Foundation
This is the starting point. An abundance, rather than scarcity, mindset is crucial during this stage because it shapes subsequent actions. Get rid of self-limiting beliefs. Examine your personal and family values to formulate an overarching vision and set goals.
Strategies
The financial advice industry is filled with technical jargon and tactics to build financial net worth. We take these complex concepts and break them down into simple steps. Build wealth — without compromising your values — with these practical strategies.
Legacy
Individual goals and tactics are crucial to build and maintain wealth. However, they can be a little bit selfish. During the legacy stage, focus on others and the impact you may have. Go for broke and redefine “wealthy” as you take generosity to the next level.
Entrepreneurship
Are you an entrepreneur who puts family first? WorthyNest® founder and CPA financial planner Deb Meyer takes her hard-won experience to encourage other small business owners. Learn common pitfalls to avoid and fresh insights on this exciting entrepreneurial journey.
Articles by Topic
Forming a Foundation
Building wealth does take effort and intentionality, as well as a holistic approach. In this article, I want to offer three key steps to achieving your goal of financial wellness. But first, let’s take a deeper dive into the connection between financial health and physical health.
Are you contemplating a career change? Be sure to read this important article first for five considerations.
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you are likely familiar with the role of a financial advisor. In this guest blog post, Melissa Tosetti of The Savvy Life explains the role of a money coach, types of money coaches, and signs that perhaps you should hire one.
Values and goals are different for each family. And when trying to balance competing priorities of saving vs. spending, it is challenging to get it right. You may wonder how much to save per paycheck or if there’s a savings rule of thumb by age.
Redefining Family Wealth was written to transform the way you think about wealth. This labor of love was born out of my one-on-one work with WorthyNest® clients. In this post, I’ll be debunking the three biggest myths about money that are tripping up Christian families.
I don’t get out to the movies often but relish the few hours spent in a comfortable theater chair, sitting beside my two oldest boys. Recently, my sons and I saw the movie Abominable and absolutely loved it. This article explains my three biggest takeaways.
As Christians, it’s easy to think about faith through the lens of the first definition. You either trust in God or you don’t. But the alternate definition offers a new perspective on faith. Michael Kitces’ recently interviewed Diane MacPhee on the Financial Advisor Success Podcast, and Diane shared this related Indian fable…
Let’s turn to 10 questions you should ask when hiring a financial advisor. The exact list of questions is subjective. Try to gather as much data as you can in advance by reviewing a firm’s website and the LinkedIn profiles of its advisor(s).
Exploring Strategies
Uncertainty is an inevitable part of life—especially when it comes to economic policy. The recent implementation of 25% U.S. tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada has introduced a wave of unpredictability for businesses, investors, and consumers alike.
How will these changes impact industries? What does this mean for long-term economic growth? And more importantly, how can individuals make sound financial decisions amidst these uncertainties?
This post explores these questions, incorporating insights from Professor Douglas Irwin, a leading expert on trade policy, while offering timeless financial principles to help navigate economic uncertainty with confidence.
Can you believe Christmas is right around the corner? With the holiday season often comes gift giving. Resist the urge to spend beyond your means. Instead, embrace simplicity.
Know that you are not the only one who is anxious about this upcoming tax season. Below are four strategies to ease your tax season anxiety.
It’s valuable for each family to have a cash emergency fund that can be tapped for true emergencies – like a car breaking down or furnace repair in winter – but this needn’t be more than a few thousand dollars. Once you’ve comfortably saved for an unforeseen, short-term emergency, then you can turn your attention to bigger goals.
Let’s face it. Government healthcare programs are really not great. And the individual plans are expensive. So there are a lot of people exploring different options and looking for alternatives to traditional health insurance. If this is you, I invite you to weigh the costs and benefits of a healthcare sharing plan. In this post, we’ll be looking at how a healthcare sharing plan works and some considerations you may want to make before deciding to go with this option.
There are so many people who feel as though they will never get out from beneath all their debt. If this is you, I understand how you feel. I’ve had to sit with those feelings at times. But sitting inside that negative emotional space for too long can cause us to freeze, which leads to inaction… and can eventually lead to even more debt. So, I want to take this highly emotional topic and look at it objectively, from a higher-level perspective. My focus in this article will be to break down some preconceived notions about debt and give you some tips on managing debt.
