Category Archives: Financial Independence

Program helps single moms get financial independence

Updated: 8:37 AM CDT May 17, 2017

WEBVTT THE CHECK OF YOUR TRAFFIC TO GO.MELISSA: THERE'S A COMMON HURDLETHAT A LOT OF SINGLE MOMS ARE UPAGAINST, MANAGING MONEY ANDFINANCES.JOHN: THERE'S AN AWESOME PROGRAMTHROUGH CREIGHTON THATRECOGNIZED THAT COMMON PROBLEMAND CAME UP WITH A SOLUTION,KETV NEWSWATCH 7'S ERINHASSANZADEH, TAKES A LOOK.ERIN: TRACEY WANEK A SINGLE MOMOF THREE WAS GETTING BOGGED DOWNBY MAKING DINNER AFTER A LONGDAY AT WORK.SHE SAYS A CROCKPOT CHANGED HERLIFE.>> IT SOUNDS RIDICULOUS AND IUNDERSTAND THAT.ERIN: LEAVING MORE TIME FORQUALITY TIME WITH HER BOYS.>> IN MY FAMILY AT THAT POINT INTIME THAT WAS ALMOST UNHEARD OF.ERIN: THE CROCK POT IDEA APRACTICAL TAKEAWAY FROM THEFINANCIAL HOPE COLLABORATIVE ATCREIGHTON UNIVERSITY.TRACY, ONE OF THEIR 650GRADUATES SINCE 20-10.THE PROGRAM PAIRS SINGLE MOMSWITH FINANCIAL PLANNERS TOBATTLE A COMMON OBSTACLE.>> IN AMERICA WE DON'T TALKABOUT MONEY THERE'S SO MUCHSHAME AROUND MONEY AND SO THEYOFTEN FEEL STUPID.THERE IS A LOT OF SELF-INFLICTEDSHAME I THINK ABOUT BEING ASTRUGGLING SINGLE MOM AND INTHIS CLASS, THAT WASN'T THERE.ERIN: THE COURE ALSO DIRECTLYIMPACTED THE WOMENS HEALTH.CREIGHTON RESEARCHERS SAY HALFOF THE PARTICIPANTS LOST WEIGHTAND MANY LOWERED THEIR BMI >> THEY LOOKED SO MUCH BETTER,THEY WEREN'T STRESSED OUT OFTHEIR MIND, THEIR FACE RELAXED.>> I LOVE YOU. ERIN: EMPOWERING SINGLE MOMS TOTAKE TANGIBLE STEPS TOWARDSFINANCIAL FREEDOM.TRACY'S BIG STEP?>> HAVING THE NERVE TO TAKE OUTA LOAN.ERIN: WHICH TOOK OUT TO BUY ACAR THAT SHE JUST PAID OFF.THE PROGRAM ALSO GIVING HER TIMETO BE AROUND OTHER SINGLE MOMS. >> UNTIL YOU'RE THERE, YOU DON'TKNOW WHAT THAT'S LIKE. ERIN: PROVIDING HOPE AND A CLEARPATH TO THE FUTURE.JOHN: TO FIND OUT IF YOU'REELIGIBLE FOR THE FINANCIALSUCCESS PROGRAM CALL TAMICKABRADLEY AT 402-280-3736.MELISSA: THEY'RE CONSTANTLYLOOKING FOR MORE WOMEN WHO AREINTERESTED.THEY PROVIDE CHILDCARE, DINNERAND MEET ONCE A WEEK.THEY FIND THEIR MEMBERS THROUGHWORD OF MOUTH.MORE DETAILS ON KETV.COM.

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Program helps single moms get financial independence - KETV Omaha

San Diego, CA, May 16, 2017 Today, the International Rescue Committee launched a new report, funded by JPMorgan Chase, entitled Financial Capability for New Americans: Lessons from Early Interventions with Refugees. The event consisted of an an address from IRC economic empowerment experts on the key findings in the report followed by a panel of thought leaders in the field of financial inclusion and coaching.

Read the full report here.

