This is a follow-up to my post a couple weeks ago about investing in crypto. I’ll start this article the way I ended that one: Open an IRA first 👍

Day trading has been popularized by apps like Robinhood, which offers $0 trades and no minimum account balances for its entry-level offering. I love that it gets more people interested in investing and taking their money lives into their own hands! But after doing more research into the pros and cons, I’m pretty fired up about the injustice of Robinhood.

Before I get to the fiery stuff, let me address the brass tacks: people should be investing in retirement. I can’t overstate this: you should invest for the long-term. If you have extra cash after maxing out your retirement accounts, great! But most people don’t. I’ve run through Verdi’s retirement needs calculator with a bunch of clients and so far only two of them felt good about their standing. These were people who had been contributing regularly to retirement since their 20s and are now 50+.

If you’re in your early 30s and you make about $80k and want to live a lifestyle spending 25% less than you currently do, you’ll have to save just under $1.9 million dollars between now and your 70th birthday. Moreover, retirement accounts are tax-advantaged whereas day trading stock accounts are not.

Maybe the strongest argument against day trading is that an algorithm that runs a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) statistically always yields a higher return than a human - even most highly specialized traders with years of experience. This means, according to the studies, investing in retirement accounts will earn you more money than day trading.

The drawback of investing only in retirement funds is that it’s very hard - nay, impossible - to reach that $1.9 million when you don’t have a 401k and can only invest $6,000 a year in your Roth/Traditional IRAs. So if that’s you, check out SEP IRA options and ETFs from respected institutions (Vanguard, Ellevest, TDAmeritrade, even E*Trade) and leave your money there for at least eight years (want to learn how to do this? Join the VMC!).

So now the injustice.

The big thing is that, although the trades are free, they’re not always the best prices - and they’re not exactly free. Robinhood uses payment for order flow (or PFOF) as one of its revenue streams. If you want to know more about how this works, check out this article, but basically they sometimes give their customers a higher price than what’s available in order to bring in more money for the company. This goes against their fiduciary duty to the consumer and lines the pockets far more thickly of the already-rich than the prospectively-rich - the exact opposite of its purported mission. The educational side of the app leaves people in the dark and the gamification (hello, confetti graphic for each trade) encourages people to make frequent trades and raise their risk on a subject that merits careful thought.

Not to mention it has 1.15 stars (out of 5) from the Better Business Bureau due to sorely lacking customer service, people being blocked from accessing funds, and thin safeguards on sensitive personal info.

The idea of passive income is exciting, and I believe everybody should have access to it - that’s a big part of why I do this job. If clients want to dig into stocks and have a hands-on experience, I support them in that. But there are far safer, less exploitative ways to grow your money than by using Robinhood.

This was a lot, but there’s so much more to talk about! We get into it in the Verdi Money Club, but if you have a question or comment for me, I’d love to hear from you.

XOXO

It may be because of the nature of our work, or maybe it is just because we’re human and on the internet, but Marguerite and I get bombarded with money advice from “experts.” Honestly, it often starts with decent sounding advice:

• Save some money

• Don’t withdraw from your 401K 

• Live within your means

Well-intentioned money blog posts call this “good money management”, but here’s what usually happens next: 

• You save some money but you don’t know how much exactly so you go back to dip from your savings funds (whoops), 

• Money becomes tight, so withdrawing from your 401K is looking extra juicy right now, or

• You live in an expensive city so how can you possibly live within your means?,

So you cry when the thing that worked last week doesn’t work this week, and all that money is gone faster than you earn it. 

And the cycle repeats itself over and over again. 

We don’t blame you. In fact, we’ve both been there! The problem isn’t you or what you’re doing, the problem is that the aforementioned advice you are following doesn’t take into account who you are or your unique goals. 

Here at Verdi, we’ve discovered that learning about money can be fun if it’s approached through the lens of forgiveness, love and empowerment AND if it is personalized. We know what it feels like to be stuck on the hamster wheel of money stress—it’s why we love leading the Verdi Money Club. 

...to give you a repeatable formula for setting money goals that are achievable in less time than you think, and

…to eliminate the guesswork and make dealing with money feel stress-free! 

In the 5 week group coaching Verdi Money Club, you’ll get a personalized step-by-step framework for spending and budgeting, debt management and elimination, credit, saving, and investing. 

All we’re asking from YOU is: 

❑ 90 minutes once a week to get the training

❑ Implement on-the-go (this is work you’re *already doing*, you’ll just be doing it better)

❑ Come see us when you get stuck—we’re everywhere in this program, you’ll know where to find us

That’s it. 

Limited spots available since we want to keep this as intimate as possible.

XOXO

More and more clients have been asking me about investing in cryptocurrency - many know someone who bought crypto at the right time and is now sitting on a stack of money - and they want to know how they can be like that friend.

For better or worse, the advice I have about crypto is the same boring advice as for most investments: do your research.

But what does that look like?

First, it’s important to know your risk tolerance. Do you have a large margin of wealth (do you have wealth?) that you can afford to lose? Does the appeal of making a lot of money outweigh the possibility of losing it? 

Second, Warren Buffet’s advice to invest in something because you believe in it applies to crypto as well as individual stocks and businesses. Many early adopters of bitcoin invested because they believed in a decentralized economy. For some of those pioneers, a loss would have been offset by the knowledge that they were putting money into an idea that felt right to them. 

Third, the advice “buy low, sell high” is very simple but rarely easy, and maybe the hardest element to research. The basic principle of buying something for cheap so you can sell it at a much higher price means you have to have some measure of certainty that it will be worth more in the future. 

But how can we know that? Which crypto will be the next hit?

If I had the answer to that question, I would be one of the aforementioned people sitting on a huge pile of money, but I can point to a couple of questions that everyone considering a high-risk investment should probably investigate. 

1. How do other people feel about the cryptocurrencies that exist or will be developed? If people are feeling good about it, it will gain more value because a large group of people will decide it has value (the true mind#### of money). 

2. Do you believe in it, whether philosophically or purely financially?

3. Can you afford it?

4. Can you see an inherent and unique value in it? What does it do that no other currency does?

One big way crypto investments can vary from individual stock investments is that the former offers mining as a way of earning a portion of the currency, but that in itself is a complex process that may or may not be accessible to you, dear reader, and that I don’t have space to write about here (yet)! So, if you’re interested in mining, I’ll refer you to the top of this post by lovingly saying, do your research.

