Kids, Parents & Money

Members of what is being called the "sandwich generation" are coping with balancing their own needs with the needs and expectations of family. These individuals are often "sandwiched" between the needs of their parents, who may require assistance with daily living tasks or medical care, and the needs of their children, who may require financial or emotional support. 

Within the next decade, the population over age 65 will continue to grow. Increasing life expectancies also means that more people are likely to have chronic health problems and family involvement in their care. 

This sandwich situation calls for open inter-family conversations to help ensure that money is managed thoughtfully and effectively, as well as cooperatively. It also means staying aware of your own financial plan when it comes to the increasing costs of medical care for your parents and education for your children.

Generous Boomers - Severely impacts our Retirement

Exactly how to teach children about money is a dilemma for many parents.  In fact, some baby boomers are concerned about how the support they give their grown children may impact their own golden years. Although they have these concerns, boomers think helping their adult children is slowing down their retirement savings.  One reason boomers don't see the impact on their retirement savings may be that they are tapping into "day-to-day" spending money and not dipping into retirement accounts to fund their children's needs. But, could some of that money be used to save toward retirement savings?

 

Lets Talk Money

Discussing finances can be complicated. Each generation thinks about money and the need to talk about it with other family members in ways that have been shaped by their upbringing and societal norms. An 86-year-old, for example, probably has a much different view of debt than do their children or their grandchildren. He may question why his 28-year-old grandson uses a credit card to buy new clothes even if he's already deeply in debt. Although talking about money may be a sensitive subject, good things happen when families discuss money. It's important to approach the conversation in an open, non-judgmental way. While finances are a taboo subject for many reasons, "harmony can be realised through understanding and communication," In some cases, families may find it helpful to include a neutral third party, to act as a facilitator.

 

Key points about families and finances:

1. Members of the sandwich generation cope with balancing their own needs with the needs of their parents and children.
2. Generosity to family is only natural but you need to plan for it.
3. Have conversations about money with family, because open dialogue about money benefits everyone
4. It may be helpful to include a neutral third party to act as a facilitator

 

Take Sarah, for example, a 46-year-old divorcee who supports her two adult sons. Sarah's financial advisor told her, "Let's deal with this now, or you're going to be making some really tough choices in five or 10 years," 

"You need to tell your children you can't be their sole source of financial support." The best way to avoid these complicated situations is to do what may seem uncomfortable: Talk honestly about money. No matter how you do it, what really matters is that you start the conversation and keep it going. "The money thing, from my perspective, is as much, if not more, about communication as it is about the money itself," 

Boomerang Children

While many people in this age group 18-30 may still be in school and have not yet moved out, others have returned home believing they can't afford to live independently because of high housing costs, credit card debts and student loans.

Tips to help you transition your adult child into financial independence:

1. Have an agreement that spells out the living arrangements and household responsibilities.
2. Be clear about what financial responsibilities children will have when they move back home (e.g., paying rent or a portion of utility expenses).
3. Require that children make specific progress toward paying down debt and adding to their savings.
4. Agree on a plan for the future.

Making a Better Sandwich

Femvestorsglobal can help you determine what financial needs you will have based on your own goals and unique family situation. For instance, you could consider an education fund, or purchasing long-term care insurance for your parents. You may also need to think about other health-care expenses and estate-planning issues with your parents. We help guide you and your family through these issues and decisions while helping you keep your own retirement planning on the right track.

Money and Family Dynamics

Money is an incredibly sensitive topic in any family and attributes to one of the main reasons why couples divorce or separate. If you have been watching the TV show "Succession", you will know exactly what I am referring to.

For most people, their "success" or "failure" in life is gauged by how much money they make. Now many people, myself included, feel that there's more to success than just money, however, we can't escape the fact that many others don't feel the same.

Money, in a family dynamic, can cause more strife than any other single topic. Money does not cause family dysfunction, it merely amplifies any underlying dysfunction that was always lurking beneath the surface. We're currently and continue to experience the largest transfer of wealth ever and the implications are huge.

The easiest way to avoid future conflicts over money is to do careful planning before it ever becomes an issue. When starting the estate planning process, it's important that all interested parties be aware of what's going on so that there are no nasty surprises when the transfer of assets actually happens. By undertaking due diligence ahead of time, any issues can be addressed and hopefully, minimised with much less pain. I can't tell you the number of times I've heard potential heirs complain that their parent/grandparents are frittering away "their inheritance." 