The report analyzes data from more than 2,400 refugee households as well as learnings drawn from the IRCs work in refugee resettlement and economic empowerment throughout 28 cities. This information was compiled in an effort to shed light on the financial dynamics of refugee households within their first years of entering the U.S. It examines how financial capability programming impacts refugee economic outcomes, and offer insights that encourage more effective and responsive approaches to building financial capability and economic independence for new Americans.

The first year in the U.S. is a critical window to positively impact the financial lives of new Americans, to avoid missteps and lay a solid foundation for financial independence. said Ellen Beattie, Senior Director with IRCs US Programs.

Refugee families undergo accelerated financial change and learning during their first years in the U.S., making this period ripe for financial capability interventions, according to the report. It states new American families that receive early financial capability services, the better the economic outcomes are for the household.

The report proposes six key recommendations to aid practitioners in helping new American families achieve and sustain self-sufficiency:

Intervene Early: Though it may be too early for a refugee to be interested in long term savings, their first few years is the right time to help navigate initial challenges and making ends meet.

Intervene Frequently: Service providers should not assume that refugees will be self-motivated in reaching out for financial education and coaching, they should explore multiple avenues for increasing the likelihood of refugee access to financial capability programming and coaching.

Explore Ways to Offer Integrated Financial Products: Whether through internal channels or by building partnerships with other financial institutions, helping refugees access financial products tied to their specific goals can accelerate progression towards that goal.

Pay Special Attention to the Needs of Women: Refugee women face unique challenges and barriers and programming needs to be designed and implemented with these things in mind.

Keep Goals Realistic: Service providers and refugee families need to set realistic goals for what can be achieved in the short, medium and long term.

Use Data: Service providers need to commit to collecting and tracking data over time about financial coaching participants to assess whether their implementation of these models, services and approaches is working within their local population.

Please email communications [at] rescue.org to arrange an interview with an IRC spokesperson.

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About the IRC

The International Rescue Committee responds to the worlds worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and 28 offices across the U.S. helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future, and strengthen their communities.Learn more at http://www.rescue.org and follow the IRC on Twitter & Facebook.

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New IRC report: Financial inclusion critical for refugees, other new Americans - Rescue

Jerusalem Post Israel News

Joint program aims to boost young people's financial awareness Jerusalem Post Israel News The first-of-its-kind national level program aims to teach financial awareness and promote financial independence, providing the practical tools to allow students to manage their money at an age when they are allowed to open a bank account for the ...

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Joint program aims to boost young people's financial awareness - Jerusalem Post Israel News

Investor Brian Halim has a lofty ambition - to be financially independent by the age of 35.

At 32, he has three more years to go, and his current projection shows that he is on track.

He documents his progress at foreverfinancialfreedom.blogspot. sg. The blog also advocates financial literacy.

Mr Halim, the financial controller of a logistics company, started investing in stocks when he was 24.

The Singapore permanent resident was born in Indonesia and has lived here since he was in primary school. He studied accounting at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds an MBA from Singapore Management University.

Singapore permanent resident Brian Halim, seen here with his three-year-old son Oscar, is a financial controller for a logistics company. He started investing in stocks when he was 24 and favours those on the Singapore Exchange that suit his risk appetite. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

He favours stocks on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) that suit his risk appetite and personal investing strategy, which focuses on assessing a stock's value and dividend income.

He appreciates the fact that retail investors are not taxed on capital gains and dividends here.

Q What has been your biggest investing mistake?

A I've been very fortunate not to have made any big investing mistakes that would derail my plans in building wealth.

But if I had to choose one, it would be an investment-linked insurance plan and a whole life policy that I bought early in my career, which did not suit my needs. I've since terminated them and incurred a loss of about $25,000.

Q And what has been your best investment move?

A The best investment move that I made was to build up my human capital ability, which included embarking on the right education and career path and focusing on that in the early stage of my career.

That allowed me to save a large percentage of my income and compound it further through the right investment vehicle, which currently serves as double-engine growth for me. I'm also thankful I started investing right at the start of my career and, over time, I got the full effect of compounding.

Rachael Boon

"The SGX market is also one of the best in terms of corporate governance," he adds.

He notes that the United States market has firms with the best moats - the competitive advantage a firm has over others in the same industry - around.