And open an IRA first 😊

XOXO

Last week on instagram I posted about an article that has really stuck in my head. The basic premise is that the best food related things you can do for the environment are eating less mess (especially beef) and throwing out less food. I don’t eat a lot of beef so ✅  ✅  ✅  for that, but I have recently noticed that we’re throwing out more food than we used to. In the past (i.e. pre-baby and pre-pandemic) my husband and I would always “shop in our kitchen” before going to the store. We meal planned and we prepped things ahead of time. It felt very organized and, to be honest, pretty easy. I remember doing a video walking through my process with the Verdi instagram community and having so many people reach out telling me that it was simpler than they thought.

And yet, here I am, two years later throwing away some terrifying looking carrots that I unearthed from the back of my fridge crisper drawer. If it was so easy I wouldn’t be doing that, right? 

It turns out that things are easier when they are at the top of your priority list (duh). When my husband and I were rarely throwing out food we were also spending a lot of time focused on meals. My husband was cooking a lot and I was regularly training for marathons and therefore focused on getting as much good, healthy food back in my body after runs as soon as was physically possible. 

Now, my husband’s work schedule has changed and he’s cooking less. I’m enjoying short runs, but have no interest in running for 4 hours at a time anymore and we both are focused on spending time with our daughter. Food prep has decidedly moved down the priority list. 

That being said, I still want to waste less food than we do. Part of that desire is based on environmental reasons, but part of it is also financial. Every time I throw moldy food in the trash (or in the compost bin) I see dollars being tossed in with it. Throwing out food is throwing out money, plain and simple. 

Here’s what I’m trying:

• I will make detailed grocery lists and will only let myself go “off list” a little bit (I mean, I’m not going to stop myself from trying those new almond butter covered almonds at Trader Joe’s if I want!)

• Related, but not the same, I will never go shopping without a grocery list. That is asking for trouble 

• I will also stop talking on the phone at the store. That seems to cause me to go into a black hole and emerge from Sprouts with ice cream, yogurt covered raisins, and fancy olives, but zero vegetables or really zero ingredients for any meal other than dessert and/or cocktails. 

• Before making a list I’m going to review what is in my fridge and cabinet and make a note of what needs to be eaten pronto

• I will loosely plan meals (as in I’m buying things for a couple options, but not deciding what day I’ll do what) based on that “about to go bad” list

I’d love to hear your thoughts, advice, or encouragement! Do you already have a good system in place that keeps you from throwing away food? Do you worry about the money that gets wasted or the environmental impact? Just hit reply to this email to let me know! 

XOXO

High Yield Savings Accounts (or HYSAs as we often say at Verdi) are amazing, and not just because the interest rates are better than at most banks. But, before I get into those other, less obvious reasons, let me explain the math.

The national average savings account interest rate is about 0.07%. That means that if you deposit $1,000 today you’ll have $1,000.70 on May 26, 2022. You gained a whopping $0.70! On the other hand, if you use a high yield savings account (check out the Hot Tip Corner if you want to know which ones are our favorites), you’ll have $1,005.71. You gained $5.71! I know, I know...that isn’t actually a lot, but over time it can really make a difference. If you deposited that same $1,000 and then contributed $100/month for two years you’ll end up with $3,424.62. Of that, $24.62 is interest. Again, not a ton of money, but it is so much better than the 0.07% that you get at most banks. (Note: If you want to play around with the interest rate math, we like this handy calculator)

There are a couple other reasons we love HYSAs though (since the math on its own isn’t always convincing): 

1. When interest rates start ticking back up, HYSA interest rates are going to go up. Your regular bank interest rates likely won’t. Or won’t go up by enough for you to notice the difference...

2. HYSAs are usually at institutions that are separate from where you do most of your banking. This means that you can keep your savings out of sight, making it more difficult to dip into them. You’ll be forced to wait a couple of days before you access the cash, which is perfect for those of us who may need a few extra roadblocks in place to keep us from financial self sabotage (🙋‍♀️)

3. And the math. I know it isn’t amazing, but $24.62 of free money is better than $3.01 of free money.

XOXO

HOT TIP CORNER: Our current favorite HYSAs are American Express and Vio. 

Things are finally opening up! People are going on vacation, seeing friends, eating out, and doing all the things (or at least moving in that direction). It is exciting, but as a financial coach, it also makes me a little nervous. Over the past 14 months or so a lot of us have dramatically changed our spending habits and, for many, that meant that they were spending less overall and saving more (yay!). Now that things are opening back up I’m seeing lots of clients start spending in very different ways. This is not necessarily bad, but the sudden change does give me pause.

I made a little checklist that will help you make sure your new spending habits aren’t accidentally sending you off in a bad financial direction:

• Can I afford this? (i.e. do I have the money available to pay for this without going into debt?)

• Does it align with my values?

• By buying this will I need to not buy something else? Am I okay with that? 

• Does this help me with my lifestyle and financial goals? 

  • If not, does it take away from my lifestyle and/or financial goals? 

As long as you can afford it, it aligns with your values, and it either helps you reach your goals or doesn’t take away from that progress, then it is a-okay to spend that money! But, if it actually pulls you away from your goals or forces you to go into debt then take a pause. I know it feels like we have to do all the things now, but we don’t. Even if that specific swimsuit isn’t available in June, something else inevitably will... 

XOXO

I get this question a lot and at least 75% of the time my answer is no. Don’t get me wrong, I get the appeal of going ahead and creating a legal entity for a new business -- it makes it official and that’s exciting! The problem with making it official is, well, then it’s official…

In the early days (or months, or sometimes years) of a new business you are often still trying to figure out your value proposition, what your offerings or products are, and how you are going to make revenue. When those things are unanswered it is best to spend your time and energy on that instead of on creating a legal entity. The legal entity itself isn’t necessary for you to have a business, but once you create one you’ll need to stay in compliance with your state’s rules and you’ll have to pay additional fees each year. Instead, I usually recommend that young businesses start out as sole proprietorships. And, on the plus side, you can be a sole proprietor for ages (note: a sole proprietor is an individual who works for themself and pays self-employment taxes)!

Once you have the business basics figured out, you are bringing in revenue, and you are ready to legally separate yourself from the business entity (this better mean you have separate bank accounts!) then it is time to make it official. 

• Want to know exactly when the time is right for your business? You may be a good fit for the Verdi Business Money Club. 

