Can You Afford to Get Divorced?

When you make the painful decision to file for divorce, you know there will be some expenses, namely legal fees. But, the end of a marriage can trigger all sorts of costs, many of which soon-to-be-ex spouses don’t anticipate because they are (understandably) mired in the emotional aspects of splitting up. One big increased expense […]

Smart Money Guide: How to Plan Your Financial Future

When it comes to managing, investing and budgeting money, a little bit of planning and some advice from financial experts can go a long way. Take a look at our Smart Finances Guide below for tips and other advice that can help you plan your financial future accordingly. Interested in learning more and making savvier financial decisions? […]

Considering Online Crowdfunding? Read This First

Over the past few years, fundraising websites have leapt en masse to the forefront of the donating world. Although early iterations such as Indiegogo and Kickstarter, originally created to support funding of the arts, have been around for nearly a decade, newer sites like GoFundMe and YouCaring have become effective ways for people to finance […]

Want to Build Self-Confidence? Strike a Power Pose

Harvard researcher and author Amy Cuddy lives in a world where people spontaneously pose like Wonder Woman when they encounter her. Her email inbox is stuffed with stories from strangers detailing how she helped them get the part, job, promotion, date and much more. Her celebrity is largely due to the 2012 TED Talk she gave […]

Charting a Course for Family Giving

Affluent families have long supported the notion of giving back to society as a way of expressing appreciation for their good fortune. Nurturing a tradition of family giving — of both assets and time — may bring a family closer together and develop a shared value system that can be passed down to future generations. Identifying Your […]

Why Organic Farming is a Top Choice for Socially Conscious Investors

Sometimes, investing in the stock market can feel so nebulous — where is your money really going and how is it being used? Dave Miller, a former finance and real estate executive, started seriously pondering those questions about a decade ago after he purchased some farmland in Iroquois County, Illinois. He converted the land to […]

Does Change Stress You Out? How to Reframe Life Transitions

You’re being transitioned. I’m in transition. The word “transition” has taken on a negative connotation in the American vernacular as something imposed or forced — beyond one’s control. In the movie “Up in the Air,” George Clooney plays a suited shark who fires people for a living. He forces people out of their livelihood with […]

Mesirow Financial’s New Strategy: Make Money While You Change the World

Steven Mesirow, grandson of Norman Mesirow, founder of the eponymous Chicago-based financial firm, is honoring the values he inherited from his grandfather in an innovative way. Mesirow says his grandfather espoused three key management principles: Be good to your employees; Treat your customers how you would like to be treated; Give back to your community. […]

The Surprising Way You're Hurting Your Kid’s GPA

If you want your children to do well in college, the answer may lie not in what you give them — but in what you withhold. A recent study found that as parental financial support increases, students’ GPAs often decrease. University of California, Merced sociology professor Laura Hamilton, who conducted the study, says that when parents […]