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The Pros and Cons of Chapter 13, Credit Counseling, Consolidation Loans, Debt Settlement and Fiscal Fitness™

“Debt is like any other trap, easy enough to get into, but hard enough to get out of.”
-Henry Wheeler Shaw

Sometimes good people land in bad financial situations due to poor financial habits, or circumstances such as job loss, divorce, illness, death in the family, and so forth. They find themselves with seemingly unmanageable debt, sometimes accumulated over years, at other times, practically overnight, the result of a personal crisis or business loss:

A businessman who couldn’t get the funding he needed to complete an urgent business project when his business partner was hospitalized took out $200k in credit card draws on his excellent credit – right before his business partner died, the economy crashed, and sales went south. Continue Reading »

If you google “Prosperity Coach,” I’m at or near the top of the first page. Damn, I must be really good, right!? But I didn’t become a Prosperity Coach/Financial Healer because I have always been (or am even now) faultless with money and overflowing with oodles of it.

True confessions: I have my “tight” months. I have consumer debt (again.) Once a real estate investor with four properties, I had to sell one on a “short sale” and even lost a house to foreclosure in the recent market crash. So much for my pedestal.

Once “riding high,” with a healthy net worth and a sense of financial indestructibility (not unlike a teenager who doesn’t believe their luck will ever change), my luck did indeed change – dramatically. Perhaps God and the angels were saying, “We hear you want to help people who are financially stressed experience the reality of abundance… Are you SURE? Because we have a training program for that… but it might not be what you think!”

Sure enough, ten years after my divorce, when I thought I had this “money thing” all figured out, everything that could happen, did. Continue Reading »

I’ve been privileged to do some writing for Partner for Prosperity Inc.’s blog lately. Kim Butler and the team at P4P don’t do “typical financial planning.” They are follow the principles of “Prosperity Economics” rather than the less effective financial models that have led so many to find themselves at the mercy of a volatile stock market, or with their money inaccessible when they need it most.

I’d love to share my guest post with you: “Prosperity and Abundance: Three Keys to Think and Grow Rich.”. These three keys truly are the secret to building wealth (or creating anything you want in your life!)

And be sure to poke around the blog while you’re there… my guest post is sandwiched between other posts on P4P’s 7 Principles of Prosperity, which provide a practical guideline to making wise financial decisions. There’s also some fantastic information on Life Settlements and other alternative investments.

prosperity-packAlso, don’t miss the opportunity to sign up for Partners for Prosperity, Inc.’s Prosperity Pack! You’ll get a podcast overview and a Summary Sheet of the 7 Principles, an audio report from Kim Butler and Robert Kiyosaki on “Creating Your Prosperity,” and more!

I am still reeling from the events of last month. I knew that our relationship with money was important, but just how important has been driven home to me in a shocking way.

cruise-ship-suicideMy father went on vacation in April with his “little sister,” my aunt Faye (not her real name). She found an incredible deal for a 15-day Panama Canal cruise – 80% off on a trip from Puerto Rico to San Diego. She booked a suite for two on the back of the cruise ship (where they could view BOTH continents from their private deck) and first-class flights for both of them.

The smiled, they laughed, they ate (and ate and ate!) They had the trip of a lifetime. And on the final night of the cruise, after my father went to bed, Aunt Faye slipped out to the deck for some fresh air. Then she climbed overboard, and let go.

The next morning, my father awoke to find her missing, and her bed not slept in. He alerted the ship and they began to page her. Surely she was just on the internet, enjoying coffee on the deck, or somewhere curled up in a lounge chair asleep. Continue Reading »

valentineschocolatesValentine’s Day used to be really hard.

I’ve been single for 13 years (I’m divorced), and today, I realized how far I’ve come.

Several years ago, If “that special guy” didn’t call, ask me out, or plan something, I felt lousy. Unimportant. Hurt. Maybe even angry.

If I was on a Valentine’s date that wasn’t going the way I wanted it to, my expectations produced frustration. If I spent the evening home alone, I was sad.

Scarcity shows up in all sorts of ways (money, love, time…). So does abundance and prosperity. Continue Reading »

woman_paying_bills A friend of mine, who happens to be a successful, self-employed business owner, was the victim of financial fraud. Not from a stranger, but from someone he knew very well.

When his daughter suddenly requested more money for college expenses, he suggested a later time to discuss her request. However, his daughter’s mother – his ex-wife – had a more immediate solution to his daughter’s cash flow needs. After all, she knew her ex’s social security number and could imitate his signature.

When my friend discovered what had happened, he did not lay down like a doormat as the ex had hoped. He took legal action.

It was complicated (for everyone), embarrassing (for her), and frankly, the only self-respecting option he had. More than happy to discuss and provide for his childrens’ real needs, he was not about to be taken to the bank in such an underhanded way. He stood up for himself, and righted the wrong, removing the item from his financial record, and placing the responsibility with the person who had signed the fraudulent loan papers.

Shortly after hearing this story, I met someone else, a middle-aged woman. She was exhausted, working three jobs. Continue Reading »

Contemplations about Freedom and How to “Begin It.”

Girl holding American flag.

If you’re reading this blog post on a computer in the U.S., you already have advantages and freedoms that many in the world can’t take for granted.

First of all, you can read. (A few Middle Eastern and African countries are still debating whether girls should be taught to read….)

Second, you have electricity. (I love my annual Orcas Island camping trip, but flashlights and porta-potties get old after a few days.)

Third, you have a computer, or at least, computer access. (Anyone over 30 will remember the time known as “B.C.” – before computers!)

Furthermore, nobody’s making you read this. It’s not government-approved propaganda. Continue Reading »

Ten Tips to Get Your Bookkeeping, Taxes, and Bill-Paying Done!

A funny thing happened on the way to getting my taxes done…

financial-anxiety_stomach-ache

Some kind of “tummy bug” hit. Not that awful have-to-sit-on-the-toilet-with-a-bucket-in-your-lap flu that leaves you wondering what else your body could possibly purge, but a milder I-just-don’t-have-an-appetite-and-my-stomache-kinda-hurts thing.

Now, with all the “work” I’ve done with my relationship with money, I’m pretty conscious about how my mind, body, emotions, and financial world fit together. Was I resisting doing my taxes? Continue Reading »

four-leaf-cloverHappy St Patrick’s Day! I’m part Irish – how about you?

Today seems like a good day to ask…

Does it seem like some people just “have all the luck?” (And it’s usually not you!?) If you’d like to increse you luck and literally, your “good fortune,” read on.

I have a “G.R.A.T.I.T.U.D.E. Formula” comprised of 9 steps to increase prosperity and abundance in every area of life. And the first step has everything to do with increasing your luck and opening yourself up to more of the green stuff, regardless of your ethnic heritage. As a matter of fact, it’s something I always recommend to my self-employed clients who want to start or increase the flow of money in their business…

Ready? (It’s the “G” of the G.R.A.T.I.T.U.D.E. Formula…) Continue Reading »

(I’ll bet you can’t say THAT three times fast….)
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What a great month this has been, I’ve been asked to partner with Rachelle, then Robin, and now… The Sisters of Sizzle Talk Radio Show! If you’re not yet familiar with the Sisters or what they’re cooking up in March, well, let me tell you all about it, because they have five shows dedicated to Women and Their Money. Continue Reading »

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