Cavalletto Law Offices

At Cavalletto Law, we take your identity and the security of your information very seriously. Any personal information that you provide to us in representation is locked, sealed, and later destroyed as part of our efforts to ensure your security at our firm. You may have heard that Equifax was part of a large scale 'hack' of information, in which some of YOUR information may have been exposed. If it was, you are eligible for either free credit monitoring, OR a $125 cash payment from the settlement proceeds. Take 30 seconds, and go see if you are eligible. Link provided below. https://eligibility.equifaxbreachsettlement.com//eligibili

Today I received a phone call from a client that I had many years ago, just to say hello, and to verify something that I had done. In the process of speaking with them, they shared with me that even years after helping them, they still followed along on Facebook, and enjoyed reading the posts that I provide here. It resonated with me, as I have been a little behind the times in getting updates posted, and sharing useful information. However, the phone call did spark a thoug...ht in me, and I wanted to share the one thing that I don't think I have done as of yet. Gratitude, and true appreciation. I truly enjoy what I do, but I couldn't do my job without you, my clients. Being here to help is one of my greatest rewards, and I truly do appreciate each and every client. We should each take a moment every day (or week!), to express our thanks to those that influence our lives in positive ways. You all have helped me to grow as a legal professional, and I appreciate your continued business and friendship over the years. To each of you: Thank you!

Normally I focus on helping my clients resolve their debt problems. Whether that resolution comes in the form of a Bankruptcy, or a negotiated settlement with their creditors, the primary focus has almost always been "getting rid of debt." One of the things I typically do NOT do, is discuss how to increase savings, or even START saving. Its something that we all struggle with...save more money! One of the biggest misconceptions is that you have to save "big" numbers. I ar...gue otherwise, and encourage you to save ANY number. Even if you're just starting out with a $5 deposit into an online savings account (they're everywhere! Capital One 360, American Express, Barclay US all have high yield online accounts). If that's all you can do this month, great!! You started. Now next month, try putting $10 into the account. Not a huge number, and it doesn't earn much interest, but it STARTS you on the road. Try increasing the amount. And, every time you THINK you're going to go to Starbucks but then end up passing, go ahead and transfer that $4.50 over into the savings. You were already going to spend it at Starbucks anyways....so you're comfortable spending that amount. Swap it over and save it! The important thing to note is that even saving $5 is a huge achievement. If your account went from $0 to $5...that's a giant increase, percentage wise!! :) Go get saving!!

This morning I read an article about the emotional aspects of debt, and how we attach different feelings to different types of debt. "Good" debt versus "bad" debt, some debt is more "embarrassing" than others, etc. Apparently a group called NerdWallet went through the effort of surveying over 2,000 American adult consumers on their debt load, and the results are quite comical. More than 70% of those surveyed felt that credit card debt was considered the most embarrassing ty...pe of debt to carry. Even more shocking, nearly half of those surveyed (49%) would hesitate to enter into a romantic relationship with someone who was carrying credit card debt. Say what?! We're a full week into February of 2016. If you're carrying ANY kind of debt, the time is NOW to start working it down. Let's work out a plan, NOW, to get rid of it. All it takes is one change, and you're making progress.

I have often written about finances, and goal planning, and setting our boundaries and focusing on what it is that we want to achieve. With these clear ideas in mind, we can push forward, and accomplish great things. One thing that I have failed to comment on in those discussions, is the yearning to learn. I personally find myself constantly wanting to learn new things, new ideas, and pushing my own boundaries into new areas. For example, over the weekend I thought it woul...d be a good idea to test my knowledge and skill on a home remodel project, knowing full well that I have limited experience and knowledge on the subject. However, I also have an insatiable desire to learn new things. Alas, I pushed forward, I learned the process, and I now know how to demo old tile, and lay new tile. Will I do it again? Probably not! Is my body still reminding me that my day job consists of sitting in front of a desk from 8am to 5pm? Absolutely! However, the rewards of learning a new skill far outweigh the side effects of accepting defeat and not even trying! (Full Disclaimer: I did finally accede to my body's cries of misery, and called in a professional when I couldn't stand up anymore! The real tile guys are coming to cut the tile today and finish laying it down! BUT - I did start, and I do know how now!) So, while I may have previously encouraged you to set a goal and stay focused on those goals...never stop learning, and never set a limit on your desires to learn!

This week I have had the opportunity to discuss career choices with a couple different people. Throughout each discussion, I found that I had a prevailing theme of advice that I thought was critical to helping people choose the direction of their life. While it may sound somewhat esoteric, I truly believe that if you as a person can identify the concept, then your choice is laid out in front of you. So, what was the sage advice? Identifying the "WHY" of yourself, and then ...you can answer all the other questions that come up. For example, I once had to identify the WHY of my own life. I grew up on a ranch and come from an agricultural family. I identified midway through college that I definitely did NOT want to be a rancher working with cows. That became my why "not" movement of identifying other identities and options. I knew what I did NOT want to do, and started exploring other options. I soon identified that I wanted to HELP people, and provide a new foundation for people's access to help. This WHY then helped me to identify not only a career choice, but narrowly tailoring my choice into a specific area of assistance. WHY am I here? Not so much a theoretical WHY am I on Earth. Rather, more of a WHY am I in this career? What motivates YOU to be doing what you do? Is it just for a paycheck? Or...are you satisfying a deeper need of your own?