Tag: Christine Luken

Lending Money to Loved Ones (Ep. 35)

Lending Money to Loved Ones (Ep. 35)

Are you tired of the stress and drama that lending money to friends and family can bring into your life?

Let’s unpack it together.

In this episode, Financial Dignity® Coach, Christine Luken, dives into the world of lending money to friends and family, exploring the nuances, risks, and strategies for maintaining financial harmony in relationships. She discusses the pros and cons of lending money to keep your relationships and finances healthy and drama-free.

Christine’s top takeaways: 

  • Lending money changes the nature of the relationship.
  • If you can’t afford to give it, you can’t afford to lend it.
  • Co-signing a loan is NOT a better option.
  • If you’re loaning a significant amount of money, draw up a loan agreement in writing.
  • How to politely say NO to requests for loans from loved ones
  • How to help out loved ones in need
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Christine Luken: 

Becoming a Profitable Landlord With Mark Dolfini (Ep. 34)

Becoming a Profitable Landlord With Mark Dolfini (Ep. 34)

What does it take to turn a rough start into a triumphant success when investing in real estate? 

Get ready to listen to some of the most valuable lessons for aspiring landlords and real estate investors from Mark Dolfini, founder of Mark Dolfini Strategic Coaching and Landlord Coach.

Financial Dignity® Coach, Christine Luken, welcomes Mark Dolfini, a veteran of the US Marines, author, and a life and business strategist, onto the show today to share his story about becoming a successful real estate investor from a rocky start as a landlord. Mark addresses some common mistakes landlords make, such as underestimating expenses and overestimating income, leading to financial strain and personal stress. He emphasizes the importance of proper property underwriting, strategic planning, and budgeting for expenses like capital expenditures and vacancy rates. Mark gets real about his own plot twists, sharing a personal story of overworking, facing foreclosures, and hospitalization, highlighting the risks of mismanagement. But like any great story, there’s a silver lining! He concludes with advice on creating systems and processes for efficient property management, ensuring landlords can avoid creating unnecessary jobs for themselves and maintain profitability.

Mark talks about: 

  • His experience as a landlord and how he got into the real estate business
  • The most common mistakes landlords make that adversely affect the profitability of their business
  • Tips about being “time-wealthy” for any business owner
  • His VIP Method Course for Landlords
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Christine Luken: 

Connect with Mark Dolfini:

About Our Guest: 

Mark Dolfini is a Strategic Life and Business Coach and founder of Mark Dolfini Strategic Coaching and Landlord Coach, LLC. Mark has an eclectic background starting from his time as a U.S. Marine. His professional experience includes accounting and banking fields, Commercial Underwriting, Commercial Lending and Loan Review, Residential Property Management, and  Real Estate Investments.

6 Ways to Increase Your Income This Month (Ep. 33)

6 Ways to Increase Your Income This Month (Ep. 33)

Get ready for another electrifying episode of Money is Emotional! 

Today, Financial Dignity® Coach, Christine Luken, talks about six simple ways to increase your business income, THIS MONTH.

She dissects a range of approaches, including the introduction of tiered service options, the clever reconfiguration of product offerings, the strategic hike in pricing, the targeting of sales efforts towards current clientele, and the streamlining of the transaction journey.

Christine brings her own stories to the table, highlighting the psychological impact of buying decisions, the upsides of adjusting prices upwards, and the critical role that consumer allegiance plays.

This episode is brimming with practical tips for business owners eager to amplify their financial returns.

Christine discusses: 

  • Upselling and down-selling
  • Repackaging what your business offers
  • Raising product and service prices
  • Selling to your current and past customers
  • Making it easy for customers to buy from you
  • The importance of following up with both existing and potential customers
  • And more

Resources:

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Managing Money as a Couple (Ep. 32)

Managing Money as a Couple (Ep. 32)

Money can be a source of contention in a relationship, but it doesn’t have to be.

Today, Financial Dignity® Coach, Christine Luken, talks about the mindset shifts and practical actions you can take to manage money as a couple in a more harmonious way. She explores how to handle your cash with your better half without the drama and is all about how to play nice with your partner when it comes to your finances. Christine is a big fan of chatting it out, getting cozy with each other’s money histories, and penciling in some adorable “money dates” to discuss spending and financial plans. She shines a spotlight on the must-haves: being as clear as crystal, building a fortress of trust, and kicking financial secrets to the curb. Plus, she’s all about mixing it up with a sprinkle of yours, mine, and ours when it comes to bank accounts.

So, buckle up. It’s time to make managing money with your main squeeze a walk in the park.

