top of page
Fee Only Financial Advisors Speak To You...
Managing your money, emotions, and meaning of life...
Search


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Apr 9, 2022
Net Worth by 40: Are You on Track?
Is your net worth by age 40 putting you on track to retire? This is an important question we often get as fee only financial planners. We...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Apr 7, 2022
Adulting with Money on the Chicago Money Show with Guest Kacie Swartz
Adulting. It means to act responsibly. But is adulting “exclusively used by people who adult less than 50% of the time?” You can test...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Apr 3, 2022
Net worth at 30: How do you compare?
Is your net worth at 30 on the right track? We talk about how to figure that out. First, we talk about elements of net worth. What is...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Mar 25, 2022
Where to park money: Viewer asks--where do I stash 500K?
Where to park money? A viewer inherited $500,000 and wanted to know. They (wisely) didn't want to take some time to decide exactly what...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Mar 20, 2022
Is Inflation Good or Bad? How to think it through.
Is Inflation good or bad? Gas prices are up. We see them every time we drive down the street. On the news, they keep talking about...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Mar 20, 2022
How to Pick Investments for My 401K? | We reveal how we invest our 401Ks
Figuring out how to pick investments for your 401K can be confusing. We tell you how we chose mutual funds in our own 401ks, what our...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Mar 20, 2022
Crypto: Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)? Is that Good or Bad?
The Larry David commercial during the Superbowl plus other ads play on our FOMO (fear of missing out) on crypto. Do you need to be afraid?...

Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Mar 10, 2022
Avoid Fumbling, Prepare for the Future, with Dennis Stearns
Here's a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Zc86yeY-A Join Dennis Stearns and me talk about his last book, Fourth...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Feb 26, 2022
Is Buying an Annuity a Mistake? 5 Red Flags to Watch For
Too often, buying an annuity is a mistake. It doesn't have to be. Watching for 5 simple, easy to identify red flags can help you avoid...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Feb 26, 2022
How to Loan Money To a Friend or Family Member and Protect Yourself
If you're thinking about loaning money to a friend or family member, there are many things to keep in mind. Or, if you're thinking of...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Feb 13, 2022
The Super Bowl and Money: Takeaways you can use in your personal financial planning
Millions of people around the world will watch the Super Bowl but few will think about lessons they can take from the game to apply to...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Feb 11, 2022
Aging Gracefully and Money with Kathleen Rehl
Thought leader on retirement and money, farmgirl, artist, teacher, professor, fundraiser, financial planner, then public speaker,...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Feb 7, 2022
Investment Market Insight: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly from 2021 Predictions
There is never a shortage of stock market predictions, but have any of those actually given insight into what is going to happen in any...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Jan 30, 2022
New parent financial planning: what you need to know when baby is on the way!
There are a lot of things for a new parent to think about when a baby is on the way, and financial planning is one of the big ones. In...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Jan 23, 2022
Avoid Valentine Gift Disasters: Buy a Decent gift
When getting a Valentine's Day gift, most of us just want to Avoid Valentine Gift Disasters. We talk through strategies backed by...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Jan 15, 2022
Invest, Gamble or Speculate; What's the difference?
Invest, gamble, or speculate. John's going to Vegas. Is that to gamble? Invest? something in between? In this episode of Friends Talk...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Jan 11, 2022
Stock Market Predictions: Our Outlook for 2022
There is a lot of news about stock market predictions for 2022, find out our outlook for 2022 and learn market predictions are worth your...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Jan 7, 2022
How to Start and Run a Small Business with owners of Uncommon Ground and the 5G store
How do you start a small business? Is it worth it? How do you get into it, anyway? In this episode I’m joined by two Chicago-area...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Dec 18, 2021
Socially Responsible Investing for Good Returns: How to Invest in ESG without Lower Returns
Socially Responsible Investing means lower returns to some people. It doesn't have to. In this video, we explain how to get market...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Dec 18, 2021
Are Taxes Going Up? Maybe. 2 Steps to Prepare
There's a lot speculation that taxes are going up in the future. People wonder--what should I do? Fear is the underpinning of a lot of...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Dec 9, 2021
Student Loans Now! With Patti Hughes
People are talking a rare opportunity to help lift the student loan burden. Plus, they’re on pause until January. Is there any hope...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Dec 6, 2021
Financial Planning for Omicron: Are You Worried?
The Omicron variant is coming. Should you change your financial planning to adjust for the latest variant? Are you worried about your...
Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Nov 27, 2021
4 Mistakes People Make When They Find a Financial Planner
Finding a financial planner can be difficult. They all sound the same when they say they care about their clients. How can a normal...


Bridget Sullivan Mermel CFP(R) CPA
Nov 26, 2021
Make More in Donations and Pay Less in Tax
If you want to make more in donations and pay less in tax, picking the right way to give to charity is crucial. In this video, we'll...
bottom of page