Want to know what you should do when the market declines by 3%/800 points in one day? Don’t worry; I’ve got you. In fact, I can sum it up in two words…
Jessica Merino's Passion for Financial Planning Began When She Was 8 Years Old
Transgender Men and Women in the Workplace: Higher Gender Pay Inequality and Discrimination
On a recent car trip, I found myself captivated by an interview with Lily Zheng author of “Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace: Transgender and Gender Diverse Discrimination.” In writing her book, Zheng and her co-author Alison Fogarty analyzed the relationship between gender identity and workplace performance. In this process, they analyzed the research of gender in the workplace and also interviewed 25 gender diverse individuals who agreed to share their insights and experiences. In writing this book it’s their hope “that someday trans people and trans communities can secure economic well-being-and the political, social, religious, and cultural liberation that must accompany it.”
There Are Some Cool Things Happening With Gender Lens Investing
Everyone's Financial Situation Is Unique, But We Are All Equal
Recently I received a call from someone I hadn’t heard from in years. A lot had changed since we originally met! She had gotten married, made partner, and was pregnant with her third child. With all of these changes, it seemed like a great time to work on financial planning for her family. I mentioned that we work with a lot of working parents with small kids, so it’s our goal to try to help them feel more comfortable with their financial decisions.
A Bonus Is a Great Thing, But What Should I Do With It?
Merging Finances As a Same Sex Couple
My husband and I were married on April 16, 2014, in Los Angeles, California, where same-sex marriage was legal. A little over one year later, on June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage, legalized it in all fifty states, and required states to honor out-of-state same-sex marriage licenses.
There Is No “One Size Fits All” Approach to Financial Planning
A year ago Michael and I found ourselves at an industry conference listening to the politically incorrect keynote speaker. He focused a portion of his presentation on the issues with children who aren’t raised in households of married heterosexual families. He asserted that these children weren’t as capable as those who were raised by a married mother and father. By the end, we were both feeling pretty offended by the fact that the organizers of this conference felt it was appropriate to bring this person to present to us.
Mansplaining and Your Money
Mansplaining /ˈmanˌsplāniNG/ (noun) the explanation of something by a man, typically to a woman, in a manner regarded as condescending or patronizing.
“She met with several Financial Advisors and they all treated her like a stupid girl. So eventually she got to the point where she figured she’d just have to choose one of these guys that would treat her like a stupid girl.” This isn’t the first time I’ve heard something like this and it won’t be the last. This is a quote from a woman who referred her sister to me. She’s definitely not “a stupid girl” and shouldn’t have been made to feel that way.
Working Toward Equal Pay One Client at a Time
I recently came across a study by Benjamin Artz, Amanda Goodall, and Andrew J. Oswald that concluded that women actually are asking for raises as often as men, but their requests are treated differently. This led me to another interesting study by Andreas Leibbrandt and John A. List that found that men and women had similar negotiation behaviors when job descriptions specifically noted that the wages were negotiable. If it was not mentioned, then the men in the study were more likely to negotiate than the women.
#MeToo and Your Money
Michelle Williams. Ashley Judd. Emma Thompson. Reese Witherspoon. Other than being famous actresses these women have one big thing in common. All of these women have been able to share their voices in post #metoo Hollywood. What else do they have in common? They have MONEY. Yes, money. Having money has allowed them to quit jobs, campaign on capitol hill, and fight workplace sexual harassment. And that’s just in the last 18 months!
#MeToo, Mansplaining, and Merino Wealth's 3rd Anniversary
April has become my favorite month. April 1st is not only April Fool’s Day, but it’s also Merino Wealth’s Anniversary. This year we turned 3! In my line of work, I often see that businesses typically hit their stride in the 3-5 years range so it feels great to be on this side of things.
A lot has happened in these past three years. “MeToo” and “Timesup” have taken on new meanings while terms like Mansplaining and The Mental Load have helped to articulate things some of us have been feeling for years. We have a record number of women serving in Congress. And let’s not forget “The Year of the Woman!”
New Job Financial Check List
Did you just receive a job offer and you’re not sure what to do next? Congrats on the new gig! Job transitions can be exciting and busy, so it’s important to be thoughtful with your financial decisions during this time. Our clients typically want to maximize their new job opportunities so I’ve compiled a new job checklist based on some of the successes and pitfalls we’ve seen over years.
We Are Here to Help Navigate the Unexpected
Back in January, Addie forwarded a client email to me, “Can we set up a 30-minute call to go through stuff? We have some big life news -- we're moving to California within the next 4-6 weeks.”
Apparently, this client’s spouse (who I will refer to as Client #1) received an awesome job offer for a huge tech company so they decided to pack up their family and head out West. I was thrilled for both of them and immediately jumped into financial advisor mode. We’ve gone through many transitions like this over the years so I started working through my mental checklist…
How Do YOU Get Paid?
Merino Wealth’s 2019 Financial Kickoff!
Our theme was “What is Financial Planning?” We realized that Merino Wealth’s approach to financial planning can come across as a fuzzy concept. Many times it leads to the question “so what do you DO for clients?” To prepare for the event I looked at our approach from all angles. The outcome of financial planning is different from client to client, but I noticed some top benefits…
What’s New in 2019 for Small Business Owners
If you’re a business owner choosing a retirement plan can be challenging. Staying on top of it can be even more of a challenge. If 2018 was a great year for your business then you might be looking to increase your retirement contributions this year. Are you wondering “What is the maximum I can save into my Small Business Retirement plan?” If so, then you’ve come to the right place. Here’s a break down of the new contribution limits of some popular retirement plans for SBOs…
What’s New in 2019 with IRAs
Happy New Year! Now that 2018 is over it’s time to ring in the new year with new tax law changes. So if you woke up January 1st asking what’s changed then you’ve come to the right place. One big question that I hear all year round is “How much can I put into my 401(k)?” And if you asked me in December the number would’ve been different than it is today so read on for the answer…
What’s New in 2019 with Your 401(k)
Happy New Year! Now that 2018 is over it’s time to ring in the new year with new tax law changes. So if you woke up January 1st asking what’s changed then you’ve come to the right place. One big question that I hear all year round is “How much can I put into my 401(k)?” And if you asked me in December the number would’ve been different than it is today so read on for the answer…
"What Do They Actually Do For Their Clients?"
This is a really fun and exciting time around our office. After spending time with our loved ones for the holidays, we are back at work with New Year’s Resolutions and a new tax year. Through our financial planning process, it’s our goal to help clients make more comfortable and confident financial decisions. So when someone reaches out to us this January, we want to make all this money stuff easier. But what does that actually mean?