If you are a business owner with family members involved, if you've accumulated enough wealth to have a family charitable foundation or trust, or if you simply want to give it all away when you die, it's critically important that you let your heirs know what you intend to do with your estate upon your passing. There's nothing worse than having a child that thinks they're going to inherit a fortune, only to find out that you intend to give it all away to your favorite charities. Many baby boomers are counting on their inheritance to finance their own retirement so imagine their surprise and anger when they find out their own retirement plans have been derailed. At a minimum, not involving your heirs in this discussion could lead to incredible animosity, years of therapy and, most likely, legal wrangling in an attempt to undo your wishes. That's why, long before it becomes an issue, you need to ask yourself the following questions: 

While I'm alive and in my twilight years, who's responsibility is it to take care of me when I can no longer take care of myself? 

When I do die, what do I want done with my estate? 

Are my children capable of carrying on the visions and goals of my business? 

Will my heirs use the money in our charitable foundation the way I intended, or will they change its mission to something completely different? 

If you plan to give it to your children or grandchildren, and they inherit a large sum of money, will they be able to handle it responsibly or will they "blow all of it"?

One of the trends we're seeing is inheritance based on reaching certain personal milestones. For example, instead of giving your beneficiary a lump sum inheritance when they turn 21, the trust will dictate that a certain amount will be distributed upon reaching certain milestones i.e. graduation from college, marriage, starting a new business, etc. 

The wealth transfer process, by its nature involves many parties including family, charities, attorneys, accountants, wealth managers and a host of others. By having open, honest discussions with your family and advisors regarding the transfer of your own wealth, you can have your estate go where you want it and in the amounts you want and, hopefully, all those involved will be on board so that the process is as painless as possible.

Household Spending Plans

Much of the time it is up to the woman of a household to take care of the spending plan (AKA Budget) and immediate finances. The task of determining the monthly cost allocation for activities as well as cooking, cleaning, and food shopping. In other instances a women with children has to take care of these duties while also working part of full time. 

For a household that is not financially planned, this situation can create chaos if not managed. When kids are involved in the mix, the need for a spending plan is much more greater as resources tend to become depleted quite easily. By setting easy and comfortable money targets for your family, which can save you both time and money. This will enable the family household to run easier and smoother, therefore planning ahead of time is essential. For example grocery shopping in bulk will not only save you time and money, but it will also save you in terms of preparation. You will be able to make meals in large batches, then freeze them for whenever you need a quick meal. This allows you a piece of mind that you can always have something ready for last minute occasions. 

Another large impact of a family's costs is the entertainment expense. When you have kids they have a need to be stimulated all the time. Instead of spending money on going to the movies, buying them unnecessary toys, and expensive fun parks, enroll them in sports teams or some type of lesson that they are interested in. Go to the library and borrow books on core life skills. Yes, this will cost some money but in the long run it is much less than the other types of entertainment. Your kids will learn a new skill that will enable them to keep preoccupied & content even they are not at their actual lesson or team practice. They will be able to practice on their own and get better at something not involving a video game or TV. 

Setting a spending plan for your family needs to be customised to the amount of money that is going in and out of your household every month. If you are trying to save up for something then something else must be given up. This really allows you to weigh what is important to you, short-term satisfaction or long-term goals. 

If we know some of these tips, this will set up a household to be the most efficient as possible. When a household is efficient, it opens up the much-needed time for family and friends to enjoy each other's company. Creating successful habits can allow your family to become closer knit because you will value the time you can spend with each other.

What can we learn from wealthy people?

The truth is, everyone craves to be wealthy. We secretly wish we could be like the wealthy. We look at them with a combination of admiration, envy and wonder. What exactly did they do to be so blessed? 

Yes, the super-wealthy rule the world. They live in the biggest mansions and own the choicest properties. They ride the most luxurious cars and marry the most beautiful women. When they speak, their words are carried by news media around the globe. 

The super-wealthy are abound in commerce, politics, entertainment, sports, IT, finance, oil and gas, to mention a few. In short, they abound in every sphere of human endeavour. 

