With the Family in Mind

Have you taken a look at your financial picture lately? Now's as good a time as any to see what your portfolio's doing for you. WITH THE FAMILY IN MIND for Women of a Certain Age, I'm Valerie Coleman Morris. It can sound so mysterious and daunting: reassess your portfolio. So let's break it down. First of all - what's really in that word "portfolio"? If you own more than one security or financial instrument - meaning things like stocks and bonds - you have a portfolio. You build it by buying more securities and other financial investments like mutual funds.

What should you be doing to get your financial life in order if you’re in your 50’s?

Ladies, welcome to crunch time! You’re at least halfway through your fifth decade of life – and that marks a milestone in more ways than one – but regarding your money it means you need to do with your money what you’re doing with your mind and body: firm it up – in general but your retirement options specifically. And here’s the reason why. Because at this age

How do you know when you’ll have enough money to retire. For every one of the 79 million Baby Boomers in North America – that’s the question being asked even as we try and figure out a new word for the old thing called “retirement”.

As you try and answer “when” you’ll have enough – there are some disciplines to remember. Ask yourself how well you’ve practiced them.

My last surviving aunt will be 80 years old this year. My Aunt Eva and her husband have been married 54 years. He’s been in poor health for quite a while and is battling a number of illnesses including diabetes. But it’s been the last couple of years that have brought some new challenges for them when it comes to simple tasks around the house.
These challenges unleash my Aunt Eva’s quiet humor.

Just in time. In anticipation of the first Baby Boomers getting Social Security next year, there's a new way to "super-size" your 401k.

The new super 401k plan is being called the cutting edge of retirement planning. But you have to be the kind of person who's able to let go and give much of the control of your money over to the plan administrator. History shows - remember those things called defined benefit pension plans - the employees weren't doing a very good job managing their investments.

Ever wondered whether you could successfully work full-time from home? With the Family in Mind, I’m Valerie Coleman Morris.

After more than 35 years of working as a television news anchor and the most recent 11 years being the Business Anchor at CNN – I declined a new, two year contract offer from CNN in order to focus full-time on my passion: financial literacy for women and people of color – two of the most disenfranchised groups of people when it comes to money management.

The holidays are still tough for me – four years later. With the Family in Mind, I’m Valerie Coleman Morris.

My father died four years ago – less than a week before Christmas and six months – almost to the day – after my Mother. In the midst of times like the coming holidays that were shared with them for so many years – I still have my moments when I miss them so deeply that my heart feels wounded.

As the holidays are here, let us all remember the men and women of the armed forces – serving in troubled and dangerous locations. But let us also remember the families left behind.

I’m an Air Force kid. I lived in England, France, Scotland and Japan by the time I was a junior in high school. Military kids either love this life or hate it. There’s no in-between. I absolutely loved it – in large part – because of the spirit with which my mother prepared us for each move.