The power of positive thinking is not a new idea, but when it comes to money it is, because we’re still so afraid.  We’re a culture of slogans — in ads, on bumper stickers, on T-shirts, needle-pointed onto pillows.  Call it what you like — a financial mantra, a new truth, a new belief in […]

Some people prosper when times are challenging, and some people never do, even in good times.  Some people endure serious personal financial storms and come out stronger than ever before; others get swept away.  The difference is this:  Those who do well in both good times and bad times manage their money from a position […]

If it is your intention to be the master of your financial destiny, you must begin paying more attention to your money.  Not all financial advertisements or advisors have your best interests at heart, so you must learn the difference between the myths that you are being told and sold, and the reality of how […]

Financial freedom requires not just insights but also actions, and to carry out these actions you must learn about money and how it needs to be treated.  True financial freedom is not only having money, but having power over that money as well.
— Suze Orman, The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom

In time that $22,000 [inheritance] will inevitably go down to $20,000, then $15,000, and before you know it, it will be gone. Most likely the balance on Karen’s secret credit card will be higher as well. What happened to Karen happens to most of us. We’re afraid to really look at our finances head-on, to […]

I was just like most people who finally had money.  Rather than act responsibly with my newfound cash flow, I felt I was entitled to make up for lost time by eating out every night, hitting the clubs, taking nice vacations, and filling my life with whatever gadgets I wanted.  I thought picking up the […]

A lot of people get confused about what to do first when it comes to saving money: pay off debt, save for their retirement, or just put money away for an emergency fund. Listen, if you are paying 18 percent interest on your credit card debt, it makes absolutely no sense to start a savings […]

I know this subject [money] is serious stuff. Your future is riding on it. But taking control of your financial life doesn’t need to be a solitary and scary process. Fear comes from not knowing what to do or how to do it. And when we are fearful, we do nothing. …You really do have what […]

If you show money the respect it deserves today, and carry it through in all your actions, then one day, when you can no longer take care of it, your money will take care of you.  Respecting your relationship with money, you see, is the key not only to your security and independence, but to […]

I have found that when negative emotions control the purse strings, money will not flow purely and evenly.  When it comes to money, emotions can speak louder than reason or necessity.  Your emotions, expressed through your financial actions, have gotten you to where you are now and will continue to shape your financial future if […]

If shame, fear, or anger is at the wheel, then I can promise you, you are not on a course toward richness.  By having the courage to face and overcome your inner obstacles, however, you will change the outer trappings of your financial life forever.
— Suze Orman, The Courage to Be Rich

Most of us think of our money as existing in a pool:  Here is the pool of what I have to spend this month.  And, no matter what, the pool gets drained every month, replenished, then drained again.  But think about this.  So many of our expenses are finite — we pay for a one-time […]

Most of us believe, or deceive ourselves into believing, that we need about $1,000 to $1,500 a month less than we actually do need to go on living the exact same way we live right now. Surprisingly, this figure seems to vary only a little bit regardless of income levels. If a client writes down […]

If you’re not powerful with your money, you are not powerful.
— Suze Orman, Interview on Larry King Live, 2007-02-27

Be careful not to let the money you spend become a badge of your success.
— Suze Orman, The Laws of Money, The Lessons of Life