Real Estate Q&A: Concerning '20-Somethings'

Kelsey is a 20-year-old senior working toward a bachelor’s degree in Financial Planning at the University of Central Oklahoma. Recently, I sat down with her to gain some insight on real estate concerns and questions facing young professionals in her age group. This is what she had to say: 

Power to the People!

If there’s one thing I’d love to see happen in the world, it would be having regular people (just your run-of-the-mill, everyday Americans), who I feel have been completely overlooked over the years, taking back their power. 

How? By voting Wells Fargo out of business one at a time by closing their accounts. 

Just A Movie

Last month, a client and her husband went to see a movie with another couple. The other couple chose the location: Warren Theatre in Midwest City. (That is all the way across town, for those not familiar.) 

Both couples live in Edmond near the Quail Springs Mall area. On the way to the Warren in Midwest City, they would be passing several perfectly good movie theatres (that were significantly cheaper!). My client and her husband thought about suggesting a different theatre. But not wanting to be difficult, they stuck with their friends’ suggestion.  

Cash v. Plastic

How much are you REALLY spending?

"I Don't Want to Hear That!"

What are two of the biggest sources of revenue in the state of Oklahoma?   

Oil and gas is one, naturally. And the other? Agriculture. 

Smart Phone Fire Drill

Here’s a story I’m sure most of us can relate to. About a month ago a coworker and I were on our way back from a conference and stopped at a restaurant in Automobile Alley for lunch. I reached for my phone, but it wasn’t in my pocket. I went out to the car,  thinking I’d left it there – no luck. So I went back into the restaurant and my coworker called my phone. No answer.

BB King Plan

About 15 years ago I had the privilege of getting to see BB King live from the 4th row center of the Oklahoma City Civic Center.  WOW – you can pick up a lot from being that close!  Sadly, he passed away four years ago. But his legacy is one that still impacts us all today.

Prosperity for Some

You’ve probably heard, either through tweets from a certain President or in the press, that the U.S. economy is humming along at a healthy pace.  Stock indices are breaching record highs, unemployment statistics are near record lows, and the economy is growing at nearly a 3% annualized pace.  

Sounds great, right? I mean, for all intents and purposes, American workers should be happy with their newfound prosperity...

I think you see the “BUT” that is coming. 

Marble for Dale Carnegie Days

The other day I came across an award I got during my Dale Carnegie days. It’s a marble. A simple little thing, with a whole lot of meaning. 

Water Worlds

The hunt for Earth-like planets continues! This fascinating article I came across discusses how scientists are focusing their search for life on planets that, like ours, happen to be close enough to their sun that liquid water can form.  

But now, based on computer simulations at Harvard University, scientists are beginning to realize that some of those planets may be almost all water and no land.

End of Life Decisions

“There is a big walnut tree by a pond near Middleburg, OK where I want to be chained if my mind goes.  Chained so I won’t wander off and have some well-intended do-gooder try and “help” me.  Leave me there with love so I can go on my spirit journey and not die in a warehouse for old people.”   

Retirement Patchwork

Depending on your age, this may be a bit of a stretch, but go with me on this for a minute: picture retirement. 

Getting Together Online

Love is in the air…And the wind that brings it is changing.  In fact, according to this study by Stanford University, that change is coming at a record pace. 

Grandmother's Account Book

Not long ago I was meeting with a client, and she pulled out a little handbook. In that book were pages of monetary figures. When I asked her about the ledgers, she explained that this is how she helps her grandkids understand and keep track of their money.

Crypto Legitimacy?

Most investment managers and financial planners avoid bitcoins as an investment or a currency, for a few reasons. 

Out of Africa

Recently, a client and her husband got back from a 2-week safari trip to Kenya and Tanzania. As she regaled me with stories from their travels (and there were many, as you can imagine), we happened upon a subject that she’d found particularly interesting. 

Kenya, she said, was far more English than she’d expected. 

Is Following the Rules Enough?

While on a flight not long ago, I noticed the lady seated next to me was reading the card in the back of the seat in front of her about the different airplane models and configurations.  It is not often I have seen that before, but in light of the recent issues with the Boeing Max Air I asked her if she was comfortable with the plane we were on.  

Health Savings Account Benefits: What's in it for YOU?

Determining the best healthcare coverage plan can be difficult. Often, consumers choose a healthcare plan without really knowing what the upcoming year has in store for their family’s health.

That kind of goes without saying, right? 

Retirement is Coming - Are You Prepared?

Hot off the presses! 

New research released by the Certified Financial Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board), in collaboration with global research firm Morning Consult, confirms that Americans are not prepared for retirement.  

Thoughtful Decision-Making

A few weeks ago, I was meeting with my state legislators. Eventually, the subject of our conversation turned to Oklahoma’s voting process – or more accurately: how ridiculously difficult that process is.

Live More

Recently I watched a movie called Woman Walks Ahead, a 2017 American biographical drama film directed by Susanna White and written by Steven Knight.

The movie tells the story of a woman named Catherine Weldon, who’s a portrait painter from 1890s Brooklyn. She travels to Dakota to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull and in the process becomes embroiled in the Lakota peoples’ struggle over the rights to their land.

Grandma's Hankie

This is a story that demonstrates the significant value of what WE do as financial planners and how meaningful the human connection is for both the giver and receiver.

Tax Returns: Taking Care of What's YOURS

Tax season is in full swing once again. For many people it’s a stressful experience of hair-pulling proportions. It’s unavoidable, but there is an enticement: the potential refund a taxpayer receives after filing their return.