"But they aren't necessarily cheap from the valuation point of view, not at least when the indexes such as Dow Jones, S&P and Nasdaq are hitting new highs."

Mr Halim says the "reversion to the mean valuation strategy" - where prices eventually return to the historical mean valuation - is a good way to deal with some of the blue-chip stocks in the Straits Times Index (STI), which consists of 30 stocks.

He says that whenever bad news hits an industry, it is best to invest when the bad news has peaked, and then you wait for things to subside.

This was the case for the oil crisis in 2015, non-performing loans last year, transportation sectors late last year and, now, the telco industry. He expects the STI to remain flat for some time.

He believes that in order for the STI to move up strongly, various sectors such as commodities - including oil and gas and palm oil - telcos and developers must perform well above expectations.

"At this moment, it's just hard to see how all these sectors can perform well together. The more likely scenario is that performances will be rotated by sector," he says.

He has two sons, aged three and three months old, and his wife runs an online apparel business.

Q Moneywise, what were your childhood years like?

A My parents run their own property business in Indonesia and were strict with money when my two younger siblings and I were younger, and were as frugal as possible.

They controlled my allowances - maybe $40 a month in primary school - and demands well enough so that I was not spoilt.

In East Coast Primary School, I'd spent my time buying and selling hologram cards at a profit to my classmates instead of focusing on my studies.

Q How did you get interested in investing?

A I started to get into investing proper after I read the book Cashflow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki in 2010.

I really like the concept of looking at cashflow from different angles and lenses - such as employees, shareholders, self-employed and such - and how we can actually build a stream of passive income with the initial onset of building up a system to make it happen.

I started to read more related books and blogs and slowly familiarised myself with how that works.

Q Describe your investing strategy.

A I've two main investing strategies which I have used over the years.

The first is fundamental value investing, where I buy good companies with moats at a reasonable valuation.

The idea here is to ensure sufficient growth potential so the company can grow its free cashflow and strengthen its balance sheet, which will eventually translate into higher share prices.

It is also important that companies pay out dividends to shareholders. As a business grows, it eventually leads to growing dividends, and that's the only way shareholders can be rewarded.

I don't like the idea that shareholders need to divest to "cash out" in order to take their "profits".

The second strategy is short-term fundamental momentum trading, where I look for either turnaround plays, any catalyst in sight or also special situation plays such as buyouts.

I do not use technical analysis or options - a financial derivative that derives its value from the underlying security - in my investments.

Q What's in your portfolio?

A Besides my home, most of it - 80 per cent - is in equities, 10 per cent in cash, 9 per cent in my Central Provident Fund and 1 per cent in gold. It's worth more than $500,000.

My returns on the equities portfolio have been about 19.2 per cent a year on average for the past six years.

One of the first blue-chip stocks I bought was ST Engineering as I felt it was trading at a rather cheap valuation back then, during the 2011 euro crisis.

I bought ST Engineering at an average price of $2.60 in 2011 and sold at $4.20 in 2013.

I bought the same stock in early 2016 at $2.75 and recently sold it at $3.74 in April, switching to Singtel which I felt was undervalued.

The rest of my other 10 stocks are either in real estate investment trusts or small-cap companies.

Q What does money mean to you?

A It's a means to settle daily household expenses such as food and education for my children.

For most salaried employees like myself, we exchange our time with money, and so get a monthly pay.

When we decide we have enough money, whatever the threshold is, that's when we're able to free ourselves to use our time however we want.

Q What's the most extravagant thing you have done?

A We've been frugal on most things. But during our first trip to Thailand - Bangkok and Hua Hin - for two weeks with our children, we spent about $2,000 alone on leaving tips to the people we interacted with. We also donated to the beggars on the street, especially poor families with children.

We love Thailand and the generosity and kindness of the people, and have been visiting since we had our children. My elder child is three and has been to more places in Thailand than I'd had when I turned 30.

Q What are your immediate investment plans?

A To continue investing in solid companies that will grow over time, and ensuring that I do not lose my capital by doing proper due diligence.

