I WasThinking

As we move more and more into a cashless society, it dawned on me how much more effort we need to spend to make sure our transactions are correct and safe. There are many benefits to being cashless; I hate carrying change around in my pocket. I also don’t worry as much about losing money or leaving my wallet in a cab. Being cashless forces me to check my banking and credit cards balances more often too. One upside to checking my balances is that it is easier to monitor and budget my spending habits. Most bank and credit cards have tools to help you track your spending.

Clients ask all the time, “How can I teach my children better spending habits?” For starters they should be logging into the banking app and making sure all of their debits and credits are correct. Money is moving back and forth between Venmo and debit cards so quickly, they better be checking their balances. Let them know that if something isn’t right, they should contact their bank immediately. Same holds true for credit cards.

Recently I read two great articles that I want to share. You may have read about France’s new law allowing workers to disconnect from the internet when not working. Say what you want about the French, but this makes a lot of sense in a world that doesn’t let us take a deep breath and pause.

http://nyti.ms/2j2pBKx

Charles F. Feeney is a very wealthy man, and you probably have never heard of him. He has spent years giving away most of his money (billions) anonymously and without fanfare.

http://nyti.ms/2ikQrK0

If you haven’t seen the documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon on Netflix, watch it immediately. Shep’s story, of a life committed to paying it forward, is truly legendary.