The following names, not in any particular order, readily come to mind when we talk about the super-wealthy: Bernard Arnault, Bill Gates, Jack Ma, Elon Musk, Jay Z, Beyonce, Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey and Jeff Bezos. 

Among the super-wealthy you can count Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, non-believers, Blacks, Whites, Browns, mixed races, men, women, and people from all continents. 

What exactly then separates the super-wealthy from the poor? If not some undue advantage in opportunities, skin color, religion, intellect, industry, talent, place and time of birth, what?

Here they are: 

Focus their Attention

The wealthy pay undivided attention to nurturing and multiplying their wealth. For instance, Bill Gates attributes his wealth not so much to what he makes as Microsoft's co-founder, but to the excellent work of his portfolio manager, Michael Larson. On the other hand non wealthy spend their money on trying to look rich. In short, the poor tries to copy the "Millionaire Next Door." To be wealthy, be wealth conscious and focus attention to not just making money but how to grow it and make your money work harder for you. 

Productive with their Time 

Time is the most precious and scarcest resource. As economists say, its supply is inelastic. You can't store or delay it, you can't stop it, and you can't increase it. Effective use of time requires a mindset that is productive. The super-wealthy use time well. While time is an abstract, how you use it is a mindset. Regardless of wealth, we all have the same amount of this most invaluable resource? From birth until death we have equal amount of time daily: 24 hours. You will be wealthy to the extent to which you judiciously use this limited resource. 

Focus On One Thing

To be wealthy, develop FOCUS. Focus on one thing at a time. While the wealthy focus on one thing at a time. Whenever the wealthy pursues an end, he burns his boat and never looks back. Take for an example, Jeff Bezos. He focused on ECommerce, Bill Gate on computer coding, and Jay Z on entertainment.

Think Big 

If you look closely, all the wealthy think big. Jeff Bezos is not just building an E-Commerce company, but the most customer centric company on the planet. Bill Gates did not just go out to build Microsoft, but the biggest software company in the world. Not to be outdone, Mark Zuckerberg's empire now includes Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and Messenger. Thinking big is about being methodical, seeing the bigger picture of "what could be." It's about having an uncanny vision of the future and setting your sail accordingly in the direction of that vision without being distracted by other "opportunities" along the way. It's about saying "No" to a thousand things so that you can say "Yes" to the "one thing" that matters to you. So thinking BIG is one of the hallmarks of the wealthy. Really, why think small if you can think BIG by focusing on one grandiose end at a time? 

Proximity 

Don King, the boxing promoter, once told Dennis P. Kimbro, the co-author of Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice, his plan for becoming a billionaire was "by hanging around billionaires, learning all they know." So hatch a plan and find a way to rub shoulders with the wealthy. By so doing, you'll be sucked into the world of the wealthy. This will reprogram your mind. Hanging around the wealthy is not just about networking, but it's about getting close enough to be mentored by the wealthy. What can you do to enter the radar of the wealthy? Write a book, start a podcast or a YouTube Channel to mention three. You can't be wealthy unless you reprogram your mind to think like the wealthy. The easiest way to do that is to enter into the world of the wealthy through the back door - through what you do. 

Work Hard and Smart 

Most of the time, the things associated with the wealthy are Gulf Stream Jets, Super Yachts, Golf Courses, Ocean Blue Islands, Hot Air Balloons and mansions designed in heaven. These are what you see at the front end. But peel the curtain a little and what you'll see at the back end is hard work. Many believe hard work does not matter in today's digital world where you can "set everything up to work on autopilot." Beware; nothing could be further from the truth. Do you know that Jeff Bezos used to kneel to sort parcels when Amazon first started in 1995? Till date he exhorts his people "It's Always Day One", meaning maintaining the spirit of entrepreneurship of a start up. If you're not willing to work hard, then perish the thought of getting wealthy. In his Good to Great, author Jim Collins wrote about the concept of the "flywheel." That's what hard work is all about. No wealth is ever created by standing with hands akimbo. 

