Purposeful Money

This month, we’re putting your financial know-how to the test. How well do you understand investing concepts and calculating personal wealth? Swipe through this quiz to test your knowledge. You might even be surprised by what you learn!

If you have any specific questions or concerns about your financial picture, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to be a resource for you.

Welcome to Purposeful Money.

Retirement isn’t just a financial transition — it’s the beginning of your Season of You.™

Here, I share clear, practical guidance for women who want to make confident, tax-smart decisions about income, investments, taxes, and the life they want their money to support.

I’m Erin O’Brien, CFP® and EA, founder of Purposeful Money. My goal is simple: to help you feel more clear, more confident, and more at peace with your next chapter.

In honor of Memorial Day, we invite you to join us in taking time to remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country and preserve our freedom.

Please note that our office will be closed on Monday, May 25th, in observance of Memorial Day. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, May 26th, and will respond to any messages received during the closure as promptly as possible.

Wishing you a respectful and meaningful Memorial Day.

As a new graduate, we know that it can seem daunting to start investing, especially when your finances may be tight. This can lead some new grads to push off investing until the “perfect time” in the future.

Here’s why that can be a bad strategy: Time is one of the biggest advantages we have when it comes to investing. Starting early gives your money more chances to grow — even if you’re only investing a little each month. That growth might not look obvious on a day-to-day basis. But as the years pass, the difference can become much clearer.

You don’t need a lot of money to get started with investing. The most important thing is to start early. Even small contributions to your own investment accounts or employer-sponsored accounts like 401(k)s, over time, can give your money more chances to grow. The sooner you get started, the bigger the impact it makes to the value of your investment portfolio.

If you want help figuring out what investing could look like for you or have questions about your current strategy, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help craft an investment strategy that’s right for you.

Large, often random expenses tend to pop up in the working world. Things like car repairs, medical bills, or a security deposit for an apartment can throw your budget off course if you don’t have any money set aside.

Savings can give you a crucial safety net. Even having a small cushion makes those moments, like car breakdowns or surprise medical expenses, easier to handle. Start by building an emergency fund that covers several months' worth of expenses, then branch out and save for other wants or needs. Starting with small, consistent savings is the best way to go. The habit matters more than the amount at first.

If you have questions about what kind of savings account or savings strategy makes sense for your situation, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to support your goals.

If you’re a new graduate, it can be hard to keep track of your inflow and outflow of cash as you juggle paychecks and new expenses. That’s where budgeting can come in.

Think of a budget as a way to keep your money working for you. Begin with your take-home pay, which is your pay after tax and any deductions, and make sure your essentials are covered. Then you can see what’s left for everything else.

This can look like putting money into “envelopes” or savings categories or simply tracking the numbers in a spreadsheet. Tracking your spending, even just for a month, can be eye-opening and help you fully understand where your money is going.

If you have questions about your current financial picture or want to discuss investment strategies that can support your goals as a new graduate, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help guide you.

If you have student loans or other debt after graduation, you’re not alone. Debt is a reality for many college students after they graduate. Regardless of whether you’re graduating with student loans or credit card debt, making a plan to manage and eventually eliminate your debt can feel overwhelming.

With that in mind, we wanted to share a simple roadmap for starting to address debt post-graduation:

A good way to start managing your debt is to get everything out in the open. List your loans, credit cards, and any other balances so you know what you’re dealing with. While you do this, be sure to pay attention to interest rates and make a plan for how you’ll handle payments each month. When you’re organized, it’s easier to keep debt from getting out of control.

If you have questions about your financial picture or want to talk about investment strategies that can support you as a recent graduate, don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to help.

When graduation season rolls around, it can be hard to decide what to get the special graduate in your life. One practical, yet under-utilized, graduation gift is a life insurance policy.

When set up early, a life insurance policy can serve as a vital long-term financial tool that grows with your graduate, locking in premiums at the age when they are often cheapest and sometimes offering a cash value component that can be accessed during your new grad’s lifetime. Additionally, coverage can be adjusted as income and goals evolve, with the insured layering on or even buying more coverage within the existing policy.

If you have questions about options, costs, or how policies are structured, feel free to reach out. We are always happy to help.

In celebration of Mother’s Day, we want to take a moment to honor the mothers, grandmothers, and maternal figures who enrich our lives with love, wisdom, and unwavering support.

We hope your day is filled with the appreciation, warmth, and joy you so richly deserve.

Happy Mother's Day!

As the days get longer throughout May, people can experience both earlier sunrises and later sunsets. However, not every night owl relishes an earlier sunrise, and not every early bird loves a later night.

Which one best describes you this month? Are you enjoying earlier sunrises or celebrating later nights?

☀️ Vote enjoying earlier mornings
🌙 Vote celebrating later nights

Share your pick in the comments. We are curious to see which side takes the win as we head closer to summer.