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Welcome! Bridget Sullivan Mermel and John Scherer talk introduce themselves and talk about why they started the channel, Friends Talk Financial Planning.
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How to Fix Capitalism
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to love about Adam Smith. Each person acts in his or her own self-interest in a free market…what’s...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Dec 11, 2012
The Bitter Pie: Financial Advisors Industry Statistics
The industry I am in confounds me. Why are so many consumers so poorly served? Almost daily I hear stories of advisors hiding fees,...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Oct 12, 2012
Breaking Up with My Bank
Dear Bridget, Although I like a good vampire movie, I don’t like it when I feel like my big bank has fangs in my neck. Between high ...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Feb 9, 2012
Crisis: Real or Manufactured?
Dear Bridget, Is there anything we can/should do about the pending debt-ceiling deadline? Should I be getting cash out of the bank to...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Jul 29, 2011
Safe Investing
Dear Bridget, In the 70s, when I was in high school, I shared a Pinto with my sister. She bought the gas, I bought the oil. When the...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Aug 4, 2010
Shopping Angst Revealed
I've got a theory about stress: it's cumulative. In other words, stress isn't about the two big things that constantly worry you. You...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Jun 18, 2010
Wall Street Journal Weighs in on Refinancing
Following up on my post about what to ask mortgage brokers, the Wall Street Journal has an interesting article on the current state of...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
May 20, 2010
Don't Worry About Tax Hikes
Don't believe the hype on tax hikes. And certainly don't spend precious energy worrying about them. A Kate and Joe were in yesterday. ...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Feb 25, 2010
Don't Max Out Your 401K
If you were to get on the Internet and poll the financial gurus, the message you would get load and clear is: Save Money. No matter how...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Oct 14, 2009
Wall Street Journal Weighs in on Real Estate Prices
This article from the WSJ covers how the housing market varies by region: Home Sales All Over the Map And this Article from August 3,...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Aug 3, 2009
Clunkers Getting More Cash?
The cash for clunker program, which started on July 24th, was supposed to go through November, or when the money ran out. Problem is...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Aug 1, 2009
How to Think about Real Estate Prices
I'm not very interested in predictions about how long the current economic downturn is going to last. What I'm interested is in the...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Jul 18, 2009
Bert Whitehead Weighs in on Madoff...
Bert Whitehead writes about how to avoid Madoff-type schemes, as well as other traps and rip-offs. Don’t let you or someone you know...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Jun 23, 2009
Don't Let Madoff Happen to You
I don't blame the Madoff investors for investing in his hedge fund. Truth is, we all make some mistakes when investing. But, like Ben...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Mar 19, 2009
Save Money While Online Shopping
Recently, I saved about $100 on-line when spending $300, all on items that I would have purchased anyway. I bought items from Kohl's,...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Feb 5, 2009
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