Keeps Learning and Growing

Learning in this context is not about amassing many PhDs and MBAs in assorted disciplines. Learning is not about endless webinars. It's about getting personal coaches to make you better and performing at your peak in all dimensions of life. It may interest you to know some super-wealthy started out with no to little money but through a dint of hard work, learnt to overcome the bad hand that fate dealt them at birth. One well documented example is John H. Johnson of Ebony Magazine fame who in his day rose to become the 400th richest American. 

In his book, Succeeding Against the Odds, he stated that his family was not only poor, but they were the "poorest of the poor." John H. Johnson learnt to speak despite being born with a stammer; he learnt to believe in himself despite being born into extreme poverty, he learnt to sell and ended up buying the insurance company that employed him. 

So don't blame your start in life, just keep learning and wealth will be within your grasp. 

Source: Paul Uduck

Money Disparity between Husband and Wife

When both partners work, share household duties and merge their salaries, you would think that these changes are for the better, for women. Unfortunately, not all of the changes are good as a large majority of women have received plenty of less desirable results. 

According to the Pew Research Center. Only 3.8% of women earned more than their partners back in 1960, but a 2020 TD Ameritrade survey found the number of female breadwinners had jumped to 21%. More than a quarter of women reported that they made as much as their male partners.

Studies also showed that when a women out-earns her husband, he is more likely to cheat. In fact, about 15% of the men in a study by the American Sociological Review.

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The sad fact is that when we earn more than our husbands, we experience more stress on the home front and all have claimed that making more money is hurting the marriage. 75% of us have said that we wished we weren't the breadwinner. The survey asked divorced women and 66% responded that making more money led to the divorce.  

Note, that Gender roles are changing in other ways as men are increasingly willing to pitch in around the home and many do dishes and cook the meals. However, when men are unwilling to participate in household and childcare duties even though they're earning less money than their wives, many marriages fail. 

In order to succeed in this situation, a couple needs to have a partnership in their marriage. Both spouses should have similar values regarding work and money management, and share household responsibilities equally. We need to converse prior to marriage with the expectation that the husband may not be the main breadwinner. 

In order to alleviate as much stress and tension as possible, couples should address their expectations for earning power. Historically, men associate their self-worth with how much money they earn, more than women do. If the wife is earning more, we deserve to have more say in how the money is managed. Many women need to negotiate this issue as it can be a taboo subject is some relationships. You need to align on how will the funds be handled differently? Will your household responsibilities change? If the wife is earning more money because she is spending more time at work, a couple seriously needs to discuss household and childcare responsibilities. In the end, what makes the most sense? It's not about women making all the decisions, but that couples are sharing the decision-making, now. 

A couple must agree that money doesn't equal power and their relationship is worth much more than either before they can adjust to the new model of marriage. By creating unambiguous marital roles and fully addressing all aspects of the family finances, especially how it is handled, you can survive the changing financial and employment landscape of today. In the end, it's about attitude, as opposed to the actual dollar amounts that cause the most conflict. If either spouse feels resentful or critical, it will eventually come to the forefront of any argument and ultimately destroy your marriage. 

The Emotional Triggers of Credit Card Debt

I used to always say that shopping was cheaper than a psychiatrist!

Here is a mind blowing statistic: In 2021, Women accounted for 75% of consumer purchases. And in a country such as the US, where spending is a driving force of the economy and the average consumer credit card debt is $6,275, there is an enormous amount of buying power in the hands of women. 

There are several reasons why women purchase more than men; for instance, we are often in charge of the household expenses and day to day shopping or we spend more because of societal pressures regarding appearance and lifestyle. Another reason is the need to manage our emotions through the act of shopping. 

Men, on the other hand, have a more straightforward approach to purchasing goods; they spend money on things they deem are needed or necessary and are much more focused on saving for the future. They are not as vulnerable to credit card debt as women because they see themselves as the providers of money. 

However, when men do buy, it is usually for larger scale purchases such as electronics, houses, or cars. These are more lasting purchases and houses and cars are generally considered assets. On the other hand, women tend to spend the most money on clothing, shoes, and accessories. 

The rate of bankruptcies, because of credit card debt, for women between the ages of 25 and 44 is the highest for any group. Women are more likely to purchase an expensive handbag, shoes, or electronics than to save their money.  

Young women also have more exposure to celebrities and their lifestyles than every before, they try to emulate their lifestyles through their purchases—often leading to more credit card debt.

