Because I'm Worth It

I know a lot of superwomen. We pride ourselves on shouldering the challenges of career, family, charity, and friends with nary a hair out of place. Complaining about this is really a form of bragging. Secretly we don't want to change anything because being needed makes us feel secure.Superwomen are...

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"Who Spends $1,000 on a Necklace?"

“Not me.” That was the answer given by a New York woman when she contemplated buying such a necklace while on a trip to Italy. Did she love the necklace? Absolutely. Did she have the money? She did – that wasn’t the problem. The obstacle was that she didn’t see herself as the kind of person who...

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Stressed About Money? Keep It to Yourself.

I feel a lot of sympathy for Therese Borchard. She wrote a piece in the Huffington Post today about How to Cope with Financial Panic and Recession Anxiety. Borchard is not a financial advisor or a mental health professional (as far as I can tell), but she has been treated for Depression and she keeps...

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Listen In! Amanda to be featured on Voice America Radio

I will be featured on tomorrow's broadcast of The Kitchen Table Entrepreneur, a Voice America radio show hosted by Jackie Rogers. The episode is titled "Mind Over Money" and I'll be on for the full hour. The Kitchen Table Entrepreneur features topics related to entrepreneurism, freelance employment,...

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Paying for "Protection"

Did you know that the average overdraft amount is $17 but that the average overdraft penalty fee is $34? Does that seem right to you?At this very moment there are several pieces of important banking legislation being crafted in Congress. Two in particular, H.R. 627 (the Credit Cardholders Bill of...

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How to be Successful in Conversations About Money

This Wednesday I will be taking part in a panel discussion titled "Yours, Mine, and Ours - Money and Relationships." The panel is presented by Barnard College's Young Alumnae Committee Office of Financial Fluency (don't you just love it?). I'll be presenting with my colleagues and friends, MP Dunleavey...

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Growing Pains

Yesterday the Dow closed at 7,100, and man, was I mad. I felt disappointed, angry, and resentful. Is it irrational to have these strong feelings about a non-human entity? You betcha. Is it a little crazy to feel like the market's "behavior" is out of line? Sure, but I would wager I'm not the only one...

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Are You Worth It?

MP Dunleavey has a great article in the NY Times today (subs. req.) about why debt seems to “stick” to some people but not others. Debt may be the result of your negative cash flow, she posits, but it may also be tied to the “emotional underbelly” of your spending.T. Harv Ecker says something similar...

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