RichardCByrne.com

Just participated in a virtual seminar which include a guide visualization to visit my "future self." A good exercise. What kind of place are you in ? How does it look, sound, smell, feel? And what does your future self tell you. What would you want to ask them? What would they tell you about yourself today? I'd hope it would all be encouraging, as in fact it was for me. But it wouldn't have been, had I done it a few years ago. And yours might not be. But look for what encouragement your future self will give you. When you find that, what does it tell you about what you're doing and feeling now? What do you want to change? What do you want to keep doing or feeling more of?

So, this page has been inactive for some time. During tax season (which was extended this year, as you probably know) I have been very busy. Not affected more than the general population by COVD-19. The tax offices where I work id not close, but stopped doing in-person appointments.Lots of cleaning and masks.
Anyhow, I'm back and planning to make a few posts a week. The pandemic has had such effects on the economy, and personal economies for many of us, that there is plenty to talk about. If you'd like to see a particular financial issue addressed, especially how you've dealt with the challenges or want to exchange ideas about it, go ahea and post or reply!

This is more about the "energy" part of my book title (and I ask myself this, as well as asking readers): What is holding you back from reaching your vision or goals ? Some ideas from a pamphlet I received in one of my 12-step programs on money:
External interference-- just trying to maintain what I have now, so no attention to vision or goals. And, addictions, compulsive behaviors, codependent relationships.
(Q: What is the payoff to "staying busy" or of any of those other things? What's the cost of giving them up, and how much would that be worth?)

Internal interference-- memory of past failures, no vision or more than one, confusion about my vision. (Q: What's the payoff to staying confused, or of being stuck in the past? What's the cost of giving those things up, and how much would that be worth?)

Comments or questions welcome.

So, the stock market took a big hit the last couple of weeks. Is it Trump's tariffs? Are we heading for a recession? I got a call from someone scared about losing a lot of value in his accounts.
Well, nobody has a crystal ball. Yeah, we may be heading that way. But here's where facts and figures have to cross paths with feelings and energy.
I said I didn't think it was worth losing sleep over. If you are, then get your money out. Getting stuck in a negative cycle of low energy is worse than losing a few dollars in potential value.
What makes the markets move? People's feelings, as the bottom line. If your intuition is to take less risk, take less risk. But if you're seeing more opportunity by staying in, or by spending on an opportunity, do that. No "right" or "wrong" in these things. Trust your inner voice, higher power, or whatever you think is beyond just your first thoughts that cause you to panic.

One thing I don't discuss much in my book is planning for college expenses. But I want to share some info. I got at a gathering of local parents, students and alumni at my son's college, Bowdoin, in Brunswick, ME. It's one of only 18 schools in the country that has a policy of "need-blind" admissions and "no loan" financing of the education.

The "need-blind" part means that, when a student interviews, the admissions office has no information on the family's financial status. There's no quota of so many financial aid students and so many full-paying students. So the entering class could be all one or all the other.

The no loan part is obvious. For example, my son received a grant for financial aid, and worked on campus, but he's graduating with no student loan debt!

This is all made possible, of course, by generous endowments and contributions. I wonder that more schools (especially highly endowed ones) do not do that.
Now, these are very selective schools, and in Bowdoin's case, quite small. But if you have a brilliant student but limited finances, these schools are real possibilities. And less pressure for graduating students, who don't go into their careers with a burden of student loan debt.

Bottom line: If you have a student looking at top-tier schools, but are worried about how to pay for them, look into some that have one or both of these policies.