GuruWatch

Look, I may be the furthest you can get from a Suze Orman supporter. But all this talk in the financial blogsophere about Suze Orman being gay has got to stop! Grow up! There are more important financial decisions and learnings out there than lingering on this news development.

Which brings to mind this thought - “Who you choose to get financial advice from, should not be based on race, gender, or sexual preference, but through competence, if not through experience”. Being closed-minded about who can inspire you to make sound investment / financial decisions is simply being both ignorant and arrogant. Even myself who find Suze abrasive and annoying in her methodology can find time to acknowledge some of the good that she’s done. People, this isn’t grade school anymore!

Suze Orman, a regular person of interest here on GuruWatch is at it again? At what you might ask? Even while her brash personality and personal financial advice is debatable, there are not many who will argue that she is a savvy business woman who knows how to market herself. You can even see that she clearly thought through the colors to be used on her latest book cover. In short, she definitely knows how to make money …. for herself at least!

Suze Orman has partnered with TD Ameritrade to offer brokerage account bonuses to women who read and follow Orman’s advice from her latest self-help book “Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny“. In the book, Orman outlines a simple five-step, the “Save Yourself Plan”, intended to help women find long-term financial security. TD Ameritrade is helping tp promote Orman’s book by offering a $100 bonus to clients who follow the Save Yourself Plan, open a new brokerage account during the month of March and make monthly direct deposits of $50 or more for one year.

Forgive my eternal cynicism. But the “save yourself plan”? I’m still undecided as to whether that name is meant to motivate women by instilling fear or to uplift their spirit.

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Suze Orman will be speaking at The Bushnell in Hartford, Connecticut on Wednesday, January 24 at 7:30 pm. Tickets cost between $30 and $55 or you can pay a little more, $125, to be a VIP for the evening and meet Suze. The basic seats can be purchased online, but the VIP tickets must be purchased by calling the box office.

This speaking engagement is right in front of the February 27 release of Suze’s new book, Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny. After the release, Suze will be embarking on a book signing tour, so look for her soon in your town… if you’re interested.

Suze Orman often asks people the following question:

“What keeps you from doing that which you know you should do with your money?”

It is a very relevant and important question. But many people seem to put off facing such pointed questions.

Have there been situations where you have done something financially that you felt deep-down you probably shouldn’t do? Comment below.

In her latest column on Yahoo! Finance, Suze Orman says you need to look close at what your homeowners insurance actually covers. A five question quiz she put together might help you determine if your policy takes care of you.

Orman’s Tips for Insurance:

• Get A High Deductible
• Keep Your Policy Current
• Make Sure You Can Rebuild Anywhere

Suze Orman’s Resource Center has additional information on insurance.

Suze Orman’s advice is to avoid piggyback mortgage loans. It’s a better option to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI) up front and roll it into a lower rate than borrow at a higher rate. Here’s a clip from her show, in which she only slightly berates the caller, Michael from McMurray, Pennsylvania. (Or is that Michael McMurray, from Pennsylvania?)