Easy Change

I've taken the first big steps this past memorial day weekend with regard to estate planning. I've drawn up a will and durable power of attorney and went to the bank to get the documents appropriately notorized. Since I am young, I truly do not anticipate needing these documents any time soon. But given that this has been on my list for a long time, it is good to make sure that this is taken care of. The next step is to get my own personal life insurance policy. I have some through work, but I want to be prepared and have that coverage even if I got laid off or something else happened. So, that process is now underway as well. In the end, just taking the steps themselves is extremely empowering. I've faced the fact that I won't live forever and I am ok with that. It makes me really grateful for every day I have and also makes me appreciate all that I have accumulated.

One of my favorite things to do on the weekend if I am not already busy is to watch Consuelo Mack: Wealthtrack on my local PBS station. This show features investment and finance gurus from all different major firms like Merrill Lynch, BlackRock, MorningStar etc. The reason that I really like the show is that it focuses on two very interesting parts of finance. The first is the economy in a macroeconomic view. Too often as personal investors focus on personal finance, they become deeply entrenched in the ideas around debt repayment, debt snowballing, 401ks, IRAs and other types of personal finance. While all of these items are critical to personal finance, there becomes a point where the average person begins to have money to invest. And in order to know where to invest, it is critical (in my opinion), to understand the global economy, particularly at a macroeconomic view. Of course, it is fairly well known that the past is no guarantee for the future, but I am still bullish on personal...