• Already have a legal entity, but not sure if you’re in compliance? You may be a good fit for the Verdi Business Money Club.

• Note: there are, of course, exceptions to this rule. Depending on the type of business you have you may need to create a legal entity in order to operate legally. If you’re in doubt, reach out! If I’m in doubt, I’ll recommend a lawyer to talk to :) 

XOXO 

Often when having Get To Know Verdi calls (free 20 minute consults) with potential clients Marguerite and I realize that what a client is searching for, but doesn’t know exactly how to verbalize, is financial health. Financial health is akin to mental health -- one’s emotional and psychological well-being -- but is focused on two areas: 

1. Strong financial systems and metrics

2. Positive emotional reaction to money and financial decisions

The first aspect is usually what I think of as the nuts and bolts of our work. If we’re working on personal finance with a client that could mean anything from debt elimination to creating an investment plan. If we’re working on business finance with a client that could mean anything from creating projections for the next quarter to determining appropriate pricing for their products and services. This piece of the puzzle is about numbers. It is about making sure that the math works out. But, the numbers alone don’t tell us the exact path forward -- they definitely tell us what not to do, but they usually also show several good options. 

That’s where emotional reactions come into play. 

The second piece of the puzzle is less quantifiable, but is how final decisions are made. It is about making sure that your financial decisions are aligned with your values and make you feel good. This work is actually largely the same regardless of if we’re working on personal or business finances. It often means helping a client figure out the root cause of their negative emotional reactions to money and financial decisions and then figuring out how to create a replacement narrative that serves them better. For example, it may mean walking a client through a process to figure out where they first learned a negative financial behavior -- maybe from a family member or friend -- and then discussing how that negative behavior was emotionally reinforced over time. This emotional detective work is key to reframing and building new narratives that serve clients. 

Often this work is casually sprinkled in throughout our work together, but not talked about explicitly (i.e. I help a client figure out why she doesn’t want to price her products a certain way and then we figure out a pricing strategy that helps her reach her revenue goals while alleviating the emotional stress that the first option brought up). Sometimes it is really explicit. This could mean that either Marguerite or I notice a specific emotional block that comes up over and over and we address it head on or it could mean that creating a healthy emotional relationship with money is a goal in itself. Regardless of how we address this aspect of financial health, it is always part of our work.

XOXO

I have a lot of entrepreneurial clients (and I’m an entrepreneur myself!). They tend to fall into one of two buckets:

1. They get so caught up in the doing (providing the service or product, running the day to day) that they never take the time to plan for the future 

2. They get so caught up in the planning that they never take the time to actually run the business

Either way you’re missing out on a crucial part of a successful business! But I get it - there is so much to do and plan for that being able to do it all can feel impossible, especially if your brain just happens to like one focusing on one area more than the other. My brain, for example, loves the day to day, but has a hard time slowing down enough to do long-term planning. 

Sometimes something really simple, like knowing a few key financial metrics, can make a world of difference. That is why I love our newly updated Know Your Numbers template. It has tabs specifically for personal finance and business finance so you can keep your numbers separate and helps you see a few key metrics all in one place:

• Account balances

• Debt

• Net Worth

• Revenue Streams 

• Goals 

Plus, it is free! 

Once you have these numbers in front of you it is easier to see what needs to be done in the day-to-day and what you need to plan for in the future: Are you not reaching your revenue goals? Do you need to decrease expenses so you can increase savings? Is the balance on your company credit card slowly creeping up? 

The template won’t tell you how to make the changes, but it will help you see what changes you need to make. If you’re struggling with the how, reach out! I’d love to chat business finances with you.  

XOXO

P.S. This works great for nonprofit organizations too!

For those of you who aren’t aware, I’m pregnant. Like, really pregnant. I’m rounding up on month 9 and will be going on maternity leave sometime next month. A lot changes during pregnancy and, while very few of those topics are on brand for a money centric newsletter, one thing that I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about recently absolutely is: how to talk about money with children. 

For those of you without children, I urge you to keep reading because talking with kids about money isn’t too different from talking to other adults (or yourself!) about money. 

As regular readers know, I’m obsessed with financial transparency (check out this, this, this and this). However, I grew up in a household where money conversations did not happen and if the topic came up naturally in conversation it was quickly squashed by my parents. I now understand that that familial trend contributed to a really unhealthy money mindset that I had until my late 20s. I know that it contributed to a serious lack of knowledge that led me to make some pretty poor choices. I also understand why my parents didn’t talk about money in front of me and my sister - they had no roadmap for how to do so and had culturally been taught that it was wrong. 

I’m determined that my daughter will experience money conversations in a completely different way than I did, but I don’t yet have a clear roadmap of how to do that either. Unlike in the 80s, there are now a lot of resources out there that tell you how to handle these conversations (just google “how to talk about money with kids” - you’ll get 2 million+ hits), but much of the advice is incredibly vague -- i.e. be age appropriate, impart the value of hard work, use teachable moments. None of those ideas are bad, but they also aren’t terribly helpful because 1) most adults don’t feel confident enough in their own financial literacy to follow through, and 2) the decision on how to talk about money with children is really about what you want children to walk away with as young decision makers and vague, blanket advice doesn’t take that into account.

Tackling both of those issues in one newsletter is a bit much, so today I just want to focus on #1. While it is impossible to directly impart specific knowledge to children that you yourself don’t have, there are still wonderful ways to make sure that children grow up financially literate and that you are part of that conversation. 

Here’s a starter kit of ideas: 

• Allow conversations about money to happen in front of children. Even things as simple as, “did you pay that bill yet?” or “how much were groceries this week?” are great. This teaches kids that money conversations are normal. 

• Talk about how you weren’t taught about money and why you want that to be different for your children. This could be a serious sit-down conversation or just something you share in passing when it comes up. For example, if you choose to give allowance and you discuss how that money is being used you could say, “did you know that I got allowance when I was a kid, but your grandparents never discussed it with me? I’m really glad we get to talk about it so you can ask questions and decide how you want to use the money”. 

• Learn and ask questions together. It is okay to not know everything! Heck, I don’t know everything. That’s why I’m constantly researching and learning about new financial topics. If a question comes up that you don’t know the answer to, use that as an opportunity to learn together. Do some online research, find a book on that topic, or call us! 

