When Carol and Jim passed away, their three grown kids—Mark, Lisa, and Sarah—did what many families do in grief: they gathered to sort through the house. At first, it was tender. They laughed over childhood art projects, teared up at old photo albums, and swapped stories late into the night. But when it came time … Read more
(Talking to Your Aging Parents About Their Finances—Before It’s a Crisis) Anna’s dad was part of what’s often called The Silent Generation. He was born during the Great Depression, served in the military, and prided himself on working hard, paying his bills, and keeping his affairs private. Money, to him, wasn’t something you talked about—it … Read more
On the surface, this conversation doesn’t sound like it has anything to do with money. But in real life, it almost always does. When we build retirement plans, we intentionally set money aside for things that matter: Then something subtle happens. Those plans start getting traded in. Not because the money isn’t there — but … Read more
(“You’re NOT an Imposter” Part Two) So many people reached out to me after I published the first “You Are Not an Imposter” blog – clients, friends, even people I’ve never met — to say that it resonated deeply. So many of us still carry pieces of our past into the way we think about … Read more
At first glance, financial planning seems like a numbers game: How much have you saved? What’s your withdrawal rate? How are your investments performing? But beneath all those numbers, there’s a deeper, quieter question that lives at the core of every financial plan: How much is enough? It’s not a question most people ask out … Read more
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of What Exactly? As we approach the Fourth of July, I’ve been reflecting on that iconic phrase from the Declaration of Independence: “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” It’s a bold promise. And yet, somewhere along the way, many of us swapped that last word. We replaced happiness with … Read more
Are You Still Doing Things You Don’t Have To? When you start thinking about to enjoy retirement, you’re probably focusing on what to start doing—travel more, pick up hobbies, spend time with family. But just as important is knowing what to stop doing in retirement. Why? Because the habits that served you during your working … Read more
If you’re comparing investment portfolios, it’s easy to be dazzled by one that would have crushed it over the last decade. But here’s the catch: just because a portfolio looks amazing in hindsight doesn’t mean it’s the best investment strategy going forward. In fact, these backtested portfolios may be giving you a false sense of … Read more
A few years ago, a good friend of mine asked me to consider the difference between “strength” and “power”. I have been pondering this concept ever since. I’ve been spinning it around and around in my head and considering it from all angles. At first glance strength and power seem pretty similar. We largely use … Read more
Serving as an executor (or personal representative) can be a lot of work and take a lot of time, so it’s understandable that you would want to reduce the hassle for your loved ones as much as possible. As a financial advisor, I often hear people talking about various estate planning strategies they wish their … Read more