The Squid Conversation: Getting Past the Threat of Financial Conversations Talking About Money Feels Threatening Sometimes Do you know what a squid does when it feels threatened?  It releases ink to cloud the water around it so it can’t be seen. The ink also has chemicals in it that can compromise the senses of whatever […]

The Picture on the Puzzle Box: Why Your Vision is Critical to Your Financial Success as a Couple We Have to Know Our Vision to Work Toward It I have puzzle box that I covered in white printer paper. It’s filled with hundreds of cardboard puzzle pieces, but nobody knows what those pieces are supposed […]

5 Money Mistakes Latinos Make—and How to Break the Cycle with Corazón We Have to Be Aware of Mistakes Before We Can Fix Them Many Latinos didn’t grow up knowing the rules of money. In fact, many of us grew up distrusting financial institutions and thinking the stock market is “gambling.”   I’ve worked with Latino […]

Values Before Numbers: Why Your Budget Won’t Work Until Your “Why” Is Clear Why Traditional Budgeting Falls Apart For most of my career, I’ve watched people sit down with a budget and feel like they’ve already failed before they begin. They open a spreadsheet, look at the numbers, and promise themselves they’ll “stick to it […]

You Don’t Need More Motivation—You Need a Step-by-Step Strategy Reaching Financial Goals Isn’t About Motivation Every year around this time, people sit across from me—or call me, or message me—and say the same thing: “Louis, this is the year I’m finally going to get my finances together.”  And I believe them.  I don’t hear laziness. I […]