Michael Rivas, Author at FIGuide

Why It’s Important to Teach Your Kids Early About the Value of Money and How to Do It

Jul 13 2020

Our children see us order something new from Amazon. A few clicks on the computer, and it arrives in two days. They watch us insert a card into a machine at the store and we take home whatever we wanted. Then there are those ATMs at every turn ready to disperse cash with a magic PIN.

Adults know how difficult it can be to earn money. Still, our children see that easy access and often assume that making money is just as simple as pushing a button.

By age 3 your child understands basic money concepts. By age 7, many …

A Little Relaxation and Vacation Can Get You Back on Track

Jun 05 2020

For many, 2020 has been hugely stressful, and the benefits of taking time off are often underestimated. When life gives us unexpected turns, one of the best things we can do is use the opportunity to take a step back and relax. Taking time off from our place of employment gives us the means to do precisely that.

For those of us still able to do it safely, vacation and travel provide a tremendous benefit. If you cannot safely get away, merely taking time off to relax at home can have benefits. Whether you stay …

Career Change and Pocket Change: Financial Advice for Career Shifters

Feb 06 2020

The new year always gets people talking and thinking about changes they would like to make. For some, that means finally getting serious about leaving a career for which they are no longer passionate. For others, it may mean devoting time to an entrepreneurial endeavor, business start-up, or even a capital intensive passion project.

If you count yourself among either of these groups, I’ve got some advice to make that transition a lot easier on your finances.

Depending on how dire your situation is, and how desperate you are to change, these steps can feel lengthy. But ideally, no career …

Don’t Let Identity Theft Ruin the Holidays

Nov 07 2019

As you gear up for the busiest shopping time of the year, managing your money involves more than just setting and sticking to a budget.

Thieves, knowing that the holidays make us distracted shoppers, are just waiting for you to make the slightest slip-up that allows them to access your finances. That explains the 22 percent spike in holiday ID theft from 2016 to 2017.

Couple this with the fact that 53 percent of all holiday shopping now happens online (a hacker’s paradise!) and the odds are pretty good that even the wisest of us might make our wallets a …

Are Two Heads Always Better Than One?

Mar 08 2019

If you’ve ever had a roommate and/or been married, you know how hard it can be for two people to work together for what is (hopefully) a mutually beneficial goal. Whether it’s to save money on rent, or simply because you love and want to build a life with someone, we enter into these interpersonal arrangements with the best of intentions to compromise with and respect our partner to achieve the best possible outcome.

Yet, based on the estimated 50% divorce rate in America, those intentions clearly don’t always pan out.

Why, then, do we think that a business partnership …

Author - Michael Rivas