Weekly Roundup

Blog Round-Up: April 16, 2015

Blog Round-Up: April Edition

I hope everyone survived Tax Day. It’s always a hectic time of the year, and I’m not even a CPA. Of course, I know almost every single one of you wants to forget about taxes and the IRS until next year, but as I’ve shared before, being tax savvy is more than just filing on time. It’s having an ongoing strategy that considers tax implications now and in the future. I created an entire series on taxes to help you earlier this year because understanding your tax reality is part of becoming Financially Real.

Last week was Spring Break for the girls, so it was great to spend some extra time with them. We stayed close to home this year and spent a few days at Alisal Ranch in Santa Ynez Valley near Santa Barbara. We had a great time and it was so nice to unwind. And now it’s back to playing catch-up, but it was so worth it!

A Few Good Reads

Here are some of my favorite posts. Enjoy!

Travis at Enemy of Debt reminded us that A Parent’s Job Is Never Done. Sometimes we forget what may be obvious to us, may not be to them, and we need to demonstrate some basic skills to help our kids transition successfully to adulthood.

Lauren from LBee and the Money Tree shared How I Paid off $8k in 90 Days. Sound impossible? Lauren walks you through how she did it and the opportunities it created for her. Congratulations, Lauren!

Michelle over at Fit Is the New Poor wrote a Dear Daughter: 10 Money Mistakes I Hope You Never Make letter to her unborn child. Great advice here and I know Michelle is not only going to be a great Mom but also a great financial role model.

Erin had a great staff post at Young Adult Money on Why Parents Should Consider Their Financial Needs First. This is one of the hardest things for parents to do but it is important they do so. Kids need financial stability more than new toys or gadgets.

Natalie aka The Finance Girl shared how she is Preparing to Become a Leader Ahead of Time. I love the 12 characteristics she outlines and these traits are ones we all need to embody whatever our role may be.

Well, that’s a wrap for this week. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Shannon

April 17, 2015  •  7 Comments  •  Weekly Roundup

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Comments

  1. Friday, April 17th, 2015
    LOVE these posts, Shannon. Michelle's Dear Daughter post was a great spin on writing and made it super enjoyable to read. And as always - I love a good debt-payoff story (who doesn't)? Thank you so much for including my post this week! I'm flattered. Also - since I haven't been commenting lately, I haven't had the chance to tell you how awesome your re-design looks. I love it!
    • Shannon Ryan
      Monday, April 20th, 2015
      Thanks, Natalie! I think the redesign looks great too. :) I loved Michelle's Dear Daughter letter, which will be wonderful for Michelle to share with her in the future.
  2. Friday, April 17th, 2015
    I enjoyed reading Enemy of Debt's article A Parent’s Job Is Never Done. It reminded me that I have so many responsibilities for kids to grow up really well. And, patience is a virtue in this challenge of parents.
    • Shannon Ryan
      Monday, April 20th, 2015
      Yes, it was a good reminder to me as well. There are lots of things we assume kids should understand but that's not always the case. They do need us to guide them and set expectations.
  3. Saturday, April 18th, 2015
    Ugh my taxes are an ongoing challenge. I have a post going up in a few weeks about my most recent debacle: they lost one of my quarterly tax payments. Cashed the check and have no idea where it went. Add that to my depreciation miss the past two years and taxes have become a year-round activity (and that's not counting planning for next year!). Thanks for sharing Erin's post. I thought it was a really great one for both parents and "eventual" parents (like myself). It's interesting how much of a dynamic kids play in finances. Hope you are having a great weekend!
    • Shannon Ryan
      Monday, April 20th, 2015
      I'm so sorry to hear about your ongoing tax issues, DC. I can't believe they lost a quarterly tax payment - that has got to hurt! I very much enjoyed Erin's post and it's a topic that always very much debated because it's one that if often easier to understand than do. :)
  4. Monday, April 20th, 2015
    I'm going to be filing single for tax year 2015 and it's the first time in 15 years. I've been told to change my allowances to 0. Is there an accurate way to determine which way to set my allowances?

    On a side note, I've been looking into becoming a CFP. What is your advice and best way to go about it? Love the blog!
Shannon Ryan SHANNON RYAN, CFP®
  • Meet Shannon

    "As a Certified Financial Planner, it is my passion to help individuals and families build a healthy relationship with money. I look forward to helping you raise financially confident kids.” - Shannon Ryan