One of the key industries that I think is having a turnaround is the hospitality sector. I've invested in CDL Hospitality Trusts and Far East Hospitality Trust since last year. I'm sitting on about 20 per cent paper gains.

Q How are you planning for retirement?

A My goal is to achieve financial independence by the age of 35, with an asset base that can generate passive income to cover 11/2 times our household expenses. Right now it's about 0.7 times.

I have a few projects in mind that I've always wanted to try out but haven't had the time as some resources are limited, but it would be a good time for me in a few years.

Q Home is now...

A A three-room apartment in the central area. Home is a place where I look most forward to after a hard day of work.

Q I drive...

A I don't drive as I feel a car is a depreciating asset and a big expense.

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35 his target age for financial independence, Invest News & Top ... - The Straits Times

ROGERSVILLE With Mothers Day this weekend, you might wonder if you should go beyond chocolates and flowers this year and give Mom something that can help her far into the future.

What sort of financial gift can improve her life? You could, for instance, encourage your mother to fund her IRA. As long as she has any earned income, she is eligible to invest in a traditional or Roth IRA (although a Roth IRA does have income limits which, if exceeded, will reduce and eventually eliminate contributions).

In 2017, the IRA contribution limit is $5,500, or $6,500 for individuals 50 or older. Traditional IRA contributions may be deductible, depending on ones income, and earnings can grow tax deferred. Taxes are due upon withdrawal and withdrawals prior to age 59 may be subject to a 10% IRS penalty. Roth IRA contributions are not deductible, but earnings are distributed tax-free, provided an investor has had the account at least five years and doesnt start taking withdrawals until age 59.

You cant contribute directly to your mothers IRA, but you can give her money to use for that purpose, if she chooses. And since she has until April 17, 2018, to fully fund her IRA for the 2017 tax year, your gift now may help make it that much easier for Mom to max out on her account.

Heres another suggestion: Consider helping Mom pay one or two months worth of insurance premiums. Its possible that your mother is paying for multiple insurance policies, like life insurance and disability or long-term care insurance, so any financial help on your part would be valuable.

You might also want to give Mom some tips on how she can help maintain her financial independence throughout her life. If she ever needed some type of long-term care, such as an extended stay in a nursing home or the services of a home health aide, the costs could be extremely high, and Medicare typically pays little of these expenses. So you might want to connect her mother with a financial professional, who can provide strategies for protecting her from long-term care costs.

Heres one more suggestion: Give a gift to a charitable organization your mother supports. Even though youre making the gift in Moms name, you should be able to reap some benefits yourself, even apart from the good feelings youll get by helping a charitable group. As long as the charity has 501(3) status (named after the section of the Internal Revenue Code that governs such groups), your gift can offer you tax advantages.

On the most basic level, a gift of cash can earn you a tax deduction. So, for example, if you are in the 25% tax bracket, and you give $1,000 to a qualified charity, you will be able to deduct $250 from your taxes. You may be able to get even more tax benefits if you donate appreciated assets, such as stocks, to a charity. If you give appreciated stocks youve held for more than one year, you can deduct the value of the securities, based on their worth when you make the gift and neither you nor the charity will have to pay capital gains taxes on the donated investments.

Your mother has done a lot for you. This Mothers Day, show her you appreciate her efforts.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

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Give Mom a gift to help with her financial future - Therogersvillereview

Becoming financially independent is becoming harder than ever, and with Generation Rent being a huge part of our younger generations life, the prospect seems almost impossible.

With a rise in student loan debts and credit cards being relied on more than ever, were offering a helping hand when it comes to achieving financial independence in 2017, so you can manage your money better.

Being strict and truly evaluating your current situation to see where you are falling down and what is holding you back from financial independence is exceptionally important.

Whether youre new to financial planning or youre simply looking to adapt your current spending habits, the best way to do this is to truly understand your current situation, and learn from it.

Understanding the definition of financial independence and what it means to you is exceptionally important, because quite simply, following what someone else has told you wont provide you with the end goal that you are seeking.

Once you have understood where you are looking to go, and do a realistic assessment of the obstacles that may hold you back from achieving the series of goals that you are looking to achieve, then you are far more likely to achieve the financial independence you are looking for.

