A key part of achieving and maintaining financial freedom is having the right insurance coverage. A loss that would otherwise have been covered by a policy can be devastating to your finances! In order to be sure that you have the right coverage at the right price, it is critical to have an agent on your side.
That is why, in this episode, I talk to Dave Strout of Cettei & Connell here in Woodbury about the many reasons why having an independent insurance agent is so important.
In episodes 34 & 35 of the podcast I talked about forming the right mindset to achieving financial freedom, and then how you can implement that mindset today to get you to your goal. In this episode I am going to talk about tips that are more strategic and preventative, allowing you to play some defense against potential problems in the future and take a longer view of your financial future and freedom.
In Episode #34, I talked about forming the right mindset for establishing financial freedom. You have to have the right approach and attitude first before trying to implement the steps necessary to reach your goal. So in this episode, I talk about what you can do now with that mindset to achieve financial freedom. In the next episode, I will talk about the bigger picture, and long term financial freedom.
Attaining and maintaining financial freedom is a matter of habit and mindset. Having the right outlook and attitude about your finances, and then reinforcing it through the establishment of certain habits.
That is why I am doing a series of podcasts, starting with this one, about getting into the right mindset, and then reinforcing the right habits. Adopting these as soon as you can will get you that much closer to financial freedom. In this episode, I will talk about the establishment of the proper mindset, so as to lay a proper foundation for the habits.
The biggest transaction in most people’s lives is the purchase or sale of a home. Home ownership is a part of the American Dream, and can be very exciting. However, there are some problems that can arise in the transaction if you don’t take all of the proper steps (and sometimes, unfortunately, even if you don’t).
So in this episode I talk with the owner of Cardinal Real Estate Services here in Woodbury, Lynn Stambaugh, about 5 things you can do to insure the best chance that your closing will go through without a hitch.
One of the simplest and easiest ways to get into trouble (and go to jail) in your bankruptcy is to lie on your petition. Whenever you file for bankruptcy you sign a document, under oath, that you have fully disclosed everything you own, everyone you owe, everything you earn, and everything you spend.
Unfortunately, not everyone follows this rule and tries to get away with hiding something, whether it is an asset they own or a stream of income. With the Abby Lee Miller case in the news again, I thought I would talk in this episode of the podcast about how the star of the reality TV show “Dance Moms,” is going to jail because she decided to hide a large portion of her income from her trustee and the bankruptcy court.
Many people prepare their tax returns to discover that they are getting a refund. This is certainly great news and cause for celebration. Others, however, find out that they owe taxes, many in an amount they find to be unaffordable. They cannot simply write a check and enclose it with the tax return.
This can cause a lot of stress, as they face having to pay interest, possible penalties, and collection actions down the road, like wage garnishments and liens on their homes! That is why, for this episode, I invited back accountant Ira Krassan to talk about what can be done to negotiate a payment plan with the IRS, or an offer in compromise if the full amount cannot be paid. There are things that you can do, and Ira is here to tell you all about it!
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, so in this episode I talk about how this practice has become more of a threat to safety on our roadways than drunk driving, and how you can avoid being a part of the statistics. In 2002, distracted driving resulted in approximately 2,600 deaths, but that number increased by 22% in 2011 to 3,331 fatalities.
Texting while driving is a leading cause of distracted driving, and the NHTSA reports that texting while driving is currently responsible for approximately 1.6 million accidents every year – about 25% of all driving accidents.
So how can you keep from being a statistic? Well, I put together a dozen tips on what you can do to avoid driving distractedly. They won’t protect you from someone else who is texting and driving, but it will make you safer!
The educational system in this country is great and can teach you many things. However, one of the topics most schools leave out is how to be an adult. How do you live life, pay bills, handle credit, cook a meal, fix your car, or file a tax return? Kids often learn these lessons the hard way upon graduation, which can often lead to financial difficulties. The earlier we learn these lessons and start implementing them, the better.
Luckily, someone has come up with a solution. Two women in Maine, Rachel Weinstein, a psychotherapist, and Katie Brunelle, a wellness coach, have started what they call The Adulting School, to address the simple subject of how to be an adult. So in this episode I wanted to talk about this project and how it can help or youth.
Many Americans live from paycheck to paycheck, often without a budget. Even those with savings can’t withstand long periods of time without any income. Therefore, job loss or a disability can be a major threat to someone’s financial freedom.
The good news is that, if you were disabled due to a job related injury, New Jersey law provides you with benefits that can ease the economic strain of being out of work. To discuss the details of this law, I interview worker’s compensation attorney Sam Gaylord about what you can do to protect this freedom if you get injured on the job.