My heart still hurts for the victims, families, and friends of Sutherland Springs, Texas. Before you read the topic for this week, I ask that you join me in a moment of silence to remember the fallen, and to think about how we can stop these tragic events going forward.  

Life is short, and we must continue to make the most of our lives while on this side of the ground.

With everything going on around us, I get the sense that if you’re a parent, you’re even more anxious to ensure that your kids have the opportunity to thrive. Interestingly enough, however, it seems that parents put more dollar behind boys (relative to girls), when it comes to putting aside money for college education. Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal article – “College-Savings Imbalance: Parents Put Aside More for Sons Than Daughters” – cited that 50% of boy-only households had money saved for their children’s college compared with only 39% of parents of girl-only households. While I would have liked to see the study analyze savings differences in households with at least one boy and one girl, the study still points out gender differences in habits and attitudes:

As a female, these statistics blow my mind!

So, what are we to do about it?

It’s not enough just to know about it. I believe that we must take action equally for our boys and our girls.

Interestingly enough, I’ve received a lot of questions over the past few weeks that have taken some form of:

• How can I save money for my kids’ future college expenses?

• How can we make changes to our current spending habits?

• What investments should I consider to put money aside now that I have a family of my own?

If these questions (or others) interest you, please take 2 minutes to let me know what questions you want answered because we are gearing up for some exciting classes in 2018. I want you to have the life you envision for your family!

Most parents want to have the financial resources to provide for their kids, whether it’s a boy or a girl. While I do not have kids, I know this to be true as a child of parents who have always wanted the best for my brother and I. And a godmother to three beautiful godchildren (2 boys and 1 girl), I am constantly thinking about how we put more money up for their future. I will let my actions keep me honest about whether I’m biased in giving amounts to my girl relative to my boys.

As this holiday season approaches, and 2017 comes to an end, continue to ponder about how you will prepare your family for financial opportunity. I’m here to help on your journey!