Another reason women are more likely find themselves in credit card debt, is our emotional connection with money. For women, money often symbolises security or the ability to attain a better lifestyle. It is often difficult for women to separate our emotions from the detached business of money which creates many problems over time. We tend to express our love, goals, and individualism through money, while to the majority of men, money is just money. 

Women assign money with a value that it doesn’t have, the ability to improve our self-esteem or our happiness. These are values that have been adopted in childhood because our parents are more likely to encourage boys to be more entrepreneurial while girls are often subconsciously taught that we should be taken care of financially. 

These influences are the blueprint for a life of financial success or financial disaster. As women, we do not learn how to properly save and invest, therefore, we find ourselves in credit card debt as we don't really know what else to do with our money. 

This is where femvestorsglobal comes in as we can support you exactly where you need it.

Addressing the emotional connections that you have with money and your old stories as to why, is an important step in the process of achieving financial responsibility and a debt free life. 

Women and Money: The Fairy Tale

It always seems to surprise me that even in 2022 where women are making more money than previous years, obtaining corporate management positions, creating businesses and in some cases earning more than than their partner, we still struggle with the concept of "understanding our financial superpower."

I listen to so many of my clients who have no idea where important documents are, how much they owe on their home or where their pertinent financial information is stored. 

I see the same behavior today, where women are making very good incomes, yet they have nothing to show for it but a nice wardrobe and car. They often are not maximising contributions to their retirement plans at work or building a savings nest. They save all these "money decisions" for their "prince charming" to take care of and they simply don't make money a priority in their busy lives. 

Let's bring some reality into this picture, shall we? "Prince Charming" is a Disney character! 

Most often than not your partner wants someone to have some sort of financial goals and independence. 

Also what about the 50% divorce rate? If something does happen, where does that leave you? 

Understanding your net worth, credit scores, and living expenses makes you a powerful and intelligent woman. 

Why would you not invest time into securing a success financial future? 

In addition to the reason of divorce, we know that women out live men, so why would you continue down the path of being financially crippled when you will be left to take care of yourself if he dies first? 

The answer should be "learn how to manage your money now, before you find yourself broke and taken advantage of later." 

Ask yourself these questions. 

Do we have adequate life insurance coverage? 

Am I on the title to our home? 

Is there a living trust in place and a will? 

What are the assets we own? 

How much do we owe on the house? 

If you know the answers to all of these questions, then you are on top of your finances. 

However, if you don't know the answers to these questions, you need to get to work. 

Believe me when I tell you that men understand the value of money management and they stay in control of financial decisions. 

We as women must take the time to learn just as much as our male counterparts as well as teach our daughters how to take care of their financial future.

Do You Have the Right to More Energy & More Money?

Thoreau said, "The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." 

What if you came to the realisation that you are, indeed, exchanging your energy for your life? Would that change some of how you spend your time, i.e., your energy? I think it might. So, wouldn't it be wise to make sure that as often as possible, any energy that you're expending on an activity or expending on a person, you make into a positive exchange rather than a negative exchange? 

Let me ask you a question: 

Do you believe you have a right to more positive energy? 

If you don't believe you have a right to positive things, which includes positive energy, then I'm not sure you're going to find much value in this article. 

Let's flip for a moment to thinking about finances. Your sense of whether you have a right to positive energy is related to your sense that you have a right to ask for certain amounts of money when you are negotiating. The reason I'm bringing this up here is because when you value yourself (and the energy of your life), you will be better able to charge appropriately for your time, services, and products.

I recommend reading Suze Orman's book, entitled Women and Money, Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny. When I first got this book a couple of years ago, I read almost the whole thing in one evening. The title of chapter 4 is, "You Are Not on Sale." In this chapter she discusses how women in particular devalue themselves. She states,

If you under-value what you do, the world under-values who you are, and when you under-value who you are the world under-values what you do.  

This is a big message for all of us. There is extensive research available about how women continue to under-value what we have to offer much more so than men do. For example, a very interesting book was published a while back, titled Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation and Positive Strategies for Change (Princeton University Press, 2003), was so influential that Fortune Magazine named it as one of the 75 smartest business books of all time. The book also was a Finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Awards.