• Most importantly, when the topic naturally comes up don’t squash it. Kids need to know that money is an integral part of our world and therefore it is okay to talk to talk about 

You can use this same list with friends and loved ones. If the ultimate goal is that more of us are financially literate and comfortable being able to discuss money matters, then it doesn’t really matter if you’re talking about having these conversations with toddlers, teenagers, or adults. 

Next week we’ll tackle #2: determining the end goal for money conversations with children.

I’d love to hear from you! What money questions or topics would you like to see addressed in the blog? What questions do you have about today’s topic? Just hit reply to send me your thoughts!

XOXO

Last week I shared a post on why acting on your economic privilege matters. Today we are going to dive into the how. How should you act on your privilege? What action steps can you take? 

Before we start I want to make clear that every single one of us is going to have a different answer to these questions -- and that’s a good thing! We are all different, have different life circumstances and different values and therefore have different goals. The important thing here is that if we all act, we will be able to make real change in the world around us. 

Step 1:

The first step to creating your individualized action plan is to determine what kind of actions work best for you. Answer the questions below to start narrowing in on a path: 

• Do you have a platform that can be used to share information and action opportunities with others? 

• Do you have wiggle room in your budget (or can you make some that is aligned with your values) to be able to give money to organizations and/or people? 

• Do you have time that you can donate to organizations or causes? 

• Do you have connections to resources that could help others?

• Do you have specific skills that can help others? 

Step 2:

Once you know what type of actions work for you, then you need to determine what values are most important to you. This can be done with a simple brainstorm. Try to narrow down to 1-5 core values that are most important to you. Here’s a list of potential answers just to help you get going:

Climate change, affordable childcare, racial reparations, affordable housing, voting, health and wellness, access to education…

Step 3: 

After you’ve narrowed down to a list of specific values and a list of specific types of actions you want to take, all you need to do is combine them! Note: that is often way easier said than done. I recommend taking at least 30 minutes to map out the specifics (i.e. I will donate to X organization, I will share Y resources with Z group of people). 

Step 4: 

This can be the toughest one: follow through. Schedule time on your calendar so that you actually take the time to do the work you need to do. Set reminders on your phone so that you don’t forget. 

Recognizing, understanding, and acting on your economic privilege is not something that you can do once and be finished with. In order to create more economic justice in the world around us, this will need to be a continuous process. I’ve shared a framework to help get you started, but please note that this is just one of many paths you can take. For some of you it may not feel like enough right now and that’s great - go further! For others of you it may feel like a bit too much and that just means you need to take more time to reflect and work through those feelings. That’s okay!  

As always, I’m here for you and your money journey, wherever you may be on that road. 

XOXO

There are a lot of financial professionals out there who wouldn’t touch the word mantra with a 6 foot pole. There is a whole other contingent that spends 100% of their time focusing on mantras, mindset and manifestation. I’m in neither camp. I rarely find the extremes to work for me, nor do I find that they work for many of my clients. That being said, according to my family in rural Louisiana I am incredibly “woo woo”. According to my friends in Los Angeles I’m pragmatic and straightlaced. Clearly perspective matters and depending on where you fall in the spectrum, this post may feel particularly uncomfortable or particularly easy to digest. I urge you, regardless of your initial reaction, to give it a try. 

THE MINDSET/ACTION CYCLE

Your money mindset is the set of beliefs and internal narratives that you hold in regards to how you view money, wealth and your position in that world. No single mindset is right for everyone, but everyone deserves to have a healthy mindset - one that enables you to feel comfortable and good about your experiences with money and one that encourages you to make money decisions that align with your values. 

Most healthy money mindsets are relatively fragile. Many of us grow up with incredibly negative mindsets and therefore have had to do a lot of work to change our narratives. Even if you grew up with a positive mindset, social norms often tear that down and you will have to work to keep it intact. Therefore, any time you experience emotional distress, your fragile money mindset can easily get disrupted and become negative. Unfortunately, we, as human beings, have a very hard time removing emotion from our decision making processes (actually, I think this is a good thing, but it certainly makes life harder!). If your mindset is in disarray then your decision making process will almost inevitably suffer as well. 

You’ve likely experienced this at different times in the past. Maybe you were going through a particularly tough breakup and ended up booking a flight to Hawaii that you couldn’t really afford. Maybe you were feeling left out of a friend group and you spent money on clothes or experiences that helped you fit in, but didn’t really match your values. Maybe you were just having a shitty day so you ended up self soothing via online shopping or buying one too many glasses of wine because “you deserved it”. I’ve been there. 

Globally, we are now in a time of mass distress. Even if you are healthy, employed and safe, you are likely feeling the trauma that is happening all around us. And, unfortunately, many of us aren’t healthy, employed or safe.

MANTRAS TO THE RESCUE (kind of)

Mantras are simple phrases that we can repeat again and again to help us rewire our narratives. For example, instead of my frequent narrative, “I’ll never get another client again” (truly, I do not know where this comes from, it has never been true, but has been a persistent, unhelpful thought for years), I can say “I am constantly bringing in new clients and helping them reach their goals”. Putting the mantra in the present tense is important because it signals to our brains that this thing that you’re saying is true now, and not something that might happen in the future or something that used to happen. 

Mantras may feel silly when you first start using them. I mean, you are repeating the same phrase over and over to yourself, often out loud and often in a mirror,  but they are incredibly powerful when you are trying to rewire a specific, negative money narrative. That being said, mindset is only one piece to the puzzle. You can rewire those negative narratives and create an emotional space where you are primed and ready to take on your financial goals, but if you don’t have the knowledge or skills to actually achieve those goals, you’ll still be, as my high school World History teacher, Mrs. Young, used to say, "up poo poo creek without a paddle." That is why I believe in the power of mindfulness, emotional intelligence and introspection when it comes to creating a healthy relationship with money and reaching financial goals and I believe that specialized skills and knowledge are crucial. 

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE MANTRAS 

• I am healthy, wealthy and happy. 

• I have great ideas for how to make and save money. 

• I am enough.

• I am worthy of financial success. 

• Money improves my life and the lives around me. 

NEXT STEPS

Try it out! Start by asking yourself what your current money mindset is. Is it serving you? Is it hurting? If it is hurting, try to put that in words. Now spin that around and make it a positive sentence that will help you find alignment. If you’re having trouble, try out one of my tried and true examples, or reach out to me for some guidance. If you feel like you’ve got the mindset on point, but want some help with the skills, let me know. If you feel lost on both fronts, let me know (note: you can email me here).

