Feng shui is the practice of placing objects within a space in order to optimize the flow of positive energy. I first began considering feng shui after a two-week visit to China last year. Its principals are commonly drawn upon in modern Chinese architecture and interior design, and I found myself drawn to the simple, uncluttered look that often […]
Once again, I am experiencing some technical difficulties. I am in the process of learning CSS and have been experimenting with making some design changes to my theme. Somehow, I managed to delete the right navigation from my home page (it’s still visible on the individual entry sites). I’m not exactly sure what I did to cause that […]
I am periodically asked to speak at seminars on personal cash and credit management. The most popular section of my presentation is always the piece on credit scores. The two questions I get most often are:
How do I get perfect credit?
What impacts my credit score and how do I improve it?
Before I begin, a few […]
I recently posted an article spelling out just how bad my debt situation is. Afterwards, I wondered: “why would a sensible person behave in such a way?!” I’ve been searching my soul for the answers and this is what I’ve come up with:
It’s the Parents
My inner Freud blames my parents. Growing up, my father was […]
As you can tell by my previous posts, my financial house is in pretty bad shape. Believe it or not, my situation is vastly improved since last year at this time. I had an “ah-ha” moment - a Financial Epiphany, if you will - that got me thinking about the financial treadmill I was on. […]
Trent at The Simple Dollar recently published an article about dealing with personal financial shame. That piece really hit a nerve with me - I don’t want to tell anyone who actually knows me about my blog because I am so ashamed of the huge debt load I’ve acquired - but the point of the […]
If you’re a first time visitor - welcome! I encourage you to read this series from the beginning.
As Part II wrapped up, my financial situation was beginning to improve. Turns out that was to be short-lived.
Step seven - Backslide
I continued to work at that bank for five years, eventually becoming a “personal banker” and “retail annuity specialist.” […]
Welcome to Part II to of my three-part series on how to create a big ol’ financial mess. If you missed out on Part I, you may want to start here.
When we left off, I was living the undergraduate high life and financing the whole thing with unsecured credit. It gets better (which means it gets worse).
Step four […]
The old saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” goes double for me. My parents did everything in their power to raise me with frugal, conservative financial values. I, in turn, did everything in my power to thwart their efforts.
I succeeded in making my life a financial train wreck. Want to follow […]
Welcome to BankerGirl. I am a real life banker living and working in the Midwest. For nearly ten years I have been preaching to my friends about the importance of reigning in unsecured debt, coaching clients on how to improve their FICO scores, and explaining to business owners the importance of liquidity ratios. I have been a featured speaker […]