Two academic women examined women professors and how they start out with the same amount of education and the same amount of experience as men, yet over time the women are always paid less and always ask for less. Apparently, men keep asking for more and they get more. The authors also looked at what it ends up costing women over their lifetime. It is not costing you $10,000 over your lifetime; it is costing you closer to half a million dollars. So, not only do you need to know how to ask...but you have to recognise your VALUE. 

Now, the second question I'd like to ask you in this article is: 

Whose responsibility is it for you to have more positive energy? 

This is clearly tied to the valuing of who you are and what you do. Again, as women, we tend to think people will notice what a good job we do and they will, of course, reward us with money and promotions and all kinds of things. And I will bet if I took a little poll here among the readers of this article, we might all find out that's not exactly how it works. We must truly value what we do and then know how to ask for the appropriate compensation for that. 

You do have some control over your time, energy, and compensation and I believe it's your responsibility to exert that control. You have to know what you have that is of value and you have to let other people know that as well. 

In all ways, you want to explore the ways you can maximise your positive energy - and the return on that energy. When you do, you're maximising your life.

Article source: Meggin Mckintosh

Romance and Our Finances

For perhaps as long as love has been a part of human society, currency or trade have also played their parts; the two often cross paths, for better or worse and make for an interesting look at two of the most highly sought after fundamentals of our world. 

Buying love with money: Phrasing the idea in such blunt terms is often a little off putting for many individuals who believe that love isn't for sale. A gift given from person to another is not always the result of great expense, or in some cases any monetary expense at all, however in a world where the phrase time is money exists how can one eliminate the idea that a certain amount of affection or approval has just been, for all intents and purposes, purchased? It can be difficult to determine a person's feelings for another where money is involved. Most people would agree that gifts are a healthy expression of individuals' feelings, but would at the same time be offended by the idea that love can be purchased for the right price. If we look back not too many years ago, at a world where women in particular, though not exclusively, found that without the aid of a husband or relative they were nearly unable to support themselves it is easy to understand how such feelings could indeed be purchased. 

Considering the level of poverty so many people shared, the idea that a person could break free from such living conditions through the generosity (or sometimes just lust,) of another person would have extreme and lasting emotional consequences. In many cases, a prosperous marriage meant not only that a woman would never go hungry again, but that her family would also be provided for. While in some of these examples real love may have originated without the involvement of wealth; many of them were simply a trade, beautiful daughter or son, in exchange for financial security. In some cases this would be referred to as lust not love, but for many people the overwhelming sense of desire can easily be perceived as just such an emotion. Where some of these relationships may have begun with a pretty face or attractive body, the desire to take care of and provide for an individual suggests feelings that run a little deeper than pure desire. Though the idea may not be particularly appealing to many, it does beg the question: can love be bought? 

Lust for sale? Amoral to some and illegal in many places the concept of buying a little physical action from a person for a set price is one of the oldest topics of debate throughout the world. Whether you believe it wrong or right, or simply don't think about it, purchasing desire has been widely available in every country throughout the world as far back as any records can show. While lust does not share many of the same feelings with love it has certain powerful qualities that have driven many men and women to reach deep into their pocket books. In this case the person making the purchase is unlikely to invoke feelings of love from the person they are paying, but is it possible that some emotional attachment, some facsimile of love will come with it? Though it might be in many ways false love, the illusion can be extremely convincing. This is example of just how convincing can be seen in the well known gold digger, though perhaps not a very flattering term to use the concept is quite accurate: a person who marries are aligns themselves with another person who has the means to care for them, in many cases more than care for, providing substantial wealth. 

Though some might say there is a difference between a prostitute and a person who marries for money, it can be difficult to know where the line is drawn. On the other hand, a person who is attracted to another, at least in part, because that person could provide a comfortable, even lavish lifestyle, can hardly be blamed for finding the prospect appealing. Is it wrong to be attracted to a person for their money? Is it wrong to use your wealth in an attempt to attract others? These questions are ages old and yet still without definite answers from almost every society. Putting legalities aside, for most reasonable people it presents quite problem: is it fair to judge others for how they wish to live their lives? Most would say no. On the other hand the idea of selling sex for money has for many years been associated with other illegal and sometimes dangerous activities that tend take place in the same locations. Amoral or not, it is a true reflection of our growth as a society that these desires often outweigh logic; whether for or against, the emotional response is usually one sided and without thought to the oppositions' feelings or opinions. 

