Let’s Make a Date

Tip of the Month

Let me paint a picture: Your paycheck comes in on the 15th of the month. Wonderful! You’re feeling cushy. Next thing you know, you’re checking your account balance on the 20th and…”where did it all go?!” Your credit card, electric bill, water bill, life insurance, day care and rent were all due at the same time. This results in a huge cash flow crunch and can cause a lot of financial stress until the next paycheck comes in. Not to worry… in many cases, you can “make a date”. Call your credit card company and ask them to change your due date. I changed my own credit card due date about a year ago, and have felt a lot less financial tension ever since.

No matter how much or little you make, it helps to spread your financial obligations out over the course of the month. This personal finance tip can help whether you earn 50,000 per year or $250,000 per year. Make a date!

Financial Sense is a one-stop-shop for all your personal bookkeeping needs. Depending on your needs, we can:

• Track income and expenses.
• Pay bills.
• Create budgets and generate forecasts.
• Maintain and organize financial records.
• Work closely with financial planners, accountants, and attorneys to monitor financial well-being and grow wealth.
• Provide excellent customer service.
• Our primary objective is to help individuals and families save more and spend less.

Our Services

Track Income and Expenses
With the use of Quicken, a personal financial management (PFM) software, Financial Sense will enter and reconcile your credit card, personal checking, savings, loan, and/or investment accounts. This enables us to provide income and expense information that is vital for making informed financial decisions. The more accounts we track, the more precise this information will be.

Pay Bills
Financial Sense eliminates the hassles, stress, and headaches caused by managing bills. Invoices and statements come directly to us for payment. It’s your money, your account, your bank of choice, but our time and expertise. Whether you’re home or away, your bills are paid on time, every time.

Create Budgets and Generate Forecasts
By gathering past spending figures, Financial Sense can create a monthly budget for your household, and produce a comparison of actual spending versus your budget, to shed light on whether you’re living within your means. For clients who are compensated with bonuses or commissions, Financial Sense can generate projections of future income and expenses. This allows us to create strategies to simulate a fixed income stream.

Maintain and Organize Financial Records
Each month, Financial Sense clients receive a folder containing a year-to-date Cash Flow Report, a Top 10 Expenses by Category Chart, an Income vs. Expense Graph, bank statements, and all original paid invoices marked with the payment dates and check numbers. The folders are chronological and well organized; perfect for filing away for future reference.

Work with Financial Planners, Accountants, and Attorneys
Financial Sense will work with you and your financial planner to ensure that your day-to-day financial activities fall in-line with your long-term goals. At tax time, we provide you and your accountant with year-end Cash Flow and
Transaction Reports which capture all tax-related expenses throughout the year. This will eliminate the need for you to dig through old receipts and invoices to find charitable donations, property tax payments, etc. Financial Sense will work with you and your attorney to execute gifting strategies that align with your estate plan objectives.

Customer Service
Last, but certainly not least, we are committed to providing our clients with the highest level of customer service possible. We strive to tailor our services to each and every client’s financial needs. During business hours, all
incoming phone calls and emails are accessible from our mobile phones so that we can be reached even when we’re away from the office. When you become a Financial Sense client, you can rest assured that you will be well taken care of and that your questions will be answered in a timely manner.