Have you had an "ah-ha" moment?

During the last 8 days we have conducted two Women's Financial Serenity Workshops.

It always happens ... the nods of agreement, the eye contact, the follow-up comments. Something we have said about women'srelationships with money touches a nerve or sparks a thought.

If you have had an "ah-ha" moment, share your thoughts!

Fear and Loathing on the road to FAFSA

Fear and Loathing on the road to FAFSA

Anyone who has a college-bound student has gone through the FAFSA wringer. It is painful for financial form-phobic people like me.

FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It determines eligibility for federal and state financial aid programs.

Why go through it? College is pricey, no matter how you look at it. If you are in the Middle Class, national statistics show that you are stressed by increasing financial pressures:

• The average cost per year of a public college (in state resident) is $12,127, a 25% increase since 2001. A private university averages $29,026.

• Real median household income declined 3% from 2000 to 2004.

• Credit-card debt is at an all-time high, averaging $9,312 per household.

• The savings rate for Americans is the lowest it has been in 73 years.

So,
after you go online and blanch at the practice FAFSA forms, eat a lttle cheese with your whine, suck it up, and get to work.

FAFSA is one of those necessary evils ... like income taxes. (Actually, you have to compute you income tax to fill out the FAFSA!)

Do your student a favor by working on the forms together. The FAFSA financial reality check can prompt financial responsibility in the college selection process. Be clear on who will be responsible for student loan repayment BEFORE you sign any papers.

Don't put it off. Procrastination is a form of fear.

The choices students make today will impact their adult debt load tomorrow.

To Be 18 Again

My eldest is about to turn 18. I have made the same offer to him that Mary Anne gave her nephew Danny when he hit that benchmark birthday.

Start an IRA. Commit to put in $25 every month and I will match it every month for the first year.

Why would we want to urge these young men into starting their retirement funds at such a tender age? WHY NOT?

It's painless.
It's a great habit to begin early.
It's a nest egg that will grow to $300,000 by the time they are 55 (if they continue to invest at the $25 per month rate).

It's something I wish I had done at 18.

Disguised purchases ... who are we kidding?

It's an age-old practice. Women disguising purchases by paying with cash.

A recent New York Times News Service story struck a nerve. It was about financially independent women paying cash for personal indulgences to head off arguments with husbands or boyfriends. I remembered doing the same thing when I was married.

Reporter Shivani Vora cited a number of reasons for the subterfuge. Some women just didn't want to "get into it" with their partners over a luxury purchase. Some expressed a sense of freedom when pulling the wool over their partner's eyes. Others said it was easier to "forget" their guilt they if a credit card bill didn't come.

If we are financially independent, why do we do these things?

I learned about hiding money from my mom. She was always tucking something away from her household cash. She was a child of the Depression and saved for the perpetual rainy day. One of her legendary comments (learned from HER mother), was, "If it's not a necessity, you can wait till you have the cash." Of course, a luxury item to her was a dryer, but even that expenditure was accompanied by great guilt.

I don't think I ever "hid" a personal purchase from my ex-husband, but I do remember understating the actual cost. Yup ... it was the fear of confrontation that made me do it.

Today, I am my mom. I tuck away cash and try to save for the "luxuries," but I do it because I am committed to trying to manage my "real" financial resources. I don't deny myself personal purchases, I just pause before taking the monetary plunge.

Facing my fears, self denial and impulses when it comes to spending money is hard work. I don't always like it, but the "internal" payoff is feeling good about myself.

And THAT'S good!

Christmas surprise in January

I paid the last of my December credit card charges last week. A broken foot helped me cut my Christmas gift expenditures by 50%. That fracture deterred my driving and kept me out of stores for nearly two months.

Looking at my charge bills made me realize that in previous years I had used the excuse that I was "spending for others" to justify impulse buying sprees during the holidays. It's embarrassing to admit that there were times when I bought things, then couldn't remember who got what extra item when it was time to wrap them.

This year I did some online buying, but I gave a few gifts of time too. For the first time in years, I baked loaves and loaves of chocolate chip pumpkin bread. Then I wrote personal notes for each recipient. Their response was gratifying.

Is it hard for you to find $10-$20 gifts for older recipients? How many bottles of lotion does Nana need? I discovered one solution while working a charity event at church.

