ASS-itude is a term coined by a friend of mine and I liked it so much I thought it worthy of a blog post. There is nothing wrong with being assertive on the job, but when it turns into ASS-itude, that’s where things are very likely to end badly. Yes, we have good days and bad days, but the trick is not to let the bad days overtake the good days, because that’s where ASS-itude gets a toe hold and starts to grow into a full-grown problem. REAL LIFE ASS-ITUDE Here’s an example, taken from my personal experience when I…

When I was a precocious kid i.e. annoying like I am now, but in a cuter and more excusable kind of way, our family went on a road trip through Sweden. I was reading the road signs as a way of passing time. This in retrospect helped prepare me for a brilliant career in scientific research, but I digress… The thing that puzzled me was that all the way through Sweden there were street signs indicating the direction to a town called “Center”. I figured that either “Center” was a very influential town in Sweden like Washington, D.C. or Hollywood,…

Why is everyone quitting their job? The year 2021 wearily stepped out the door and a tentative 2022 entered. Workers have been eyeing this new year, wondering what it will bring, especially after the seismic shifts the previous one delivered. News reports are abuzz with one of the biggest trends that 2021 produced: Everyone is quitting their job. More Americans left the workplace: Baby boomers retired early Employees were laid off from COVID-impacted businesses The younger generation walked away from low-wage entry-level jobs. There are a million different reasons why this whole shift transpired in the space of a single…

You wouldn’t necessarily expect Mike Tyson, Kim Kardashian, or Snooki to dispense valuable insights about financial planning matters. In fact, you’d probably expect the opposite. But with a little bit of creativity, we can get some financial planning pearls of wisdom from even the most unlikely of sources.We have some fun getting-to-know-you questions lined up for today. We’ll also share a few great quotes of the week, including one from Napoleon Hill. For this week’s mailbag question, Nelson from Fort Collins asks if he would be safe to retire at age 62. For this week’s Retirement Ride Along segment, we…

By Dawn Rasmussen Compensation negotiations are a funny and fickle thing. Most people spend more time researching and preparing for large purchases like cars and houses. But they spend less time on preparing for getting the compensation they will need to pay for those big ticket items. Most people get so focused on the salary part of the compensation negotiation that they forget there’s a bigger picture at work here. Compensation negotiations include a multitude of things, and job seekers need to be focused on the whole package. GETTING THE BEST DEAL After getting a job offer, it’s time to…

Everyone loves a good game show. Whether it’s spinning the big wheel or hitting the buzzer with all the right answers. But what happens when people turn their retirement planning into a game? Spoiler alert: it’s not always a win! In this episode, we tackle the risky moves people make when they treat their finances like a game of chance.It has been a crazy week here in our nation. That’s why, instead of our usual Retirement Ride Along segment, this will be a special election edition of the show. We thought it was important for us to take a moment…

Declining a job offer is a tough thing, especially when you need a job and money NOW. However, sometimes, it is the right thing to do and not necessarily easy, since you don’t want to burn any bridges. You never know where the people of the company may land in future jobs.  Or, you might want to apply to the company in the future following any staff or organizational changes. But it is a healthy attitude to realize that sometimes, a sure thing isn’t the best decision… on a lot of levels. REASONS FOR DECLINING A JOB OFFER Factors that…

This one AI prompt changed everything. I was scrolling on Reddit the other day when I found a prompt that shifted how I’m going to market myself and my newsletter business. The prompt leverages ChatGPT’s new memory feature—basically it now can reference all of your past chats which it couldn’t do before. It looked over everything I’ve been doing for the past couple years and spotted patterns and blind spots that were slowing me down. Not only was it eerily accurate… it felt like a glimpse into the future. At some point, we’re all going to have our own AI…

Finding a job does not need to be a solitary activity. In fact, it’s better when you can tap into other people’s skills, experiences and resources to help connect with an opportunity. Networking is one great way to accomplish those goals, but having a mentor is an even better way to help you land a job faster. Who qualifies as a mentor? A mentor can be anyone willing to take a strong interest in another person’s professional success. Typically, the mentor is more experienced and connected in the job seeker’s field, but that doesn’t necessarily mean older. If you’ve changed…

Did you know most Americans retire earlier than planned, often due to unexpected health issues, job changes, or financial surprises? These challenges can force people out of work early, leaving them unprepared for decades of retirement. In this episode, we’ll explore recent research highlighting the importance of planning for early retirement, even if it’s not in your current plans.We have some fun getting-to-know-you questions lined up for today’s show and great quotes of the week by George Burns and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. For this week’s listener mailbag, Sandy in Buffalo asks how much money her and her spouse should have…