I’m here for you on your money journey, wherever that may be. 

XOXO

The biggest stimulus bill of all time was passed last week and there is a lot in there. I’m going to go through some of the key provisions that impact personal & business finance today, but I’m not going into anything medical since that is solidly outside of my area of expertise. Believe me, you do not want me to be your doctor. I used to think I wanted to go into medicine (as in for a whole minute my sophomore year of high school), but then I cut my finger while removing brownies from a pan and fainted hard on the kitchen floor. I still have the scar, but I digress...

DIRECT PAYMENTS

Most Americans (anyone who makes less than $75,000/year) will receive $1,200 in direct payments. This is a one-time thing (at least for now) and we’re not exactly sure when the payments will be made. If you’ve done direct deposits with the IRS in the past they’ll use that same info to send you the money. Note: if you haven’t been filing taxes you may have a tough time getting this payment! Make sure to file your 2019 taxes ASAP (and let me know if you need CPA recommendations!). 

UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment benefits now include freelancers, gig workers and furloughed employees. This is a huge win for a lot of the Verdi community and I’m really excited about it! They are also extending the time frame so that you can stay on unemployment for longer. I’m keeping an eye out as this area of the law could be expanded or added onto depending on how long “safer at home” lasts. 

SMALL BUSINESS LOANS

If you own a small business and can pledge to not lay off your employees you may qualify for a forgivable business loan! I’m digging into more of the details on this and will share those via instagram.

BAILOUTS 

The Federal Reserve is controlling a $425 billion fund for loans for distressed companies. There is also a separate $75 billion pot for specific industries (i.e. hotels, airlines). There is a lot more oversight in this law (disclosure of recipients, oversight board, no stock buybacks allowed, no companies owned by senior government officials qualify) than in the 2008 Wall Street bailout, but I expect there may not be enough. Similarly with the small business loans, I am still unpacking a lot of this information and will keep sharing via insta. 

XOXO

NOTE:  If you’re feeling the need for more regular money tips and discussion, now is a great time to follow me on instagram! I’m regularly posting (like always), but am upping my tips and resources game. Follow me @verdidaily. 

This is a time of uncertainty for all of us, but there are varying levels of what that looks like. For some people, their income hasn’t changed at all, but their lifestyle and concerns have. For others, they have been laid off or lost their clients and no longer are bringing in any income. I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t yet know what this time will mean for my business, but I do know that it is too soon to tell. My husband, on the other hand, is in the film industry and there are currently no productions moving forward in L.A.. The show he was about to start, which would have lasted about 8 or 9 months, is delayed at least until the end of next month, but probably longer. I say this in part because I believe that my transparency is crucial in my ability to share and teach about money, but also because I think it is important that you know that this is an uncertain and potentially scary money time for me too. I’m in this with you! 

Below are a few things that we can all do to take care of ourselves and our financial well-being right now. Please read to the end of the newsletter for a few more opportunities to learn and engage on a more one-on-one level!

1. Take care of yourself by making sure your household's immediate needs are met (groceries, household goods, medications), but don't hoard because this hurts our community as a whole. For most people being prepared means making sure you have enough food to be home for at least a week at a time. For some it also will mean having prescriptions filled and plans set for specific appointments or work that absolutely must be done in person. 

2. For those of you whose work is not impacted (i.e. you are still making about the same as before), make sure to up your savings game right now! You probably won’t be spending as much in certain categories (bars, events, clothing) and can divert that money to savings instead. 

3. For those of you who are financially able, make sure to help the organizations and/or people in need as it fits your values. There are a lot of opportunities for helping people directly (reach out to Ashley at DTDT) if that’s your thing. Or think about organizations and small businesses in your community that you especially love or appreciate. P.S. Small businesses LOVE gift cards! These are basically interest free love loans from clients.

4. For those of you whose work is impacted, take a deep breath. This time will pass and there are things in the works at the city, state, and federal governments that should help. I'm working on compiling this info to share as details come out (check the insta!). This is a good time to think through how you want work to look like in the future -- do you want to make changes to be able to weather bigger storms? Do you want to diversify your income? Do you want a different type of work? Talk to me if you're feeling stressed.

5. I’m going to be coming out with a LOT more on this one soon, but here are a few tips for if you don’t have an emergency savings fund, but could really use one right now: 

   1. Call all of the companies that you have regular bills (including your landlord or mortgage company!) with and explain that your financial situation has changed. Ask them if they can either give you an extension or a discount. 

   2. Now is the time to not feel bad about using a credit card. Check out your score on Credit Karma and see if they recommend any cards for you that have a 0% interest signing bonus. If they do and you are rated highly likely to get approved, that’s great! Use that card for the time being. 

   3. Go through your last month of spending and look for subscriptions that you can cancel (you probably don’t need that monthly clothing rental or that gym membership)

   4. Lower your regular contributions to things like retirement, transit or investments. 

   5. File your taxes (if you’ll get a refund!). 

6. If you were already looking to invest in the market or real estate this is a great time! Prices are low on the market and interest rates are basically 0. 

7. You will likely have more introspective time than you usually do. This is a great time to take care of some "housekeeping" things like your taxes (although you can now file in July without fees), your money in general (need help? ask me!), cleaning out that closet you've been avoiding, getting really clear on what you actually need and value vs. what you feel like you are supposed to have, journaling, drawing, cooking...

I know some of that will feel relevant and some probably won't. I want to hear from you so I can be as specific as possible! Please email me or DM me with questions. 

XOXO

Making financial decisions on your own is hard. Making them as a couple is even more difficult! Below are some question starters to help you and your partner discuss how you’d like to work together financially. As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions! 

• What are your values? (i.e. independence, security, etc.) 

• Do your values overlap with your partner? In what ways? 

• In what ways do they not overlap? May that mean that you should keep some finances separate? 

• Are you comfortable sharing all of your spending habits with your partner? If not, are there certain types of spending that you don’t want to share? 

• Do you know how much debt you have? How much debt your partner has? 

• Do you know how much savings you have? How much savings your partner has? 

• Do you know your credit score? Your partner’s credit score? 

• Do you want to make big financial decisions together (i.e. buying property, going on a trip)? 

• What about small financial decisions? 

• What amount of money spent counts as a “big financial decision”? Do you and your partner agree? 

• Are you good at maintaining systems? What about your partner? (i.e.If you decide on a system for combining some of your finances, will you stick with it?)