Christine discusses: 

  • The importance of open communication when managing money as a couple
  • Understanding each partner’s unique money blueprint
  • Being financially transparent and addressing financial secrecy
  • Having a weekly “money date” as a couple
  • Why both partners should be involved in financial planning and decision-making
  • And more

Resources:

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I’m an Executor, Now What? (Ep. 31)

I’m an Executor, Now What? (Ep. 31)

It takes approximately 500 hours for an executor to complete tasks that have been designated to them by their deceased loved one.

If you’ve been appointed as an executor, this episode of Money is Emotional can help you learn how to best prioritize tasks, solidify decisions without guilt, and provide you with much-needed encouragement as you carry the weight of executing a will.

Join Christine Luken, Financial Dignity® Coach in a soul-stirring conversation with Rachel Donnelly, CEO and founder of AfterLight as they discuss what to do as an executor of an estate. Rachel shares practical advice on when to seek professional help and how to navigate estate administration. She emphasizes the importance of collaborative estate planning, a way to make informed decisions that pay homage to the departed’s legacy.

Learn how to balance mourning with managing the intricacies of being an executor as Christine and Rachel touch on:

  • Responsibilities of an executor, and the first steps to take when a loved one passes
  • Their personal experiences with being an executor and estate planning
  • Emotional and financial challenges that come with losing a loved one
  • How to detail your estate plan to ease decisions and actions for your executor
  • When an executor should reach out for help
  • And more

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Connect with Rachel Donnelly:

About Our Guest:

Rachel Donnelly is the CEO and founder of AfterLight, a company that provides legacy planning and After Loss Consulting. She has dealt with the loss of many of her loved ones and often wishes they had been better prepared. Rachel aims to give families in the same situation the guidance, space to grieve, and ability to get back to their everyday lives by taking after loss and end-of-life tasks off their plates.

The Dangers of Girl Math (Ep. 30)

The Dangers of Girl Math (Ep. 30)

Have you ever fallen prey to the infamous “girl math”? 

If you’ve ever succumbed to an impulsive shopping spree, you’re probably guilty as charged!

Today on Money Is Emotional, Financial Dignity® Coach, Christine Luken, dives headfirst into the world of “girl math” – those quirky rules women supposedly abide by when justifying their impulse buys.

 Christine takes a magnifying glass to this flawed logic, sharing a jaw-dropping example that’ll leave you questioning the sanity of “girl math.” Get ready for a rollercoaster as Christine passionately voices her concerns about this trend and its impact on the financial well-being of women. She stresses the urgency of financial literacy and responsible spending, urging her fellow ladies to reclaim control of their finances. Out with “girl math,” in with “wealthy woman math” – making informed financial decisions!

Christine discusses: 

  • What “Girl Math” is and where the trend started
  • The omnipresence of Girl Math
  • Why Girl Math  is a cutesy way to keep women dumbed down about money
  • The liberation of not needing to justify your spending when you’re in control of your money
  • Trading “Girl Math” for “Wealthy Woman Math”
  • Recognizing if you’re using Girl Math as an occasional funny joke or as a way to justify self-destructive financial behavior
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Christine: 

 

Helping Your Senior Parents with Money ft. Julianne Miller (Ep. 29)

Helping Your Senior Parents with Money ft. Julianne Miller (Ep. 29)

How can you help your aging parents with their finances?

In this episode, Financial Dignity® Coach, Christine Luken, welcomes her friend and special guest, Julianne Miller, an accredited financial counselor and the owner of Life Money Management. Christine and Julianne answer how you can help your senior parents with money and discuss the challenges and solutions of managing finances for aging parents. They highlight the signs that indicate a need for assistance, such as forgetfulness and disorganization, and discuss the role of a daily money manager. They also dive into the importance of using personal finance apps for transparency and communication, preparing legal documents in advance, and protecting seniors from scams.

Julianne discusses: 

  • What led her to financial coaching and daily money management
  • The signs that our senior parents or loved ones may need assistance with their personal finances
  • Various options we have to help our senior family members with money management
  • Protecting aging parents from scams and the importance of being vigilant
  • How to begin the conversation with our senior parents
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Christine: 

Connect with Julianne Miller:

About Our Guest: 

Julianne Miller, AFC ®, is the founder of Life Money Management. For over 26 years, Julianne Miller has been bringing calm to the people she works with. Whether it was in corporate jobs where her calm demeanor helped calm a stressed boss, or in the accounting and tax world where she brought calm to elderly clients and sole proprietors nervous about their tax liabilities and bills to be paid, she has always had the ability to be a careful listener, diligent researcher, and finder of answers. She has always been able to simplify the complex so others could understand and make the best decisions with what they had. Her love of helping others, especially women and their money, brought her to Financial Counseling in 2017. Since then, she has loved bringing Clarity, Confidence, and Peace to her clients who want to make smart decisions with their money so they can finally reach their dreams and goals.