Our parish Advent project was a fair for Heifer International Orgnaization. Shares to purchase income- and food-producing livestock for those in need across the globe (including areas of the United States) were made available at booths.

My boys and I gave shares of sheep, pigs, rabbits, flocks of chicks, ducks, bees and even a caribou to grandparents, aunts and uncles and many others. As they were presented with their gift envelopes, each of our Heifer share recipients took time to read about how their gift animals would help others. (I suspect that Heifer International will be part of their gift-giving plans next year too!)

Charge bills are here. Take time to honestly look at your holiday spending. Is there one small thing YOU will try to change next time around?

Just a cup of coffee

A friend just sent me this story:

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Suggesting some refreshment for his guests, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress."

"Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases, even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups. And then you began eyeing each other's cups."

He continued, "Now consider this: Life is the coffee. The jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us. God brews the coffee, not the cups."

Enjoy your coffee.

Are diamonds a girl's best friend?

Diamond advertising went for the jugular this holiday season. How many women felt unfulfilled, unrecognized and under-rated because the rocks that are forever did not appear in their stockings? The radio ad with dad and junior making a selection inferred generational guilt and retribution if a purchase wasn't made.

Reams are writtten about holiday shopping orgies, mountains of returns and fear of charge card bills to come. Perhaps the excesses are not as necessary as our consumer society has been brainwashed to believe.

Take the experience of a group of San Francisco friends who made a pact to go a year without buying anything. According to Associated Press writer Lisa Leff, some of the group's original members say the self-imposed shopping sabbatical was so liberating, they resolved to do for another year.

After an initial period of shopping withdrawal, discovering how easy it was to score pretty much anything with a little time and effort was an eye-opener, according to the group of friends.

Besides thrift stores and garage sales, participants found a wealth of free or previously owned merchandise in online classifieds and sites where people post stuff they want to get rid of, such as www.freecycle.org.

The group exempted food, essential toiletries like toothpaste and shampoo, underwear and other purchases deemed health- and safety-related.

As one woman commented, "I really found a lot of times there were things I thought I needed that I don't need that much." Another man added, "One of the byproducts of 'The Compact' has been I have a completely different relationship with the things in my life. I appreciate the stuff I have more."

The pledge the group half-jokingly named The Compact, after the Mayflower pilgrims, spread to other cities through the Internet and an appearance on the "Today" show.

It has truly given me food for thought.

What about you?

Would you be willing to share this challenge for the next year?

Cold water wake-up for a Baby Boomer like me

Retirement news topped children's achievements in this year's Christmas letters from old college housemates. Teaching was never an option for me as it was for so many of my friends. Now they are reaping the benefits of retirement pensions after over thirty years in the classroom.

The letters did give me pause. I am lightyears from that stage of life. Sandwiched between my teenagers' looming college tuitions and the needs of my elderly parents, I have had to accept my financial realities as a single parent. Retirement is not in my picture in this decade or the next.

I'm not alone.

Reuters journalist Svea Herbet-Bayliss, writes that millions of Americans are finding that they will have to continue working during their supposed retirement years. That realization is turning their world upside down -- changing everything on where they might live, what they might do in their golden years and ultimately WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN LIFE.

She cites a poll commissioned by financial firm Thivent Financial for Lutherans. Faced with the cold hard fact that they have not saved enough to live out their years comfortably, 43 percent of Americans say they will have to re-enter the work force almost as soon as they leave it. BUT, they said they would try to find less stressful employment after retirement.

Let's go back to the point about, "what is most important in life."

Being useful, experiencing new things and developing my talents have always been a priority for me. That hasn't stopped because I've turned 55. I'm actually more excited about my "tomorrow's" than I ever was.

I don't think I'm alone in that assessment of my so-called golden years. Hey! I'm a boomer! We've always done things differently than our parents! It's not surprising that our approach to retirement would be different too.

Financial choices will always be there. Choosing to focus on what is genuine in our lives, regardless of the size of bank accounts, will enable each of us to individually discover "what is most important in life!"

Life Stage Planning - Mile Marker #3: REVIEW YOUR PLAN

Mile Marker #3:
Review your plan.

With retirement around the corner, start your retirement distribution planning in an effort to maximize income from your retirement plans and minimize your tax burden. Consider rolling over your employer's retirement distribution into an IRA to maintain tax-deferral benefits and postpone paying taxes to future years when your taxable income may be less. Estate planning also offers opportunities to pass your hard-earned assets to your loved ones instead of Uncle Sam.
Regardless of which life stage you're at, it is never too late to start or adjust your financial plan.