• Do you think about your expenses as “our” expenses or “my”/”their” expenses? 

• Do you think about your income as “our” income or “my”/”their” income? 

• I KNOW you don’t want to think about this, but if you were to break up, what do you want to happen with your money? With your partner’s?

XOXO

Politics 2020: The Money Side of Things // Post #4: Pete Buttigieg’s Money POV

Welcome to Verdi’s second deep dive into a Democratic Presidential candidate! Each of these posts will include the following: 1) a quick and dirty fact list about the candidate 2) an analysis on the candidate’s views on key money related issues 3) the Verdi Advising opinion on the candidate. 

Pete Buttigieg Facts:

• From South Bend, Indiana (same place he was mayor of!)

• Background in politics, consulting & military

  • Worked on John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign 

  • Was a consultant at McKinsey & Company (note: there’s been lots of press on this)

  • Serves as fellow at the Truman National Security Project & focuses on Afghanistan & Pakistan

  • Joined the US Navy Reserve in 2009 

• Lost the Indiana state treasurer election in 2010, won the South Bend mayoral election in 2011

• Went to Harvard & Oxford for undergrad 

• Loves Indiana and lives in South Bend

• Mayor Pete is the first openly gay Democratic candidate for President 

• Married to Chasten Glezman who is a teacher (yay!)

• Has two incredible pups: Truman & Buddy. They have an EXCELLENT instagram game. 

Where He Stands On The Economy

Buttigieg is pro-union & anti-crony capitalism. He believes that the wave of automation has hurt our manufacturing jobs and wants to make sure that we bring in other jobs to replace these. He, like Warren and others, support ways to decrease the influence of money in politics. He also supports raising the minimum wage to $15 and offering national paid family leave. 

The Verdi Vote: 👍 (we agree, but want to hear more about how Pete proposes to keep money out of politics.)

Where He Stands On The Cost of Living

HIGHER EDUCATION

Mayor Pete wants to provide free college to those who need it, but not for everyone. He believes that the very rich (those who can already afford college) should still pay so that more federal money can be set aside for those who need the help. In his plan this means 80% of Americans will have their tuition covered. He plans to pay for this by taxing the top 1% of Americans. He also supports loan forgiveness programs for existing debt. That actually might help him as he would be entering office with over $100,000 of student loan debt himself!

He also wants the federal government to pre-fill the majority of the FAFSA (Federal Student Aid) application for students. As a former high school teacher who helped students fill out that monster of an application, I cannot tell you how excited I am that it could come pre-filled. I knew many students who either almost gave up or actually gave up applying for school just because of the FAFSA.

The Verdi Vote: 👍 (fewer student loan debts? Count us in! That being said we want to see more details on the #s...duh)

HEALTH CARE

Unlike Warren and Yang, Pete does not support Medicare for All. Instead, he supports Medicare for All Who Want It. With this policy in place, Americans would be able to opt in to a public health insurance option or choose to remain in the private marketplace. He thinks this middle-of-the-road approach will ensure that everyone has affordable coverage without forcing anyone to change something they like. He says this will cost about $1.5 trillion over 10 years and will be paid for by reversing Trump’s corporate tax cuts. Pete also supports giving the federal government power to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. Those negotiations (in theory) will also save money which can be used towards Medicare for All Who Want It. 

The Verdi Vote:  👍 (we’re very pro affordable health care and and are hopeful that this middle of the road approach will be more appealing to a national crowd)

Where Verdi Stands on Pete

Overall, we think Pete’s centrist approach could make him a more palatable candidate for the national race (unlike Warren or Bernie who may be too far left for national campaigns), but want to hear more about his tax policy.  

Want to give to the Pete 2020 campaign? Click here.

Have more campaign or money questions? Send me an email or schedule a FREE 15 minute call with me by clicking the button below.

My 2020 Resolutions: How I Made Them & How I’ll Keep Them

I’ve never been great at New Year’s resolutions and, because I don’t like failure, I have traditionally not made any real ones. Instead, I’ve stuck with coming up with goals or feelings or things that I’ll generally (i.e. vague AF) do differently in the new year. For example, last year I proposed I’d be more “calm” and the year before that I’m pretty sure I said I’d “run more.” Totally vague and useless. That approach is wonderful if the goal is to not fail, but pretty terrible if your goal is to make real change in your habits and lifestyle. 

This year I’m approaching things differently. I’m creating real goals, but also making sure that I set myself up for success. Over the last two years I’ve learned a lot about goal setting from my favorite accountability group, Do The Damn Thing, and am using some of those tried and true methods in my resolutions. 

FYI: I think it’s bullshit to wait until the new year to make these types of goals. Annual goals are nice because it feels good to have a clear set of time, but it is more than okay to start these goals on January 6, or March 15, or July 30 or any day of the year. Another fun idea is to pick annual goals that are timebound by your birthday as that is the start of your very own new year. 

Step 1: Brainstorm Goals (5-10 minutes)

This is the most fun part for me. I write down all sorts of things I’d like to do, see, be and experience in the year ahead. I recommend starting with goals from different parts of your life (financial, emotional, physical, work, personal) so you cast a really nice, wide net.

Step 2: Cull the Goals (5 minutes)

Cut the fat. Which goals do you want to achieve badly enough to work on them for the whole year? All of those “well, it’d be nice if…” kind of things don’t make the cut. For example, I originally had run another marathon on my list, but I know I’ll only want to do that if more of my health concerns are figured out. A goal that hinges on the success of another goal isn’t worth having (yet). However, I do believe that every one of us should have at least one money goal each year. 

My 2020 Goals:

1. Launch my podcast! 

2. Determine appropriate strategies to deal with current health concerns (this may or may not include medicines, food, exercise and mindfulness) 

3. Build savings account for future babies!! (get ready for Verdi Jr!)

Step 3: Create an Action Plan (20 minutes)

For each of the goals, create a plan for how you’re going to achieve them by the end of the year. All plans should include strategies, support & markers of success. Please note that my second goal is actually about figuring things out and not about a specific outcome -- that means that I’ll likely continue to work on my health strategies in the years to come, whereas I’ll only launch the podcast once. 

My 2020 Action Plan:

• Launch the Financial Feminists Podcast

  • Strategies: 1) Finalize strategy with producer 2) Schedule guests 3) Create outlines 4) Record 5) Launch! 