Dear Fellow Spender with Emily Burnett (Ep. 28)

Dear Fellow Spender with Emily Burnett (Ep. 28)

Are you looking to improve your relationship with your personal finances?

In this episode, Financial Dignity® Coach, Christine Luken, welcomes her fellow friend, financial coach, and the author of “Dear Fellow Spender: Enjoy Using Your Money to Get Out of Debt, Build Savings, and Create a Life You Love”, Emily Burnett. Together, they talk about the emotional side of personal finance, emphasizing the importance of budgeting, not as a restriction, but as a way to plan for joyful and fulfilling spending. Emily shares her personal journey of paying off $50,000 in debt in less than two years, highlighting the role of intentionality and control in financial management.

Emily talks about: 

  • Her journey as a “former money mess” and what her turning point was
  • Her love for budgeting and why she reframes it as the “active cycle of organizing your money and planning your spending”
  • How to regain a sense of control over your money by remembering “money doesn’t spend itself”
  • The challenges women may encounter when managing personal finances as a single person
  • And more

 

Resources:

Connect with Christine: 

Connect with Emily Burnett:

About our Guest: 

Emily Burnette is a financial coach, the founder of Moso Money, and the author of “Dear Fellow Spender”. Emily is passionate about helping others get out of debt by adding a happy structure to their money and habits. She has written extensively about the subject and coached dozens of others to healthier money and thus happier lives. Emily left corporate in 2022 and has been traveling and building her business full-time ever since. She loves the open road, literally and figuratively, and her first book was published, “Dear Fellow Spender” in July 2023.

The Problem with Budgets (Ep. 27)

The Problem with Budgets (Ep. 27)

Is anyone honestly excited about budgets? Maybe two people out of 100!

Let’s explore why we don’t like traditional budgets and how to shift our mindset around tracking out numbers.

In this episode, Financial Dignity® Coach, Christine Luken, talks about the challenges of traditional budgeting and offers a new perspective on managing personal finances. She suggests reframing budgeting as a prosperity plan or a wealth accumulation plan and emphasizes the importance of a sustainable and personalized approach. Christine also touches on the importance of both micro and macro budgeting and explains what they’re best suited for.

Christine talks about: 

  • Why budget is an emotionally loaded word
  • The cookie cutter problem with traditional budgeting
  • Why the pass/fail paradigm is a problematic approach to budgeting
  • Macro vs Micro budgeting
  • And more

 

Resources:

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Retirement Options for Entrepreneurs with Darren Wurz (Ep. 26)

Retirement Options for Entrepreneurs with Darren Wurz (Ep. 26)

As a business owner, securing your financial future requires making important decisions and considering various factors. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the daily hustle and forget about the need to build a strong retirement plan.

In this episode, Financial Dignity® Coach, Christine Luken, sits down with Darren Wurz, co-owner of Wurz Financial Services and host of The Lawyer Millionaire Podcast. They dive into retirement savings options for business owners. They explore strategies like backdoor Roth IRAs and solo 401(k) plans. Darren also highlights the importance of building savings outside of retirement accounts and cautions against relying solely on the sale of assets.

Christine and Darren discuss: 

  • Darren’s background and experience in financial planning for attorneys and law firm owners
  • The difficulty for self-employed individuals to prioritize saving for retirement
  • Retirement savings options for solo entrepreneurs and small business owners
  • The benefits of a cash balance plan for retirement savings
  • Non-qualified compensation plans
  • The importance of considering saving and investing outside of retirement accounts
  • The potential pitfalls of relying solely on the sale of a business or property for retirement savings
  • And more!

 

Resources:

Connect with Christine: 

Connect with Darren Wurz:

About our Guest: 

Darren Wurz specializes in financial planning for law firm owners. He is a Certified Financial Planner® Professional with an M.S. in Financial Planning from Golden Gate University. As a fiduciary and fee-only advisor, he has developed expertise in the unique financial planning needs of those in the legal profession, and he now specializes in serving attorneys and law firm owners across the country. His mission is to help his clients achieve financial independence as they define it. As a small business owner himself, he is deeply familiar with the challenges of solo practitioners and small firm owners.

He is the host of The Lawyer Millionaire Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts, and author of The Lawyer Millionaire: The Complete Guide for Attorneys on Maximizing Wealth, Minimizing Taxes, and Retiring with Confidence, published by the American Bar Association. Darren is a member of the American Bar Association and the Financial Planning Association. Locally, he is a member of the Cincinnati Bar Association, the Northern Kentucky Bar Association, and the Covington Business Council. His office is located in Cincinnati, OH, and he was born and raised in Toledo, OH.