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We say- each and every day, all days start on their own. My father being an avid golfer used to tell me “Son, you are only as good as the day you tee it up. Past performances are nice, but what have you got for me today.”  My brothers and I used to think that was a bit harsh, yet it had a solid element of truth to it. Godin adds: “After you’ve done your best work, and its still not enough… after you’ve written the best memo/blog post/novel/screenplay you can possibly imagine writing… after you’ve contributed your pithiest insight or gone on your best blind date…and it still hasn’t worked…You really have no choice,  but to do it again. To do your best work again, as impossible and unfair as that seems. It compounds over time. Best work followed by best work followed by more best work, is far more useful and generous, than merely doing your best work once and insisting we understand you.” Now understand, that you might not be at your best, each and every day (that’s impossible). To TRY, is what’s most important. And that is also, how improvement happens. A beginning jogger starts out running 10 minute miles and quickly improves to 9.5 then 9,8,7. At some point she levels off, and can’t always beat the previous days efforts. Just some days are better, and some are worse than others. The key though– is to always TRY to give it your best.

As we honor mothers this weekend, take time to get some advice from mom.  First, women are better savers…according to Fidelity women save 8.3% of their salary while men save 7.9%.  That little difference can add up to thousands and thousands of dollars over time.  Second, according to a recent Betterment study, women signed onto their accounts 45% less frequently and changed their allocations 20% less often than men.  Keep on saving every chance you can and keep it simple, sage advice from the women in your life.

Now-a-days, everything is getting simpler as competition pushes people to come up with the latest and greatest solutions to today’s problems. The rush for the next big idea is sweeping the banking industry as companies like Venmo and Square are becoming household names, as they’re observed taking over millennial’s phones and monetary transactions. Apple and Google have even come up with their own payment methods, making external money management virtually obsolete. Apple pay makes buying simpler by confirming a purchase at a compatible register with a simply double click of the home button on your iPhone. This simplistic one-touch confirmation is what is sweeping to banking industry. With Venmo, it is now as easy to pay your debts as it is to send a text message. All you need to do is find the person who you owe on the app, write the amount you owe them, or they owe you, and send it for them to confirm. Just like that the debt is paid for. The only thing required to use this technology is to simply plug in your credit/debit card information and/or hook the system up to your bank account and you’re golden. But with all of this information out there, isn’t it sort of dangerous? That may be one reason why the new technological trend isn’t picking up too much steam with the older generations. The 2015 Makovsky Wall Street Study, under the section covering millennial’s habits, said that 49% of millennial consumers would consider using financial services options from companies such as Google and Apple, whereas only 16% of older consumers would consider doing the same. Is there true safety in the mobile/web based platforms, or are we looking at a volcano waiting to erupt? We’ve been on to this mobile banking system for a few years […]

The modern day firework is predominantly used during warmer weather festivities; a majority of it stemming from America’s Independence Day. Though the flaming, unstable missiles are very dangerous, they are also very entertaining. Now-a-days pyrotechnicians are able to produce explosions in a multitude of shapes and colors, with the couple’s favorite: a heart with cupid’s arrow through it. The creative spectacles are often accompanied by a grilled food of choice and a large gathering of well spirited people. All the activities of the Fourth celebration culminate into the conclusive and enticing fireworks in the night sky, so with the bit of knowledge you may have retained from this article let’s put aside the things that pull us apart and go out and enjoy the weekend. Happy 4th!

As if we haven’t emphasized it enough, nothing is more important than strategically planning your savings. But many of us see this as time consuming, tedious, or just not worth it. But we here at Dollar Investment Club are telling you that IT IS. And luckily for you, we have a simple but effective way to improve your ability to save, even if it’s just a dollar at a time. The secret? A Little Black Book. No, not the type of “little black book” you’re thinking of, but a journal you can carry around day to day and keep track of every purchase you make. This will make you much more conscious of every purchase you make, because you need to make the effort to pull out your journal and write down how much you spent. Next thing you know, you skip buying that candy bar at the gas station, or you realize how much your spending on Starbuck’s coffee. If you can stick to this and consistently and accurately make notes, you’ll slowly but surely find yourself saving more money than you ever expected. This idea is explored in detail by Darren Hardy, the publisher of SUCCESS magazine and author of The Compound Effect. He has applied this to many of his mentees and used this practice himself, even outside of finance! Taking notes on any of your actions can help you achieve your goals, whether it’s losing weight, getting ahead at work, or even writing a song. With the help of your little black book, you’ll begin to see small yet significant changes in your daily routine. Maybe you’ll skip the chips and replace them with vegetables, or you spend less time watching mindless TV and go for a run or read. These small changes aren’t going to […]