Money Doesn't Buy Happiness, But It Can Buy You a Second Chance!

"I'll never to this day know what made me say it, but I said, ‘Well, then, I guess I'll become a stockbroker,'" Daria recalls. A voice inside told her she was going to have to make some big changes to compensate. As a part-time actress, she could never hope to make up the shortfall. So she announced that she was going to enter Ken's old business as a stockbroker—a pretty risky proposition, seeing that she had absolutely no experience.

Ken didn't think she would be able to pull it off, and Daria wasn't so sure herself. But whether through some latent innate ability or out-and-out terror of being in the poorhouse, Daria passed the New York Stock Exchange "Series 7" test that is required of anyone who wishes to obtain a license to conduct securities business with the public—and she became a stock broker.

In fact, she enjoyed giving financial advice so much that in 1986 she teamed up with Ken to host a talk show on another New York City radio station, and The Dolans was born.

Surviving Tough Times

As 1987 began, they thought nothing could stop them. So they quit the smaller radio station to write their first book, thinking that being successful authors would bring them a fortune in radio and television opportunities. The timing couldn't have been worse. The stock market crashed in October of that year, ad sales were down, and not many programmers were willing to take a gamble on a couple of personalities without a long track record.

Well, they—we, actually—were out of work for a whopping 18 months, and it felt more like an eternity. But we were able to hang in and keep knocking on doors until WOR Radio called us and offered us a talk show, initially in an 8 to 10 p.m. slot.

We didn't have to give up our dream and go looking for "real" jobs. Why? Because we had enough savings to carry us through what amounted to a serious recession of our own. We didn't have fights about it or get worried and waste time contemplating turning back, all because we had our cushion.

Recession is in the eye of the receiver; you can experience your own recession at any time, even if the economy at large is doing fine. Recession can be the best thing that's ever happened to you—if you make it an opportunity to realize your dreams. You might have to take a lower-paying, lower-level job, or launch a risky entrepreneurial venture, or fork over tuition and go back to school, but you can make it if you're prepared.

You could buy lottery tickets. But a solid money-management plan will guarantee you a winning number. We'll help get you on track:

• Family Finances - The BIG Picture
• Pay Off Your Credit Cards in One Year
• Dolans' 10 Simple Rules of Investing