The amount of nonmortgage consumer debt has dropped from $2.54 trillion to $2.45 trillion over the last year. Is appears that with the downturn in the economy people are looking to pay down their debt instead of purchasing their next big screen TV. The largest part of the decline is in Credit Card debt. That has dropped from $935 billion to $853 billion and has declined for 18 straight months.

Introduction to Financial Planning
Everyone has a unique financial situation. At (insert name) our plans are geared to address your concerns and financial wants. One Financial Plan does not fit all. We take pride in having open and candid dialogue with our clients to help them achieve all their financial goals.

The Review
It is difficult for anyone to make financial decisions unless they take the time to evaluate their current situation. Sitting with us for a Financial Review will give you a good understanding of all the details in every aspect of your personal and business situation. We can review what you are doing right and look at points the might be reasons for concern.

The Strategy
Not everybody's situation demands a comprehensive Financial Plan. It is possible that your current situation does not dictate this approach. It is possible that a Financial Plan might be an excellent decision for you other circumstances can hold you up from entering this process as this time. Our goal is put in place focused financial strategies to solve your specific concerns.

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It is a tough thing to balance being the CFO of a company, a Financial Planner and have a Family. I don't mean the time constraints because that isn't it. It is how to balance your mental state of mind because frankly all three have different mind sets. As CFO my role is to be the captain of a company and guide it through the tough financial waters of today's financial climate. As a Financial Planner your role is to be the first mate and help the captain sail those waters. As a family man you are both but yet I need to be skeptical of a CFO or a Financial Planner.

Do they both have my best interest in mind. Being all three I have to ask myself as a family man would I respect what my CFO self or Financial Planner self recommends? There are a lot of unscrupulous CFO's and Financial Planners out there looking to pad their bottom line. Thankfully I have that Family man inside of me to ground all three and do the right thing. There is no better feeling then knowing you helped a family out and put them on the right track. The same track I would want my family on.

Hello All, as you all know by now Tax season is upon us and as we all get ready to file our taxes I always get asked the same questions. Should I do my own taxes and save the few bucks? Should I use Turbo Tax? Should I use a tax service like H&R Block or should I go to an accountant that also does financial planning. I always answer with this old story...

A man walks into an lawyers office and asks him a question. The lawyer turns around, takes a book off of the shelf and reads a paragraph that answers the question. The lawyer then explains the ramifications. Once that is done he asks the client for $500. The client says $500 for reading me something out of a book? The lawyer says no, the $500 is for me knowing which book to find the answer.

Now a good accountant takes it one step further he can look at your financial life to help you with your taxes but also help guide you on decisions that can shape your future. Does Turbo Tax take an interest and ask you where you financially want to go? Does the part time worker at H&R Block do that? Will he give you his cell phone and say call him anytime? This is why sometimes it pays to pay a little more. You should never step over the dollars to pick up the penny's.

Last year my family and I spent a wonderful day at a boat show and boy did I fall in love with the idea of getting a boat. When the weather gets warmer and we are spending more time at the beach it seems like the perfect time to get one. Prices of boats and gas are down and you can finance it over 20 years. Then reality hit I was overruled by my CEO!

Let me give you a brief description of my CEO, she is 2 years old, under 3 feet and weighs 25lbs. She has decided that she would rather have a swing set and so there goes my boat. She also has overruled me and my wife on what TV shows we watch and if we get to sleep through the night. I have a strange feeling that a lot of my readers have their own CEO at home if not 2 or 3.

We can spend all our time researching the right way to invest for the needs of our family but when that little one smiles at you and asks for something they usually get it. I want to bring the perspective of a real family making real decisions to get through this crazy economy. Hope to hear for you all and your stories.

Shop once a week:
The more trips you make the likelier you are to buy on impulse. About two-thirds of purchases are unplanned.

Bottled Water:
Stop drinking bottled water and instead buy a filter for your faucet. Could save you up to $20 a month.

Save Gas:
Keep tires inflated properly. Keeping them properly inflated can improve your mileage by about 3%. Also keep your trunk, an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your miles-per-gallon by up to 2%.

ATM Fees:
Use only your own bank's ATMs or skip the ATM and get cash back when you're paying for groceries with your debit card. At $2-$4 a pop you could save a lot of money over a years time.