everything they did. What if I told you there is a project that was started that allows you to buy nothing, and get the thin...

We are already into the first week of December 2021 and the year is coming to an end very quickly. With this 2021 chapter of your life coming to a close, there are still some things that you can do to ensure that you close out this chapter the right way. Today, I want to cover 3 things that you can complete to ensure that your year ends with your finances in the best place possible to start the ne...

The holiday season has quickly approached and if you are like me, you are eating all the good food and spending time with all your family and friends. Throughout all of this, you may begin to feel like your health keeps getting pushed away due to all the travel, last minute things to do, and your kids out of school. The important thing to remember is that healthy living is the key to a wealthy lif...

The holiday season has quickly arrived and with that comes all the good stuff: presents, families gathering together, and of course food. With all this bringing so much joy, there is stress and anxiety that can be felt with it. These emotions normally stem from the cost associated with the holiday. In order to survive, many will accumulate credit card debt in order to buy what they need for the fa...

Whether you are buying your first or your tenth home, unless you are ready to pay cash for the full amount of the house, you are going to need a loan to close. This only increases in complexity when home mortgages are like a buffet, there are many options to choose from. The wonderful part is there is a professional that specializes in this line of work, lowering the stress that comes with making...

House Buying can sometimes seem like a daunting process, that may leave you not fully confident and sure about if it is new to you. The great part is, there are many experts out there that are full of experience and knowledge, ready to assist. Today, I brought in one of these professionals, Victor Farinas, a realtor from Honolulu, HI, to discuss some of the most common topics that can make your ho...

Saving for a house is not some easy task, however, more and more people are declaring it to be the hardest part of home buying. The sad part is, many are rushing to the finish line and not saying enough, putting down whatever they have in their savings account on a house. This leads to problems along the way as down payments are not some arbitrary number that comes with buying a house. When thinki...

So you have started your house buying journey and trying to figure out exactly what you should be looking at, look no further than this episode. Today I will cover the things you should think about when you are scanning the market looking for a new home. From square footage, to roofs, and the yard for the kids to play in, I cover it all. House buying seems to be so stressful to most, but it doesn’...

Becoming a homeowner should be one of the most exciting moments in your life. This is the time when you house shop, you figure out the home that you can “call yours”, then make an offer, and get the keys to your new place you “call home”. The problem arrives when this home becomes to thorn in your side and your dream becomes a nightmare. This could have all been prevented had the house you purchas...

Buying a house can be one of the most rewarding purchases you ever make in your life and serves as the cornerstone of “The American Dream”. The problem is that 48% of renters do not think that they will ever be able to make this purchase according to a recent study by LendingTree. Right now, you could be hearing this and think, wow.. That’s me, I don’t think I will ever be able to own a home. This...

Wow.. it’s hard to believe that today marks the 1 year anniversary of The Financial Mirror. I have enjoyed the opportunity to be able to stream a weekly episode and ultimately hear the financial success stories of my viewers. While there has been multiple good things going on, there has also been a fair share of bad days. Because of this I wanted to take this anniversary episode to discuss 3 ways...

69% of high school seniors are graduating and going to college. Of these students, 69% of them are going to school with student loans. As the student loan debt is at an all time high and continues to rise, you have to ask yourself “is college worth this life of debt?” or even “do I really need a college education to make it?”. Well that is what this episode is all about, society may continue to te...

Let me blow your mind, what if I told you that there is $5 Billion out there that will pay for you to go to college DEBT FREE? I know, this can seem shocking because so many are graduating every semester, overloaded in debt that they will be paying off for 10-20 years. This doesn’t have to be you and after this episode it won’t be you. No matter if you are a future student, current student, or the...

College continues to be something that many individuals are looking to complete in their lifetime. The thing about it is, very few are aware that they don’t NEED those student loans to go to school. Going into debt to attend college is never a good idea.. And if I can be honest.. It’s not exactly NECESSARY. Today you are going to learn 5 ways that someone can go to college completely debt-free. Th...

September marks the start of Fall, Students back in School, and if statistics hold 69% of the students this year will be taking out a student loan. With the current student loan debt in the United States sitting at $1.73 trillion and this number is steadily going up year over year and shows no sign of slowing down currently. In honor of National College Savings Month, which is also in September, I...