Money Rules Don't Rule

We update listeners about some upcoming changes to the show.  Tune in! And, a bit of info about Estate Plans: if you have assets, you have an estate. If you have an estate, you need a plan for it. According to a recent survey [http://blog.acadviser.com/26-must-know-statistics-about-estate-planning], 55% of Americans who pass away do so without an estate plan. To make matters worse, nearly 72% of Americans don't have an up-to-date will.

What is Microlending?  It was pioneered in developing countries as small loans at low interest rates.  Access to credit was now available to everyone, not just those with unblemished records.  Our guest today is Aanish Shamim [https://www.eojannus.org/aanish-shamim/], a Microloan Processor at Economic Opportunity [https://www.eojannus.org/], a program of Jannus [https://www.jannus.org/] in Boise, Idaho.  The EO Program provides access to credit to support financial resilience, especially when on hard times. Join us as we take a closer look at this largely unknown resource and how it's working to bolster communities.

Talking about money is hard!  In the early stages of a relationship, talking about money and your habits and expectations around it can be as helpful in deciding compatibility with someone as your shared interests.  In the middle stages, figuring out who manages daily finances can be a solo or shared task, while at end of life, knowing where the money is or having someone who can help you navigate that when a spouse dies can be immensely helpful.  In short, money is a part of our relationships, all of our days! Tune in to find out what our current household money conversations are about, and tricks we've learned to help us roll with the waves.

Lifestyle Creep is sneaky! It’s natural to increase your spending as your income rises. After all, we work hard to buy and do the things we love in life. However, when higher spending happens mindlessly, rather than intentionally, it becomes problematic. Lifestyle creep easily shows up in large purchases, like a home or nicer car, but it also materializes with smaller price tags, like eating out, buying more expensive clothing, or subscription services. It doesn’t happen overnight, so lifestyle creep can really "creep" up on you if you’re not intentionally keeping an eye out for it. To limit subscription spending, TrueBill is an example of a resource to help mange this. We also explore how, "living paycheck to paycheck" means something different to everyone.

An entrepreneur is someone who undertakes a project, typically one that requires effort. Most people have thought about being an entrepreneur at some time or another. In fact, nearly 71% of Americans said they'd rather be self-employed than be an employee (yet only 7% are self-employed!). There's no right way to be an entrepreneur, but if you have an idea, are willing to take a risk, and put in the work to usher it through to the end, then you can be an entrepreneur. Sources include: https://20somethingfinance.com/self-employment-poll/