Money and relationships: It has been recorded numerous times that one of the most common reasons for couples splitting up is finance. Some attempt to avoid this issue by keeping separate bank accounts and treating the relationship, in terms of money, more like a roommate situation than a romantic one. In other situations one person entirely supports another financially while the other remains at home, perhaps attending school, pursing a creative profession or even more commonly to raise a family. However you and your partner have decided to address your financial decisions during stressful moments problems can be difficult to avoid. A few tips to keep in mind when dealing with this issue:

• Financial difficulty cannot always be attributed to one or both people; in certain situations it can be extremely difficult to deal with poverty or limited funds, remember not to place blame simply because the situation is frustrating. 
• If trying to cut back on overspending, remember to cut on equal sides; it can be a stressful endeavor to eliminate certain excess from your life, remember that your partner feels the same way about their own. 
• However terrible the situation, try to find things to laugh about with each other, it won't be easy but it can help to create a feeling of unity. 
• If one person is supporting another and this situation met with approval on both sides, don't throw blame out simply because financial problems have occurred by reminding a person that they are not bringing an income into the relationship, especially for those that accomplish a great deal at home, though it might not be paid work, it can be extremely hurtful and will not be forgotten even if the situation improves. 
• Do not try to hide financial problems from your significant other; often these issues are much better to face as a solid unit and a great deal of stress can be eliminated by sharing the burden.
• Forcing your partner to bear the positive attitude so that you can continue to panic or sulk is also unhelpful; regardless of your usual dynamic, try to be strong for your partner in these unhappy times. 
• When possible, if nothing can be done at the time to correct the situation, seek distraction with your partner, putting distance, at least temporarily between your relationship and finances. 

Will the ties between money and love ever come to an end? Most likely not, as long as our society continues to include both aspects in it. To keep one from injuring the other requires patience, understanding and at times, accepting what you don't understand. The long history for both weaves an intricate web of human development that is still just as alluring and confusing today as it was thousands of years ago.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Alison_Sardelli/203131

Financial Success Habits and Our Old Beliefs

Are you struggling with your money goals and your finance goals? I think a lot of people are these days, especially with the current economic climate right? Why do we all struggle with these goals to achieve in life? Why do we grapple with issues around accomplishing a goal in terms of our finances? In my experience, this is all deep in our subconscious and goes back to our childhood and throughout our teen and adult life. 

In the past couple of years, I have been blessed to see some of the most successful business men and women in the world. I have sat for hours as they speak about how they struggled to overcome their own struggles with their money goals and finance goals. I have listened to speakers who slept on the streets, slept in train stations etc... to conquer their money goals and finally learn how to set life goals! I have seen the pain in their eyes and the emotional attachment that this period still has with them. 

Why do people go through periods of struggle with their money and finance goals? Well, when you think about it, as kids we are very much subjected to a lot of "myths" about money and how it is viewed by society. Have you ever heard some of these common myths before... 

• Money is the root of all evil 
• Getting rich is a matter of luck or fate 
• Having a lot of money will make me less spiritual or pure 
• Money will change me 
• Money won't make me happy 
• I'm too young to be rich
• I'm too old to start making money
• I don't deserve or not worthy of money 
• I'm already quite comfortable
• I don't need to push myself 

I bet these sayings are familiar to the majority of you? We struggle with our money goals and finance goals because we have been so conditioned by phrases like "I'm not made of money" or "Money doesn't grow on trees", that it is inherent in our subconscious. It is almost like a disease and we don't even realize it! I have been very lucky to attend various seminars on this subject that have really brought this to my conscious mind. When something is conscious, we can train the brain so that success in our money goals and finance goals becomes habitual. 

After attending seminars, reading books and being more aware of these myths and negative stories we have all heard about, I began to realise that this severely impacts our goals to achieve in life, in such a negative way. I then started to see things differently and made an observation that many people I have spoken to lately, have agreed with. What we watch on TV has a big impact on our money goals and finance goals! 