These are the moments that make me a proud mama. It is my responsibility as a parent to create a safe, loving environment for my children to thrive. You are your son or daughter’s best teacher. Let’s explore five ways to raise healthy, responsible children.
There are only so many things within your control, and cash flow planning is one of them … regardless of whether we are officially in a recession or not. Budgeting wisely is crucial during your family wealth-building journey.
Budgeting is a sign of freedom where you are in the driver’s seat on spending and saving decisions. It’s your guidepost to build wealth as a family. [. . .] If budgeting evokes angst and contempt for you, it’s time for a new approach. Go read this article about how to budget without dread and come back when you’ve finished it.
An envelope budget system is a great tool for new college grads, even high school students who are working part-time. Learning this simple tool is a great way for young people to get started on the right trajectory.
Building Your Legacy
Many parents plan to leave a sizable inheritance to their children, but by the time that gift arrives, the greatest financial opportunities may have already passed. Discover how wise Christian stewardship can include helping adult children financially during life's pivotal seasons without creating dependence. Learn the difference between empowering your children with a meaningful one-time gift and enabling ongoing reliance, while balancing generosity with your own retirement security.
Quick gains have a natural allure. They catch our attention much like a business that appears to be racing ahead with dazzling speed and success.
When we see something moving fast and making impressive strides, it is easy to feel we will miss out on an opportunity that others are already capitalizing on if we don’t move quickly. This sense of urgency can be powerful, but it is important to pause and reflect on what lies beneath the surface.
Your family’s journey to financial independence will look different from your neighbors and friends. However, there are commonalities on the path to retirement that should be considered well before you resign or exit the business. In this post, I’ll be discussing seven items you should have on your pre-retirement checklist.
Do you ever struggle with the idea of stewardship? Are you ever concerned about responsibly using the financial resources God has entrusted to you? You most likely struggle because you know Jesus died for our sins, and you want your actions to serve him. You want to live generously and in alignment with the plan God has for your life.
There’s a lot to be said for maintaining the status quo. It’s comfortable. And familiar. It is a great place to be when things are going well in life.
But what if things are not going so well?
I do not know your particular struggle today, but I know you have one. What are you going to do to fix it?
People who have an abundance mindset see failures as opportunities to learn and grow. They take responsibility for their choices and forgive those who have wronged them.
An abundance mindset tends to come with more gratitude, contentment, generosity, and contribution.
Tragedies happen every day. Every hour. Every minute. It’s impossible for us to predict the future. But that doesn’t mean we can ignore the fact that death is one certainty of life.
Charitable giving surpassed $400 billion in 2020, which represents 2.1% of Gross Domestic Product (“GDP”). However, we’ve remained at this level for about 40 years. That’s too many years of too little progress.
As we reflect on this US holiday of independence, what does financial independence mean to you? Many people think retirement and financial independence are synonymous, but differences exist.
Learning to manage finances in a healthy way is an essential part of adult life. Yet, many children learn little to nothing about money in school growing up. This is why it's so important that parents take the time to teach their kids valuable money habits that will stick with them throughout their lives.
Growing a Business
How would you like a one-page snapshot to carefully vet new or existing small business ideas? Good news! The business model canvas (“BMC”) may be your solution. It’s a simple one-page sketch and is an excellent alternative to a lengthy, traditional business plan.
A business plan is typically at least a detailed 10-page document that can take some serious time and energy to complete. If you’re a solopreneur or a small business owner juggling a hundred other tasks, actually writing a business plan might sound… well, daunting.
I’m happy to tell you that there’s an alternative to a business plan. And it’s just one page long. Yes, a single page.
Regardless of the reason for hanging your own shingle, you’ve found some financial success along the way. You have steady, recurring revenue from a growing client base as a service-based entrepreneur. You are coming to the realization that there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish your business goals. You cannot personally serve any more clients without some help.
If you’re a working parent, you’ve probably wondered many times how to balance work and family. I have, too. And honestly? Trying to find this mysterious work-life balance was really discouraging. But I have a different perspective now than I once did. Instead of trying to achieve work-life balance, seek work-life happiness instead.
The real purpose of wealth is to create enough financial breathing room that you can spend less time worrying about money and more time enjoying the people who matter most.