There are a number of different debts that you may find that are holding you back. Whether thats a student loan, a credit card, a bank loan or another form of debt, you may find that the drain on your monthly pay is significant. Consolidating debts is a simple way to ensure that your monthly outgoings are manageable, and it can also help you to pay back your debts quicker helping you to reach financial independence. In some cases, you can use another form of debt to help consolidate your existing debt, and this can help you to pay it back. Finding a

Consolidating debts is a simple way to ensure that your monthly outgoings are manageable, and it can also help you to pay back your debts quicker helping you to reach financial independence.

In some cases, you can use another form of debt to help consolidate your existing debt, and this can help you to pay it back. Finding a reliable consolidation short term loan can be easier than you might think, and in some cases you will find that this can help you to boost your chances of becoming financially independent.Increasing Your Income

The easiest way to become financially independent is to increase your income, and there are a number of ways that you can do this. Firstly, taking on a second job can help to give you the additional funds that you might need in order to help you with your financial independence. Alternatively, you may look to other methods like investing in the stock market and building a portfolio in order to generate additional funds.

However this can be risky and shouldnt be relied on as a source to generate income, as you may find yourself losing some. Define your long-term financial goals, and adopt your current lifestyle to suit that, and you will find that increasing your income and developing financial independence will become easier than ever.

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How to achieve financial independence in 2017 - What Investment

With Mothers Day around the corner, you might wonder if you should go beyond chocolates and flowers this year and give Mom something that can help her far into the future. What sort of financial gift can improve her life?

You could, for instance, encourage your mother to fund her IRA. As long as she has any earned income, she is eligible to invest in a traditional or Roth IRA (although a Roth IRA does have income limits which, if exceeded, will reduce and eventually eliminate contributions).

In 2017, the IRA contribution limit is $5,500, or $6,500 for individuals 50 or older. Traditional IRA contributions may be deductible, depending on ones income, and earnings can grow tax deferred. Taxes are due upon withdrawal and withdrawals prior to age 59 may be subject to a 10% IRS penalty.

Roth IRA contributions are not deductible, but earnings are distributed tax-free, provided an investor has had the account at least five years and doesnt start taking withdrawals until age 59.

You cant contribute directly to your mothers IRA, but you can give her money to use for that purpose, if she chooses.

And since she has until April 17, 2018, to fully fund her IRA for the 2017 tax year, your gift now may help make it that much easier for Mom to max out on her account.

Heres another suggestion: Consider helping Mom pay one or two months worth of insurance premiums. Its possible that your mother is paying for multiple insurance policies, like life insurance and disability or long-term care insurance, so any financial help on your part would be valuable.

You might also want to give Mom some tips on how she can help maintain her financial independence throughout her life.

If she ever needed some type of long-term care, such as an extended stay in a nursing home or the services of a home health aide, the costs could be extremely high, and Medicare typically pays little of these expenses.

So you might want to connect her mother with a financial professional, who can provide strategies for protecting her from long-term care costs.

Heres one more suggestion: Give a gift to a charitable organization your mother supports.

Even though youre making the gift in Moms name, you should be able to reap some benefits yourself, even apart from the good feelings youll get by helping a charitable group. As long as the charity has 501(c)(3) status (named after the section of the Internal Revenue Code that governs such groups), your gift can offer you tax advantages.

On the most basic level, a gift of cash can earn you a tax deduction. So, for example, if you are in the 25% tax bracket, and you give $1,000 to a qualified charity, you will be able to deduct $250 from your taxes.

You may be able to get even more tax benefits if you donate appreciated assets, such as stocks, to a charity.

If you give appreciated stocks youve held for more than one year, you can deduct the value of the securities, based on their worth when you make the gift and neither you nor the charity will have to pay capital gains taxes on the donated investments.

Your mother has done a lot for you. This Mothers Day, show her you appreciate her efforts.

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Give mom a gift to help her financial future - Pauls Valley Daily Democrat

With Mothers Day around the corner, you might wonder if you should go beyond chocolates and flowers this year and give Mom something that can help her far into the future. What sort of financial gift can improve her life?