Life Stage Planning – Mile Marker #2: ADJUST YOUR PLAN

Mile marker #2:
Adjust your plan

During your 40s and 50s, you may be in the peak earning years of your career. This is the time to maximize your retirement contributions and make the most of savings opportunities offered by Uncle Sam. What if you have maxed out your IRA contribution and employer-sponsored plan? Take a look at annuities, which have no contribution limits and offer tax-deferral advantages.

Make sure that you diversify your investments. Never put all of your investments into one category. Spreading the money over different asset classifications reduces risk while helping to maintain overall performance. Don’t try to “time” your long-term investments. Professionals find it difficult to figure out exactly when to buy low and sell high. Don’t jump in and out of investments in reaction to the latest headline or stock quote. Invest regularly and for the long term. The value of some investments, particularly stocks and bonds, fluctuates in the short term. Over the long term, however, they usually gain in value.

Life Stage Planning – Mile Marker #1: ESTABLISHING YOUR PLAN

Mile marker #1: Establishing your plan.

Buying a first home, starting and supporting a family, paying off debt—if you are in your 20s or 30s, your financial obligations may seem larger than your income. But here's the good news! You're in the best position to put the power of compounding to work for you.

The best way to free up money to invest is to get a grip on spending. Use your checkbook register, credit card statement, etc. to review your income and spending history for six months. Don’t think of this as budgeting…think of it as a spending plan. Once you determine how much you can spend for groceries or at the mall, use a shopping list and stick to it. Eliminate impulse spending. Pay yourself first; set aside 10% for savings and investments before you spend the rest of your paycheck. Set aside money each month in a short term savings to pay for annual bills, such as Christmas, taxes or insurance. Find ways to cut Income Taxes. Establish an emergency fund that you can get to quickly and easily to see you through a financial crisis.

With a solid spending plan and emergency fund in place, you will be able to create an investment strategy. Understand your own tolerance for risk. Then fund an IRA and, even if you don't qualify for a deduction, get the benefit of tax-deferred compounding of earnings. Also sign up for any employer's retirement plan, which will give you two major tax breaks: contributions are pretax and earnings are tax deferred until withdrawal. If a company match is available, invest enough to meet the amount they will contribute. Avoid borrowing from a retirement plan. Don’t cash out when you change jobs; this can result in taxes, penalties and the loss of tax-deferred growth. Avoid cashing out unless it is an absolute financial necessity. Choose not to spend the money now, because you want to put it to other uses later. Roll the money over into your new employer’s tax-qualified plan or into an individual retirement account.

At this stage it is also important to make sure your loved ones are protected financially by getting adequate life insurance coverage.

Life Stage Planning: A guide for your journey

Achieving financial goals is like running a marathon. It starts with small steps and gradually builds as you learn how to discipline yourself. Each step along the way brings a sense of achievement. Each financial accomplishment builds understanding and self-confidence, which prepares you for another success and the one after that. For a beginner, the prospect of a 26-mile race is daunting. Those who pull it off start by doing some serious research, getting the right gear, eating proper diet, training, and finding a coach or mentor who can improve their chances of being successful. They set reasonable goals and have patience. It is not always easy, but a disciplined approach allows them to reach a point where they enjoy running. The attitudes that make a novice into a successful marathon runner are similar to the ways successful investors approach finances. Preparation and planning makes it possible to reach their goals.

Understanding strategies for each stage of your life will help build sound financial plans that make your goals achievable. While events like remarrying or changing careers can happen at any time, most investors need to understand three main life stages.

Postscript to my first change on the road toward financial serenity

Today I continue to tackle one small goal at a time. Sometimes it’s financial; sometimes it’s personal; sometimes it’s professional. Deeper self-awareness and new actions are gradually emerging – sometimes easily, sometimes painfully. Along the way, I’ve learned two essential lessons: first, financial serenity is a state of mind; and second, genuine abundance is a state of belief. Those spiritual truths give life fulfillment regardless of what life brings.

My mid-life quest challenges me to discover and savor the rest of my life. The best years are yet to come!

My first small change ... and the payoff!

