Tweet On my drives to visit my mom at her assisted living home in Petaluma, California, I reflect on how lucky my siblings and I are that she is comfortable and well cared for and that my parents were vigilant savers. Mom will be 91 in July. She voluntarily moved into an assisted living home [...]
Where Creativity and Finance Connect
Tweet It was a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon and the light was streaming in the windows of the cozy art studio. A long table was covered in butcher paper and cheese and crackers, frittata and chocolate bars were ready to be consumed. As Tamara and I finished getting the room ready for our workshop, the [...]
A Spreadsheet for Your Happiness
Tweet I came up with a brainstorm in my usual place (the shower) one morning. I had been thinking about the cash flow work I do with my clients and how it almost always initiates a discussion about what they want more of in life. It usually goes like this: We review the fixed or [...]
Strategic Philanthropy: How to Feel Good About Your Giving
Tweet Does this sound familiar? December rolls around and your mailbox is full of solicitations from charities and non-profit organizations that need your money. You get busy with the holidays—parties, family, travel—and on December 31, you realize that you haven’t made any donations. You kick yourself but realize there is no way you’re going to [...]
Underwater on Your Mortgage? You May Have Another Chance to Refinance for a Lower Payment
Tweet On October 24, 2011, President Obama announced changes to HARP (Homeowner Affordable Refinance Program) to allow more underwater homeowners to qualify for the benefit. This new program was dubbed HARP 2.0. Each mortgage lender was allowed to set its own schedule for implementing the enhancements. For example, lenders needed to re-program their automated underwriting [...]
12 Simple Steps to Financial Success
Tweet A new year is almost upon us—always a good time to look towards the future and recommit to past goals or create new ones especially when it comes to our personal finances. Just in time to help with your goal-setting, here is a list of 12 simple steps you can take with your money [...]
Book Review: The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money
As a financial advisor, I published my free ebook, The 10 Simple Truths About Money, because I strongly believe that it’s true that, “Learning financial concepts and managing money can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. There are simple truths about money that can change your life.”
Revisiting: Contrary to Popular Opinion, You Were Not Born to Shop
Tweet Contrary to popular opinion, you were not born to shop. If you are a woman who loves clothes and fashion (c’est moi) this may be debatable. However, most of us have to curb our enthusiasm for adornment lest we wreak havoc on our cash flow and personal net worth. Over the years, I’ve developed [...]
Women and the Media, Revisited.
Tweet Last week, I attended a screening of Jennifer Seibel Newsom’s new film, Miss Representation. It was a fun night out with the girls on a beautiful summer evening, but the movie’s content wasn’t uplifting, nor was it meant to be. The film documents the role of media in today’s society and how it marginalizes [...]
Stock Market Volatility Doesn’t Imply Direction of the Stock Market – It’s The Price We Pay for a Higher Return
Tweet Stock market volatility doesn’t imply direction of the stock market – it’s the price we pay for a higher return. Repeat this phrase to yourself whenever you feel anxiety overcoming logic and you’re tempted to sell your stocks into cash. After you calm down, take time to review your portfolio to determine whether it’s allocated [...]
About Cathy Curtis
Cathy Curtis is a fee only Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and investment advisor who specializes in the finances of women, their families and businesses.
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