Patio at Beverly Hills High School (1998) Life Yearbook signing. Harsh? Maybe. But hear me out. I recently read 𝘐'𝘮 𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘪𝘦𝘥 by Jennette McCurdy — a raw, honest look at trauma, control, and silence behind closed doors. It made me reflect on my own uncomfortable truth. The custody battles. The power struggles. The courts. Unlike Jennette, I fought back — a lot — with my single mom. Where did that independence come from? At a young age, my mom gave me sma

Homecoming ( guys dress up as cheerleaders, cheerleaders dress up as football players.) Not rich in money. Rich in perspective. We lived in a crappy apartment in Beverly Hills.  Just so my mom could feel rich.  Just so I could go to Beverly Hills 90210  While classmates drove BMWs, I walked to school.  At 15, I was balancing my mom's checkbook,  watching her fall for "buy now, pay later" scheme.  That Circuit City TV? $19 a month for 5 years on a $700 purchase. While I didn’t

(Photo: Henry noticed where my attention was and took one of my 6 CFP books I was reading to pass my Certified Financial Planning exam. ;-)  Greenwich → Houston → Atlanta. Each move for Rich's career meant starting over.  New city, new schools, zero network. But the real kicker came when Morgan Stanley held Rich's stock plan. As a "courtesy," they assigned us a financial advisor. When Rich kept dodging the guy's calls, he finally said, "Just talk to my wife." I was between ca

In front of Ben Franklin Alexandra recently asked me: “I just don’t know what I need to know about the stock market for my interviews.” My instinct? “I can talk to you about the market!” I was so eager to help—finally a chance to show off decades of experience. She replies, “I already know what an LBO is and what multiples are…” And she does. But that’s not real money education—and she definitely wasn’t asking for a lecture on what drives stock prices. And then it hit me. The

My mom's failure in life was the biggest gift to me. Rich and I were out in California visiting parents—his in San Diego, my mom up north (I also went to the Big Game).  Sitting with my mom on Sunday, watching her struggle with disorganized bills all over the place, I realized something: We don't want to end up like our parents. Harsh? Maybe. But here's what I mean. At 15, I was balancing my mom's checkbook.  Learning indirectly, how compound interest worked, quietly observin

Two days ago marked 20 years of marriage.  Marriage is tough, and raising kids is even tougher.  Add in multiple moves for my husband...

Standing next to the Bull on Wall Street, I couldn’t help but think:  Every bubble looks different in the moment—but the story is always...

Block Island Five years ago, I started my own firm—and recently reached a big milestone: becoming SEC-registered.  That moment made me...

Mystic, CT 22 years ago, my husband and I got engaged in Mystic, CT—so we came back for a quick trip before school starts.  Connecticut...

NYSE It’s been half a week full of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners—some with my old WPO group, others catching up with friends from...

It’s been a lazy, reflective summer filled with small getaways and evenings spent with my daughter Alexandra, who’s working at  Brookwood...

Forgot to take a photo at MJ, so took one after my daily run  Should every day be just a game? Over the last few years, I became an early...

This is the cover of my Beverly Hills High School freshman yearbook. Beverly Hills is glamorous on the outside —but survival of the...

Ever since I started posting a few short videos explaining complex topics like tariffs, I kept hearing the same thing: "You need to...

photo from last summer The Second Mountain Turning Transitions into Wealth-Building Moments Career transition. Divorce. Midlife change....

The original bulldog, ( Handsome Dan XIX) Not having gone to Yale you might have assumed I wouldn’t have had a great time at my husband’s...

When I was young and single at Harvard, I had a simple rule: if I didn’t sense he was into me, I’d move on. He’s just not that into you....

Everyone talks about the rat race. (or the Buckhead Bubble) Escaping it or buying into it?  If the system or game we are playing is to...

My high school year book title ;-) I used to walk from my mom's crappy apartment to Beverly Hills High School and pass by the tiny stucco...

World Trade While many people have already moved on from their New Year’s goals, I’ve been struggling with mine—in the best possible way....