Do you recall your wedding vows? Did you mean it when you recited them? I want to take a look at one specific one, the one that says “in sickness and in health.” Many couples probably don’t think about what will happen if illness shows up, but it can be catastrophic. Chronic illness in a relationship can often place a strain on finances, communication, intimacy, emotional … [Read more...]
Search Results for: finance
He Was Faithful, Driven and a Perfect Match for Me, so Why Did I End Our Relationship
The past 18 months has been a season of reconnecting with old friends who I’ve lost touch with over the years. Some encounters have been GREAT others have been to gain closure and move on. One encounter in particular was with a gentleman I use to date. After having breakfast, which turned into lunch and then an early dinner, I left open to the possibilities of rekindling our … [Read more...]
Money Monday: Is Your Family More in Debt Than the Average Household?
We are a nation drowning in debt. According to a recent NerdWallet survey, the average U.S. household carries $130,922 in total debt, including student loans, automobile payments, mortgage debt and an incredible $15,762 in outstanding credit card debt. While it would be easy to pin our excessive debt on reckless spending, can this completely explain the source of our … [Read more...]
Money Monday: Could You Come Up With $400 For A Financial Emergency?
According to a Federal Reserve Board study, 47 percent of respondents said that if faced with a $400 financial emergency, they could not come up with the money or would have to borrow the money or sell possessions. What's even more troubling is that it's not just the poor who are living on the financial edge, as accomplished book author Neal Gabler noted in his Atlantic … [Read more...]
4 Ways You and Your Spouse Can Create a Financial Plan
Although Generation Xers may earn more than the previous generation, according to a Bloomberg Report, they are certainly not better off. Due to student loans and the urge of “looking the part” instead of “being the part,” Generation Xers are far more in debt than their parents ever were. As a result, they are less wealthy. I, for one, do not want to pass on a legacy rigged … [Read more...]
Money Monday: A Question for Black Folk …. Do We Squander Our Money?
If you cannot save 10 percent of all that you earn, the seeds of greatness are not in you. That’s the warning first offered by W. Clement Stone and reiterated by Dennis Kimbro in his best-selling book, The Wealth Choice: Success Secrets of Black Millionaires. Kimbro understood quite well that in order to build wealth you have to live below your means, while paying off … [Read more...]
Money Monday: The Average Wedding Approaches $33,000. Is It Worth It?
Getting married is becoming more expensive than ever. That’s the conclusion of The Knot 2015 Real Weddings Study conducted by the wedding planning website TheKnot.com. According to the study, couples spent, on average, $32,641 for a wedding in 2015. This represents an all-time high for wedding spending. Worst yet, the figure doesn’t even include the cost of a … [Read more...]
Don’t Talk About It, Be About It: Are You a Couple Who Lack Accountability to Each Other?
One of the greatest things about being single is that you are accountable to no one (in terms of romantic relationships). The problem arises when married people sometimes still believe they are accountable to no one. My last few coaching clients have complained of the same thing: Their spouse's lack of accountability. Once you are married, you are accountable to someone … [Read more...]
Don’t Have a Investment/Savings Plan? Here’s My Effortless Trick to Grow Your Nest Egg
We all want more money, but we all also HATE hearing (reading) about how important it is to budget. The same tired messages of ‘pay yourself first’ and ‘save for a rainy day’ are downright maddening. Ugh. The truth is, saving can be hard. I mean honestly, how on earth am I really supposed to take care of my living expenses, pay for my adult responsibilities (here’s looking at … [Read more...]
How To Avoid Getting Fleeced By Your 401K Plan
Imagine if someone stole $1,000 from you? I'd bet you'd be rather hot. But what if someone took $155,000. How mad would you be then? Unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s happening to millions of hard-working Americans. The culprit is excessive 401(k) fees, which siphon vast sums of money away from your retirement savings. According to Demos, a public policy research … [Read more...]
10 Comments That Needs to Be Eliminated from Your Marriage Right Now!
Words are powerful, and sometimes we say things we don't mean. Is it okay? No, but we're human and it happens. However, there are certain comments that should never be said in a marriage. Here are 10. "I want a divorce." Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." (Mark 10:9) If you're married, you already know at some point your marriage will become … [Read more...]
2016 BMWK Standard Awards: 11 Couples Who Exemplify Black Love and Marriage
[tps_header]We are proud to announce the honorees for our 2nd Annual BMWK Standard Awards. The “Standards” are presented to couples in the African American community who set a positive example of black love and marriage. With so much focus on the negative in our community, we wanted to shine a spotlight on these 11 influential couples, who encourage us to love better and … [Read more...]
You’re Married Now What? 5 Harsh Realities about Marriage!
Congratulations, you’re married! NOW is when the real work begins. Every day I see and speak to couples who are hit with a new reality once their wedding day is over. Those couples get back home from their honeymoon and then it sinks in that they are actually committed to and stuck with their mate for the rest of their lives. Once reality sets in, couples realize that … [Read more...]
Are You Doomed for Divorce? 9 Types of Marriage That Need Counseling ASAP!
Paula Abdul said it…Opposites Attract! Yet opposites attract, but only for so long. Many of us believe couples who are dissimilar are more likely to have a better marriage than those who are alike. I would beg to differ on this. The more diverse a couple’s wants, expectations and views are, the more likely they are to always irritate each other and argue constantly (studies … [Read more...]
The 3 Elements that Make a Very Powerful Marriage
I have talked to many people who either came from bad situations or never had the opportunity to trust in their relationships. We see an example of how to trust in Christianity; the foundation of the relationship with Christ is to trust in Him and believe in Him even when we can't see with certainty what we desire in the present moment. The same is true of relationships with … [Read more...]