Finance Explained
S4-11: Teaching Kids the Value of Money & Budgeting Resources
On this week’s episode of Finance Explained, Meghan discussed the financial pressures during the holiday season, emphasizing the importance of tracking spending and creating a personalized budget. She also recommended finance and investing books for young couples and stressed the importance of teaching children about the value of money. Meghan highlighted the need for teenagers to…
Read More >>>S4-10: Budgeting for the Holidays & Choosing a 529 Plan
On this week’s episode of Finance Explained, Meghan discussed concerns about rising HELOC interest rates. Meghan discussed the challenges many families face this holiday season due to inflation and uncertainty in the economy, encouraging individuals to set their own boundaries with their personal finances when budgeting for the holidays. Meghan discussed the best type of account…
Read More >>>S4-9: US Consumer Credit Rising, Finance in Mainstream Media & Planners vs. Advisors
On this week’s episode of Finance Explained, Meghan discussed the operation of a 529 Plan, how to save money on school photos, the WeWork bankruptcy and its implications for commercial real estate and banks more broadly. She also covered the differences between a financial planner and a financial advisor and the latest from the Fed…
Read More >>>S4-8: Rising Interest Rates, Velocity Banking & HELOCs
At the request of Family Finance Mom followers, I am now posting LIVE Q&A replays as podcast episodes! To submit your question, be sure to follow me @FamilyFinanceMom on Instagram. Look for the question box in my stories ahead of LIVE Q&A every Wednesday at 9AM ET. On today’s episode, Meghan discusses the current economy, the…
Read More >>>S4-7: Federal Deficits, International Aid & HSAs
At the request of Family Finance Mom followers, I am now posting LIVE Q&A replays as podcast episodes! To submit your question, be sure to follow me @FamilyFinanceMom on Instagram. Look for the question box in my stories ahead of LIVE Q&A every Wednesday at 9AM ET. On today’s episode, we talked about the likelihood of…
Read More >>>S3-5: What Drives Gas Prices?
Gas prices have been on a roller coaster ride in 2022. In the first half of 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drove energy prices to their highest point in well over a decade. Ongoing supply chain disruptions, lingering from the pandemic, and shuttered refining capacity translated those oil prices into all-time high gas prices at…
Read More >>>S3-4: Q3 GDP Surprise, Bear Market Rally & A Deep Dive on How to Get Scholarships for College
As October neared its close last week, markets rallied to post positive monthly returns for just the third time this year. Is it a bear market rally or have we seen the bottom and are we on our way to recovery? Behind the rally? We had a positive Q3 GDP surprise and a range of…
Read More >>>S3-3: What is OPEC, the Labor Market & A Deep Dive on the Importance of Understanding Our Economy
It was another eventful week for the markets and global economy last week. OPEC+ made waves economically and politically with its announcement to cut oil production, major employment releases sent mixed messages on the labor market, and more on the Twitter / Musk buyout as the saga continues. To learn more on all of these,…
Read More >>>S3-2: Bear Market, the British Pound & A Deep Dive on Estate and Will Planning
It feels like I start every week off this way lately, but last week was a newsworthy one for financial markets in many ways. All major US stock indices – the Dow, S&P 500, and the Nasdaq – are all firmly in bear market territory. Market volatility continues to remain high, and last week was…
Read More >>>S3-1: Is the US Economy Currently in a Recession?
After my annual summer hiatus, there’s one question I have been getting more than any other: are we in a recession? By traditional historical measures, knowing what happens during a recession, the short answer is likely yes. But the official group that declares recessions has not yet, so what are they waiting for? Here are…
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