You could, for instance, encourage your mother to fund her IRA. As long as she has any earned income, she is eligible to invest in a traditional or Roth IRA (although a Roth IRA does have income limits which, if exceeded, will reduce and eventually eliminate contributions).

In 2017, the IRA contribution limit is $5,500, or $6,500 for individuals 50 or older. Traditional IRA contributions may be deductible, depending on ones income, and earnings can grow tax deferred. Taxes are due upon withdrawal and withdrawals prior to age 59 may be subject to a 10% IRS penalty. Roth IRA contributions are not deductible, but earnings are distributed tax-free, provided an investor has had the account at least five years and doesnt start taking withdrawals until age 59.

You cant contribute directly to your mothers IRA, but you can give her money to use for that purpose, if she chooses. And since she has until April 17, 2018, to fully fund her IRA for the 2017 tax year, your gift now may help make it that much easier for Mom to max out on her account.

Heres another suggestion: Consider helping Mom pay one or two months worth of insurance premiums. Its possible that your mother is paying for multiple insurance policies, like life insurance and disability or long-term care insurance, so any financial help on your part would be valuable.

You might also want to give Mom some tips on how she can help maintain her financial independence throughout her life. If she ever needed some type of long-term care, such as an extended stay in a nursing home or the services of a home health aide, the costs could be extremely high, and Medicare typically pays little of these expenses. So you might want to connect her mother with a financial professional, who can provide strategies for protecting her from long-term care costs.

Heres one more suggestion: Give a gift to a charitable organization your mother supports. Even though youre making the gift in Moms name, you should be able to reap some benefits yourself, even apart from the good feelings youll get by helping a charitable group. As long as the charity has 501(3) status (named after the section of the Internal Revenue Code that governs such groups), your gift can offer you tax advantages. On the most basic level, a gift of cash can earn you a tax deduction. So, for example, if you are in the 25% tax bracket, and you give $1,000 to a qualified charity, you will be able to deduct $250 from your taxes.

You may be able to get even more tax benefits if you donate appreciated assets, such as stocks, to a charity. If you give appreciated stocks youve held for more than one year, you can deduct the value of the securities, based on their worth when you make the gift and neither you nor the charity will have to pay capital gains taxes on the donated investments.

Your mother has done a lot for you. This Mothers Day, show her you appreciate her efforts.

This article was submitted by T Casey Loper

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Give Mom a Gift to Help Her Financial Future | Sand Springs Leader ... - Tulsa World

FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE GROUP May 5, 2017 | Views:

Overview:The Case Manager is responsible for processing all new business for assigned sales consultants/agents. This includes reviewing the application/paperwork once it is received by Financial Independence Group (FIG), entering the information into the FIG CRM and forwarding the application/paperwork to insurance carriers. The Case Manager works with insurance carriers and agents to resolve new business matters, thus ensuring a policy is issued/paperwork is processed by the insurance carrier in a timely manner. The position requires extensive data processing in the FIG CRM, as well as interaction with insurance carriers representatives, licensed agents, third party vendors and various members of the FIG staff. The Case Manager does not communicate with clients. No certifications, licenses or supervisory responsibilities are required for this position.

Duties and responsibilities: Receive and thoroughly review all new business and specific inforce matters. Enter and update necessary data in the FIG CRM. Work with FIG team members and agents to satisfy missing requirements for new business applications and inforce paperwork. Input sent-direct applications received from agents. Manage informal insurance application by entering necessary data in FIGs CRM. Where applicable, order paramedical exams and APS reporting from third-party vendors. Method of measurement: speed; attention to detail; organization; time management; accuracy. Schedule and perform follow-up activities to obtain new business/informal application case statuses by calling insurance companies or third-party vendors, sending emails or accessing insurance carriers or vendors websites. Input information into the FIG CRM and notify agents of case statuses, changes, requirements and any pertinent requests or information. Method of measurement: speed; diligence; accuracy; time management; professional and comprehensive verbal and written communication; organization; initiative. Perform general office duties such as copying, scanning and data entry. Manage supplies on hand and order supplies for assigned carriers. Send supply packets via mail and/or email to agents. Support FIG with other duties and responsibilities as the need arises. Method of measurement: accuracy; timeliness; attention to detail; speed, initiative, willingness to support.