  • Support: 1) Work with podcast producer who I found in 2019 2) Join future DTDT group to help me through some of the questions that I know will come up

  • Success: Season 1 is live with a plan for Season 2 (Season 2 also potentially live depending on timing) 

• Determine appropriate strategies to deal with current health concerns (this may or may not include medicines, food, exercise and mindfulness) 

  • Strategies: 1) Go to new PCP (new insurance started Jan 1!!) 2) Finish tests recommended by old doctor 3) Elimination Diet to determine food best practices 4) Continue meditation practice & add in phone reminders to improve consistency 5) Be open to learning from others 

  • Support: Doctors (PCP & specialists), husband & friends 

  • Success: I don’t expect to be cured (the current theory is that I have some sort of autoimmune disease), but I do expect to have better knowledge and strategies that I can use to improve my symptoms. If I have a significantly better understanding of my body, I will feel successful.

• Build savings account for future baby

  • Strategies: Save a minimum of $500/month by increasing household income & decreasing spending on food that doesn’t excite or serve us (i.e. postmating because we forgot to plan ahead, buying lunch out instead of bringing lunch to work) 

  • Support: Husband! We’re on the same page for this goal and will make sure that our progress and challenges are part of our regular money date conversations

  • Success: Right now I’m estimating that I’ll want $10,000 saved by the time I give birth.This will cover some early one-time costs like furniture and a stroller as well as more on-going costs like a nanny. I’m open to that number changing -- either up or down -- as I learn more and my husband and I make more decisions on what we want early life for a baby to look like. 

Step 4: Add in Exit Ramps (10 minutes)

Sometimes the goals we feel really passionate about at one point in our lives become less important later. This could be because our circumstances have changed (i.e. goal is to run a marathon, but then you broke your foot ← that’s happened to me) or because your feelings towards the goal has changed (i.e. goal is to go Keto, but it turns out your body really doesn’t respond well to that diet). That’s why we need exit ramps. Exit ramps aren’t failures -- they are opportunities for us to recognize when something isn’t serving us anymore and times when we can pivot to something that serves us better. 

Here’s mine:

1. Launch my podcast

   1. Exit Ramp: if my support falls through I will work my hardest to find an alternative option, but as I am unable to complete this goal without outside help, I will accept that the podcast may not launch in 2020. 

2. Determine appropriate strategies to deal with current health concerns (this may or may not include medicines, food, exercise and mindfulness) 

   1. Exit Ramp(s): 1) My health dramatically improves without making changes (I doubt this, but it’d be fun) 2) I get pregnant and that changes what I need to focus on health-wise

3. Build savings account for future baby

   1. Exit Ramp: I already covered this in my action plan, but I am open to my goal amount changing depending on future knowledge I gain. 

Not sure you have the support or knowledge you need to reach your money goals this year? I offer two great coaching options: The Verdi Money Club (online group coaching) and Personalized Coaching (on-on-one online coaching). 

Have more Money questions? Send me an email or schedule a FREE 15 minute call with me by clicking the button below.

Money Dates are a simple, concrete way to regularly check in with your money and your money goals. I’ve created this system so that anyone can start (or maintain) a better, healthier relationship with money. I’m very excited to share my process with you today! I LOVE Money Dates. I have them with my husband every week and, as much as I love these money dates with my husband, the ones I love the most are just with me. Solo Money Dates are pretty simple - all you need is a little bit of time, a willingness to learn more about yourself and your money habits, and access to your bank account(s). To make them even easier to implement, I’ve created a FAQ list that will get you started off on the right foot (or buck?).

Why should I do this?

Such an important question! Culturally, we are very isolated from our money, yet use it (almost) every day. Money Dates help to:

• Normalize our experiences with money

• Keep us on track towards our Money Goals

• Teach us about our money habits - which often teaches us about our other habits and priorities!

• Understand our lifestyles more fully

• Become more mindful with our money habits

How much time do I need?

Not much! I set aside 15 minutes for each of my money dates. I love them, so sometimes I end up spending more time, but I always commit to at least a full 15 minute chunk of time.

How often should I have Money Dates?

My personal preference is once a week as part of my regular morning routine (usually on a Thursday) because I find that that frequency and time of day is the easiest for me to make habitual. However, I have clients who find that 2x a month or even 1x a month is a better fit for them. I have other clients who like to have their money dates during a lunch break or at the end of the work day as a way to mark the start to a relaxing evening. No matter your preferred frequency or time of day, make sure to set aside the time in your calendar so that you don’t forget about it!

EXPERT TIP: If you choose to have money dates less frequently then try to go for a little longer — shoot for 25-30 minutes instead of 15.

Where should I be?

Wherever! You will need access to either your bank accounts or your money tracker, so make sure to be somewhere where you’re easily able to pull those up, but otherwise it is totally up to you! I recommend being some place comfortable and private so you don’t have to deal with interruptions. Usually that means I head on over to my couch, but I’ve had successful money dates in coffee shops, parks, by a pool and even on a train! Anyone else feel the start to a Dr. Seuss book here?!

What do I actually do during the money date?

First review your Money Goals and ask yourself the following questions:

• Do my goals spark joy? Marie Kondo that list y’all.

• Do any of my goals need updating? Am I updating them because I haven’t made progress? If so, what do I need to change about my action steps?

• Have I reached any of my goals? If so, do a dance, scream at the top of your lungs and take a #moneygoals selfie ASAP.

Then, look over your spending and saving habits since your last money date (or, if this is your first one - look at just the last week). Ask yourself the following questions:

• Are my spending and saving habits aligned with my goals? If not, what can I shift now? What will take more time?

• How can I make my spending and saving habits even more aligned with my goals?

• Does anything seem wrong (i.e. got charged twice for Netflix, my health insurance auto payment isn’t showing up, my paycheck looks smaller this month)? If so, make a plan to follow up with the appropriate people.

What treat should I have?

My favorite treats are really simple -  a few squares of dark chocolate, a homemade matcha latte, a yummy cup of tea (do you see a pattern here?). My treats are always food or drink related, but you don’t need to be so focused (or hungry) and instead plan an activity for after the date that makes you particularly happy. Or, better yet, do both!

Have more Money Date questions? Send me an email or schedule a FREE 15 minute call with me by clicking the button below.

Every January the whole country goes into a goal setting frenzy. By February most people have fallen off the wagon, and by March many have completely forgotten what their goals were in the first place.

