Sharing my latest thoughts on money and life, with an eye to empowering more women to financial confidence.

I'VE BEEN PONDERING

My email inbox is feeling slightly less jolly this year. It's filled with subject lines like:

• "Don't let scammers ruin your holidays."
• "Don't let grinches steal your cheer."
• "Protect your inner circle from rising scams."
• "Be aware of payment fraud attempts."

And these aren't from professional or industry newsletters. They're from my power company, car insurance company, an investment company, and two different credit card companies! Are you seeing the same?

Honestly I'm glad there is more attention to this growing problem. With more and more of our lives and transactions being done online or on our mobile devices, criminals see it as an area ripe with opportunity for them to take our money! And the ever-improving technology tools, including AI, are at their disposal.

My strategy is to be alert and wary, without slipping into outright paranoia. Here's a text I just now received!​

• If you get a call from a number you don't recognize, let it go to voicemail.
• If you do start talking with someone and you think it may not be legit, tell them you're going to hang up. Then initiate the call yourself -- but don't just Google the number! Make sure you're getting it from a legitimate source (like the number on the back of your credit card).
• Do not reply to a text from an unknown number, especially if it's a short, chatty, seemingly innocuous message. (Learn about the horror that is pig-butchering here.)
• Always check the "from" address of emails. If it's an email from Vanguard, for example, the address should include something close to @vanguard.com -- not a long bunch of characters, and definitely not gmail!
• Talk to people. Stay in touch with friends and loved ones. Talk about these frauds that are out there. De-stigmatize the conversation. And if something feels off, ask someone else what they think.

Heck - ask me or my team if you can't think of anyone else to ask!

Remember one of the key tactics of scammers is secrecy - they say you can't tell anyone what's going on. THAT is a huge red flag.

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RECENT SIGHTINGS

• We've had a couple really fun podcast guests lately, including a conversation about finding your voice through comedy, and one about a different type of story-telling, specifically becoming a funeral celebrant! Give a listen and let us know what you think.
• Two professional events took me to New York City this fall: a Sustainable Investor Day conference diving into the latest around values-aligned investing, with a site visit to an affordable housing development included.

• Spending the afternoon (in-person!) with three of my fellow women financial planner mastermind members.

PERSONAL

Yes, yes, I know that each of us gets one day older every single day. There are no giant leaps in aging; it's quite a steady progression. But there are those events that make it undeniable! Like, your 40th high school reunion. I just had mine a few weeks ago.

Are you a reunion-goer? As an extrovert I love a gathering. And the opportunity to catch up with people I haven't seen in ages? To shout lyrics from '80s songs (the best music!)? To reminisce and share our mutual disbelief that so much time has passed? It was a ton of fun. (No photos - to protect the innocent.)

LET'S CONNECT!

What's the craziest scam text you've ever received? Reply and let me know!

Be careful out there,

Stephanie

Whenever you're ready, there are three ways we can help:

1. Download our free Roadmap for Financial Clarity.
2. Schedule a no-strings-attached meeting with us to see if we're a good fit by scheduling an appointment here: link to calendar.
3. Feel free to reply to this email with any questions you might have, and we'll do our best to provide a helpful response.

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