You can change an undesirable habit by committing to change the patterns of how you think. What you consciously think about over and over again can reinforce positive thoughts in your subconscious before you make a bad financial choice. New habits can become a part of you in as few as 40 days. Believe that you can counter and overcome unwanted financial behaviors to develop a stronger spiritual awareness. Start by making one small change at a time.

Mary Anne proposed an experiment. For 40 days, I committed myself to gaining financial serenity by accomplishing one goal in my financial life. I would consciously halt my procrastination and handle incoming personal financial paperwork.

There were days when I regretted, even resented, my commitment to wield my letter opener on a daily basis. Sometimes it meant facing my fears to call others to figure out what I was looking at. The payoff came when my accountant brother called to incredulously say, “not bad,” after he opened my organized income tax package. In previous years, my tax records mess had led to heated phone calls and extensions.

It was a small victory over a bad habit. Then I recalled some of the spiritual values I had unearthed in my clarity exercise: caring for family, independence, personal growth and fulfillment. I was affirming my spiritual truths on my way to financial serenity!

Uncovering money choice secrets

Clarity is about understanding how our values relate to money. Consider these questions:
• What kinds of prosperity do you see in your life?
• What is important about money to you?
• How does it contribute to your “prosperity?”
• Why is that important?
• What higher spiritual truth or value does that importance lead you to?

Answers to those questions revealed my values relating to money. If prosperity is having what you truly need and want, then experiencing life with my children fit the bill. Money provides me with the ability to take care of our needs. Taking care of my family within our means gives me independence. Independence permits me to engage in self-directed options for our lives. Exercising options leads to personal growth and fulfillment.

Clarity helped me recognize that the values of family, caring, independence, options, growth, and fulfillment are my spiritual truths. By understanding my spiritual truths and accepting personal responsibility for my financial life, I was ready to begin action steps to achieve financial serenity.

CLARITY ... uncovering inner values that shape financial choices

Exercising honesty leads to CLARITY of thought. Understanding how money memories spur actions today is absolutely necessary to change undesirable money habits. The path to financial serenity does not begin in your accountant’s office. It begins in your head and your heart, through your thoughts and your feelings.

Money touches everything in our lives. It influences our relationships, affects our day-to-day activities, impacts our hopes and dreams, and fuels our fears. Whether or not we admit it, most of us carry seeds of money anxieties and fears. It is fear that gives money power over us – fear of too little, fear of managing it, fear of loss.

Financial serenity does not depend on the amount money you have. Authentic abundance is a state of belief. No amount of money can guarantee a feeling of prosperity or emotional security. Those feelings are an inside job. Financial serenity happens when you have power over your fears, instead of the other way around. That power comes from the center of our being, from the CLARITY of knowing who we really are.

HONESTY ... taking the first step in changing money habits

The first and most important step in changing money habits is to become aware of them and to HONESTLY acknowledge them. This will help you recognize negative patterns of behavior. You can change an undesireable habit by committing to change the patterns of how you think. What you consciously think about over and over again can reinforce positive thoughts in your subconxcious BEFORE you make a financial choice.

A new habit can become a part of you in just 40 days. Start by making one small action change at a time. BELIEVE that deeper self-awareness and conscious actions will lead to your spiritual truths to give your life fulfillment regardless of what life brings.

Step #1: HONESTY
Honesty uncovers subconscious feelings about money. Think about this simple exercise:
• What is your earliest childhood recollection of money?
• What did your parents (or other adults) discuss about money?
• How do these memories make you feel?
• How do those memories influence your financial decisions today?

My earliest recollections of money related to the ebb and flow of my father’s self-employment. He turned money over to Mom. She rigidly controlled household finances to stay out of debt and to ensure a cushion for perpetual rainy days. Mom’s deep money anxieties stemmed from growing up during the Depression. Splurging outside the budget was always tinged with guilt. I grew up with contradictory feelings – confidence in the financial security at home and an undercurrent of fear of impending disaster.

Looking back, I can see that those childhood feelings affected my adult money habits. Laboring to ensure financial security, I became a workaholic. I relinquished responsibility for household finances to my spouse, but fear of unplanned expenses triggered horrific arguments. Guilt curtailed personal purchases for myself, but I rationalized overindulging my children. It was painful to see that I was a product of my past, but new awareness meant that I didn’t have to be a prisoner of it.