It is easy to brainstorm long lists of things that we think will make our lives better, but it is a whole lot more difficult to follow through and succeed. There are three main reasons New Year’s resolutions fail year after year:

1. The goals aren’t SMART

2. There are too many of them

3. There’s no system for staying on track

By not having these three things in place, we set ourselves up for failure. The same is true of our money goals. Most of us have them, at least in theory, but they’re usually so vague, numerous or confusing that we never reach them. Sound familiar?

The first step to setting & reaching your money goals is to make them SMART.

Specific

Measurable

Actionable

Realistic

Timely

If your original money goal was: “I want to save for a trip to Bali,” your SMART goal is: “By September 30, I will have saved $2,000 for a 2 week trip to Bali in December. I will save this money by Airbnbing my guest room for $80/night for at least 28 days over the next six months, not ordering from Postmates, and limiting my clothes shopping to $200 every other month.”

The new goal is specific, it is measurable (you’ll know if you saved $2,000 or not), it is actionable (Airbnb, clothes shopping), realistic (you are giving yourself enough time to reach the goal and have a plan for how to do so) and It is timely (you have an end date).

SMART goals are great, but if you have too many of them you’ll fall right back in that goal failing cycle. Too many goals force us to spread our resources (money, time, abilities) thin. Instead, try picking only a handful - 1 to 3 max!

The last problem with our typical goal setting is that we don’t create systems for staying on track. Let’s go back to our Bali SMART goal. This is super specific, which is great, but if the plan (Airbnbing the guest room, quitting Postmates, and limiting clothes shopping) isn’t put into place correctly, you still won’t succeed.

That’s where backwards planning & action items come into play! Start by looking at your end date. If you want to save $2,000 by September, you’ll need to break that dollar amount down into monthly chunks. Next, you’ll need to figure out how much money you’ll save from Airbnb and how much money you’ll save from shopping less. From there you can make clear action steps for yourself! I highly recommend putting those action steps in your calendar or as phone reminders so that they stay top of mind.

Ready to create your perfect goals? Check out this Goal Setting freebie. 

Knowing exactly how to make a money goal SMART is tough without knowing how you currently spend, make and save money. Even if you think you have a pretty good idea, or you use an App like Mint that categorizes your spending, tracking each purchase can be incredibly powerful. Human brains aren’t great at remembering and calculating spending details, especially when those purchases are habitual. If you’re struggling with the action planning portion of your money goal setting endeavors, start tracking your daily spending! You can write down your spending in a journal, on your phone, a spreadsheet, or, if you want extra help to figure out this whole goal setting thing, check out the Verdi Money Club (virtual group coaching) to get your very own Verdi Tracker plus a whole lot of love, guidance and accountability.

As always, I want to hear from you! What questions do you have? How can I help you on your personal money journey?

This post is part of a larger series on the 2020 Presidential Race and I want YOUR input!

Email me by clicking the button below to share your questions, thoughts and ideas. I will be interjecting regularly scheduled money posts with a political post once a month.

Welcome to Verdi’s first deep dive into a Democratic Presidential candidate! Each of these posts will include the following: 1) a quick and dirty fact list about the candidate, 2) an analysis on the candidate’s views on key money related issues and, 3) the Verdi Advising opinion on the candidate. 

Andrew Yang Facts:

• From New York (Schenectady to be exact, but since I just had to look that up three times to make sure I spelled it right, we won’t be returning to that word)

• Background in startups, law & nonprofits

  • Lawyer for 5 months in NY

  • Co-founded test prep company, Manhattan Prep, which was later bought by Kaplan

  • Founder of Venture for America (VFA) nonprofit

• Debate nerd (perfect for those Presidential ones)

• Went to Brown University for undergrad and has a law degree from Columbia Law School

• Lives in NYC 

• Married to wife Evelyn and has two sons 

• His favorite anime is Akira (TY Wikipedia)

• His campaign slogan is MATH (Make America Think Harder) 😂

Where He Stands On The Economy

Yang is all about “human-centered Capitalism.” In a nutshell, he believes that our current economic system focuses too much on corporate profits and not enough on the humans involved. Therefore, he believes that our economy should exist to serve the common goals of our society, not just the owners of large businesses. 

The Verdi Vote: 👍 (we totally agree, but really wish he would be more specific on how to change the system. It is A BEAST and words alone won’t do it.)

Where He Stands On The Cost of Living, AKA Why He Loves Universal Basic Income

UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME

Universal Basic Income, or, The Freedom Dividend, as Yang calls it, is a guaranteed amount of money that every adult receives. Yang’s policy proposal is to give each American adult $1,000/month. There are a few important things to note for this policy: 1) It doesn’t matter where you live, the $1,000 is just $1,000 2) If you receive government benefits then you have to give those up to receive the money. If your benefits exceed $1,000/month, Yang expects you to keep your benefits instead. 

Yang focuses a lot on our changing economy and how many jobs are being taken over by technological changes. He believes that the Freedom Dividend will help by providing for the basics while we are looking for jobs, starting businesses or going back to school.

Yang proposes to pay for the Freedom Dividend by doing two things:

1. Consolidate some welfare programs. He isn’t super clear on what this looks like but notes that there are inefficiencies that could be improved.

2. Add a Value Added Tax of 10%. This is a tax on the production of goods or services a business produces. 

The Verdi Vote: 🤷‍♀️ (we like the sound of helping people get through transitions, but aren’t yet convinced that this is the right way)

HEALTH CARE

Yang supports Medicare for All, which basically means that we’d all have health insurance through the Federal government instead of through private insurance companies. However, unlike other candidates like Elizabeth Warren & Bernie Sanders, he also says that those who want to keep their private insurance should be able to. He also stresses the need for a more holistic approach to health care -- for example, he talks about the benefits of primary care physicians referring patients to psychologists as part of an overall approach to medical issues.

He has not fully explained how he proposes to pay for this change. He has said that we need to change how we pay doctors -- moving to a salary basis instead of a price-per-service model (i.e. doctors’ pay is now typically based on the procedures and work they perform).

The Verdi Vote: 🤷‍♀️ (as always, we need to see the #s)

Where Verdi Stands on Yang

Overall, we’re intrigued by Yang and his proposals, but aren’t convinced yet. If he makes it further into the campaign and does well we expect to get some more specific information from him and will do a follow up post then. 

Want to give to the Yang campaign? Click here.