Education, work experience and other requirements: This position prefers a four-year degree or a two-year degree with equivalent work-related experience, along with meticulous organization, speed, diligence, accuracy, initiative, timeliness, attention to detail, professionalism, time-management skills and the ability to work independently. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are a must. A strong commitment to a team culture and a positive attitude is required. Position occasionally requires extended work hours.

Knowledge and skills: The individual in this role must have a thorough knowledge of how to use the Internet and Microsoft Office programs such as Outlook, Word and Excel. This position also requires the ability to operate copiers, scanners and other office technology, along with a capacity to maintain confidentiality and work well independently in a fast-paced environment.

To apply: Please send resume and cover letter to careers@figmarketing.com.

To learn more about Financial Independence Group and our culture, please visit our website.

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FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE GROUP - Charlotte Agenda

Katherine Morosoni, Special to the Citizen-Times 10:13 a.m. ET May 4, 2017

Katherine Morosoni(Photo: Courtesy of Katherine Morosoni)

How do I know if I am on the right path? is my favorite question I hear as a financial adviser.

I had a couple in their 30s in my office, and they asked this question. I love this question because it gives me permission to become their partner in their financial success. We talked about their liabilities and assets so credit card debt and credit score, their house value, their mortgage value, their emergency fund amount, their income and expenses, the what ifs and their future plans.

Emotions make it hard to know if you are doing the right things.

The couple shared that they felt they were barely surviving and keeping their head above water. They did not feel that they are where they should be. Listening to them, I saw a different situation. I saw a couple aligned and on the right path to creating their financial success. They are aligned because they agreed to meet with me.

Treat your adviser like a professional partner.

Would you tell your doctor only some of your symptoms for the correct medical diagnosis? As a client partner, I need to know more than just the numbers of their financials. I need to know about their family, their work, their play, their plans and then their money. By looking at all aspects of their life, I can make sure we are planning correctly for all of life facets.

If clients tell me what they think I want to hear, we cannot plan around the unknowns. For example, if a client experiences a job change, we as a team can better position the job changer to know how long will their cash reserves last? Are there other options we utilize to help weather that life change? If I do not know about a clients full situation, then my recommendations will have serious gaps or could be the wrong solutions.

Work from the facts of the situation.

One of the hardest things is to be honest with yourself about where you really are. This couple have not been perfect but they have chosen well on many financial decisions and actions. They have an emergency fund that easily covers emergency expenses.

Compared to their peers, their credit score was high and enviable. Their liabilities were manageable, credit card debt was under control and while there is a mortgage, they have already paid enough to build equity in their home. They started planning their retirement through their rollover IRAs from a previous job.

Life happens, are you ready for the unexpected?

The couple wisely have protected each other in case of the unexpected. All family members have health care. If someone dies unexpectedly, the survivor is covered with a life insurance policy that will pay off the mortgage and give the survivor a years income to get back on their feet.

I assigned them homework for the areas of concern that include getting a will and designating who will become their childrens legal guardian if something happened to them both. Another area of concern was that they compared themselves to others they know and where this couple thinks those other people are in their financial journey. My advice is people need to run their own race and not compare themselves to what they think is going on with others. As my dad reminds me, you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

What I love about people who ask the question, How do I know if I am on the right path? is that they are opening themselves up, welcoming an outsider, professional opinion on the decisions they have made. They are also willing to accept suggestions on what they can adjust. Part of my job is to partner with people, develop a financial wellness strategy, advise them on paths to reach their goals. In the hard times, when it feels nothing is going right, I show them their big picture of their financial goals and how it may not feel like it, but they are progressing toward their financial independence. It all starts with being vulnerable and asking How do I know if I am on the right path?

Katherine Morosani is an Asheville-based financial adviser offering securities through 1st Global Capital Corp., Member FINRA, SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through 1st Global Advisors, Inc. Insurance services offered through 1st Global Insurance Services, Inc.

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Guest column: Don't keep secrets from your financial adviser - Asheville Citizen-Times