Feelings fuel money habits

Everyone makes money mistakes — the trick is to not repeat them. But that is easier said than done.

Discovering the emotions behind your spending habits will help you understand how you might evolve, get past the urges and simplify your life choices. If you understand how bad habits formed, you can set about to change them. You can change any habit by changing what you think about it. Focus on what you truly need or genuinely cherish, not only in respect to material possessions, but in work, relationships and leisure. People who manage to simplify have found their emotional truths. Simplicity is an inside job.

When it comes to money, people sometimes mistakenly associate simplicity with poverty. It’s not about doing without; rather it’s about having enough. It’s about figuring out what level of material possessions is enough for you. This will vary from person to person. Being wealthy isn’t bad, but perhaps we don’t need as much materially as our American culture would have us believe.

Review your spending habits by bringing to mind each of several areas, including work, your relationships or family, your finances, your leisure, your possessions, your goals, your spiritual life. One by one, as each area comes to mind, ask yourself the following questions: What would it be like to simplify this part of my life? What could I let go of easily? What could I do to make this part of my life more quiet and simple?

Reflect on the choices that present themselves. It may be a good idea to jot them down on paper. Let the words flow without censoring or editing the content. The purpose is to generate a variety of life choices. Later go back and read what you wrote. Notice which options feel immediately comfortable and which feel difficult or frightening. The object is not to change anything immediately. At first, simply note where you desire more simplicity in your life and where it is possible. How can you make room for simplicity? Take the time to become aware of what steps you might take and then make a resolution to make changes in each area. Discovering your emotional attitudes about spending will help you envision how you want to evolve, simplify your choices about money and create a money personality that is self-confident and prudent.

What is your money personality?

Everyone makes money mistakes — the trick is to not repeat them. But that is easier said than done.

One-third of all consumers are influenced in their shopping decisions by emotional factors, such as fun, excitement, stress or stress reduction, concern for family welfare—the list of emotions is endless. And emotions often start below the level of awareness. Reactions occur without conscious knowledge, and even if we don’t fully understand or articulate our feelings our bodies continually appraise our surroundings, respond and create minor or major urges. And urges often lead to spending blunders.

Each person has a different idea of happiness. Each of us has certain items that speak to him as a token of fulfillment. Someone who strives hard to get ahead may fall into a trap of buying things, because other people expect it. His car/home/wardrobe has to match his accomplishments, and he ends up spending money in ways that do not make financial sense.

Consider the following spending traits. Do any of these personalities describe you?

IMPULSIVE BUYER
— Seldom comparison shops. Buys on a whim. Tip: Leave the store! Nine times out of ten, you won’t return for the item.

FANATICAL SHOPPER
— Spends excessive energy to save a few dollars. Tip: Remember that time is money — don’t spend $50 of time to save $5.

PASSIVE BUYER
— Dislikes shopping. Doesn’t comparison shop. Tip: Question the authority of salespeople. Remember it’s your hard-earned money.

AVOIDANCE SHOPPER
— Shops to “escape.” Tip: Try exercising or playing with your kids instead.

ESTEEM BUYER
— Buys to gain peers’ approval. Tip: Gain your own esteem by conquering spending mistakes.

OVERDONE BUYER
— Spends excessively on a habit, hobby or collection. Tip: Identify the underlying causes (e.g., boredom); ask a friend or a professional for help.

HOT POTATO BUYER
— Delays making decisions and then reacts impulsively. Tip: Take time to educate yourself before making important financial decisions.

"The longest journey starts with the first step"

The observation above is attributed to Confucious, an ancient Chinese philosopher. My path toward changing my financial habits was an unknown. I wasn't sure where to begin. Mary Anne urged me to explore my feelings about money to unroot my fears and inhibitions.

My changes didn't occur overnight, but they all started with HONESTY.

Many of our money habits are so ingrained that we unconsciously, and repeatedly, make bad financial choices. The first and most important step to change them is to become aware of or our habits and to honestly acknowledge them. It means being alert to our feelings, thoughts, needs and longings.

We women have a lot to unlearn. It may be painful and will take time, but honesty makes us take a deep look at the realities of our financial behaviors. Avoidance and self-deception are formidable barriers, but the incredible power of self-awareness is that it can nurture commitment to change, growth and personal accountability.