I grew up in the "Disney" era, where my beliefs on money stemmed from my childhood and romantic movies and books. I would live happily ever after, Prince Charming would always look after me. My childhood toys were Barbie having a fabulous life with Ken. Outside of Barbie dolls, I had toys such as a pram to push my kids in, a toy cooker, plastic tea set and a toy convertible car and caravan that Ken bought me. I had make-up, shoes and princess dress-up outfits, a plastic girl's head for practicing hairstyles.

Growing older, I continue to buy these "so called toys" into my adult life- clothes, shoes, handbags, expensive cars, designer make-up, frequent holidays and high self maintenance activities. I spiralled into a lot of debt.

Fast forward paying off the credit cards, loans and eventually getting myself out of debt, I started to then seriously focus on my financial habits and following others. Once you start to model and try to replicate successful people, you see things with new eyes. I often speak so highly of the seminars and the business speakers that I have been privileged to see live. After spending three full days at an event on "money goals" 3 years ago, someone once remarked that I was in a "cult". It made me think, perhaps I have been in a "cult" with my money goals and finance goals before I began to see the light that the successful gurus have shown me. 

So I guess its time to debunk some of the myths above and leave you with some new belief systems to mull over: 

1) Making money doesn't restrict freedom, it PROMOTES freedom 

2) To master money, I must MANAGE money 

3) Wealthy and successful people aren't smarter than me, they just have better money management Financial HABITS 

Some people think that the concept of changing your mindset is all "mumbo jumbo". 

I beg to differ. I think that if we begin to look at things with new eyes, that we can really start to focus on our money goals and finance goals. In fact, you can focus on new ways to achieve your goals in life! So what are your new money associations? 

Fill in the blank: Money is__________ 

Only 20% of people set goals. 

The other 80% think they have goals... but these are only wishes! 

Are you open to some different perspectives on how to set and achieve goals?

If so, check out Femvestorsglobal.com

We support you with goal setting, getting clarity on a vision for your life and turning your dreams into reality. We give you the GPS to your "Moneymoon Destination".

Women and Finance: Household CFOs

In more and more households, it is the women sorting the mail and email as it comes in, separating the bills and ensuring they get paid on time via their online bill pay system. Women also typically continue to make day-to-day purchasing decisions that have a lasting impact on a family's finances, such as where to make grocery and clothing purchases, and whether to use club cards or discount vouchers. In addition, many women have taken on increasingly complex financial tasks, such as eliminating credit card debt, investing for retirement, saving for their children's education, and engaging in family estate planning. 

The Household CFO (Chief Financial Officer): An Old Term that is making a comeback.

Yes, we are undertaking these tasks but no one is taking it a step further. When we have money saved, what do we do with it?. Many of us have grown up believing that the Banks are a solution. They are not but where else do you go?  Yes, some businesses that provide financial services are beginning to cater to even more women and to give us the respect we deserve. But can we trust them?

Women and Finance: Doing it Their Way 

As marketers, web designers, sales people, financial advisors and other business professionals learn to target women more effectively, they are consistently realising that women think differently about finance than men do. 

Here are some strategies that these professionals should keep in mind as they target women in finance.  

1. We are voracious information gatherers. And we like to get our information in community settings. This is where Femvestorsglobal support you as we will certainly carry this appetite for information-gathering into your finance habits. 

2. Many, but not all women, lack confidence in their financial skills. This lack of confidence is somewhat ironic, because many of us are actually quite competent and so our lack of skill is often perceived, rather than real. 

Unfortunately, the Finance Industry has been a boy's club for centuries and we have been kept in the dark around how things operate. Femvestorsglobal can bridge this confidence gap by speaking in plain English, rather than attempting to impress you with financial jargon that the Professionals use to their advantage. 

3. We tend to thrive in networks. Femvestorsglobal created a Community to support you and hold your hand every step of the way.  Regardless of your time zone, time commitment or finances, we cater for YOU. We listened to what you needed and created a global solution to this issue. 

4. Our values are Honesty, Integrity and Trust. Yes, it takes time to build trust, once you are in our network, you will see the difference we will make to your life and your loved ones. We are true to who we are. 

There are certainly companies and whole industries that have not gotten the memo. We certainly listened to You and created our Community for You.

Check us out at www.femvestorsglobal.com to see how we can support you!