March 2022

Here are 8 ways to be more assertive with your personal finances: 1) ask your bank, accountant, and financial advisor for references and qualifications even if they get upset; 2) initiate purposeful money conversations with colleagues, family, and friends; 3) make your own financial decisions instead of allowing others to make them for you; 4) be financially informed: know your revenue, expenses, taxes, and investments in detail; 5) prioritize your money; 6) say no to financial commitments that you can’t make in the moment; 7) regularly talk about finances with your spouse, even if they don’t want to; 8) have financial goals instead of allowing others to push their own goals on you.

Here are 8 ways to speak up to protect your money: 1) clarify with HR all of your employment benefits and rights and how to access them; 2) negotiate your compensation when you get a new job, even if it feels pushy; 3) ask your boss about the path to a raise, and then keep them accountable; 4) source and actively manage your financial team: accountant, financial advisor, spouse; 5) insist about the exact fees, interest rates, penalties, and conditions, even if they change topics; 6) negotiate terms and conditions; 7) ask all your “stupid” financial questions to your accountant, financial advisor, bank even if they try to overwhelm you with jargon; 8) ask your bank or financial advisors if they are fiduciary.