Getting a grip on personal financial money management through simplicity and spirituality

How do simplicity and spirituality relate to getting a grip on personal financial management?

Choosing simplicity means voluntarily focusing on what we truly need or genuinely value in material possessions, work and relationships. When it comes to money, some women mistakenly equate simplicity with poverty. It’s not about doing without. Simplicity is about figuring out what is enough for you.

Women who simplify will find their spiritual truths. At its core, spirituality is the intuitive sense that all things fit together even when you’re fearful that things are falling apart. A search for spirituality is a search for direction when life’s expectations come up short. My spark was a divorce from my business partner husband. It shattered stagnant assumptions about my financial well-being and future.

It was hard to face my truths. No one would magically rescue me from my mountain of unopened financial papers. A healthy bank account wasn’t bad, but perhaps my children and I didn’t need as many material things as our consumer culture advocated. My money attitudes and habits had to change. My professional life had taken a detour, but I was a capable woman who could channel her talents in new, more satisfying directions.

Discovering my spiritual truths about money helped me glimpse how I wanted to evolve. I began to simplify my life choices. This tapped an inner source of well being, a faith that prosperity is possible regardless of economic situation. The freedom and joy of financial serenity began to germinate.

Why Women? Why Now?

I'm surfing the tsunami swell of the Baby Boom generation – those born between 1946 and 1964.

Turning 50 might have signaled going over the hill for our mothers, but not for boomer women like Mary Anne and me. After all, we are better educated, generally economically optimistic and more comfortable in our independence and individuality than any other generation of women before us.

And more power to us, the American Woman! According to a 2005 survey that was conducted by FGI Research for "Town & Country" readers:
• Approximately 42 million women are aged forty to sixty. (Next Tuesday, 10/24/06, our population will hit 300 million.)
• Women solely or jointly own 87 percent of homes.
• Women control or influence 80 percent of consumer purchases.
• By 2010, 60 percent of wealth will be controlled by women.
• Boomer women are six times more likely to share responsibility for savings and investment than their mothers were.
• Full-time college enrollment by older women has increased by 32 percent in the past decade.

But there are other compelling statistics. According to "Time" magazine, February 6, 2006:
• 58 percent of women in the baby boom generation have less than $10,000 saved in a pension or 401(k) plan.
• 87 percent of impoverished elderly are women.
• Having failed to save sufficiently for retirement, the average woman born between 1946 and 1964 will probably have to work until the age of 74.

Many over 50 are awash in debt, they constantly rearrrange priorities and avoid acknowledging their aging bodies. Boomer actions, and inactions, continue to direct our world. None of us has intended to mess anything up. In fact, the goals we imagined in our youth were generally noble. But then, we've always assumed time was on our side to pay off our credit cards and sock enough away for a comfortable retirement.

Despite these concerns, many boomer women refuse to be sucked into the stereotyped despair of mid-life crisis. For them, life continues to be an exploration. They share a a hunch that the best years are yet to come. Instinctively women our age recognize that the simplicity and spirituality are the path to that destination.

Women's Financial Serenity helps women find that path.

How Mid-life Crisis became a Mid-life Quest

Having come of age inspired by “I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar,” I cultivated a can-do way of life. Yet on the cusp of my fifty-fifth birthday, I had to admit I harbored a crushing fear of managing my money.

It was my ugly little secret. Outwardly, I was a capable, confident woman who had over three decades of business experience. A divorce bared the truth. For years, I had avoided dealing with personal finances. I didn’t want to. It had been easier to let my husband to take care of it.

Now I was riding solo. I paid monthly bills, but unopened bank statements piled high, insurance policies were chucked in a drawer and tax papers were buried. I had good intentions every time I set an envelope aside to review “later,” but later never came.

Prodding from a more financially astute friend, Mary Anne, helped me face my self-induced fears. Through our conversations, I discovered that I am not alone. Other women of my era share my contradictory attitude toward money – capable when responsible for other people’s resources, abjectly insecure when handling our own.

By merging Mary Anne’s financial planning philosophies with my own belief that God has gifted me with many talents, I slowly began to make positive financial management actions. My mid-life crisis unveiled an opportunity for an internal re-assessment that launched a mid-life quest. I began to uncover hidden potentials for my next phase of life.

And, that was the spark that helped me join Mary Anne's efforts to give birth to Women's Financial Serenity workshops.