Managing Money

In the spirit of October, which is not only National Estate Planning Awareness Month but also the month of Halloween, it seems appropriate to think about what can feel like a gruesome topic: when we stop breathing. What are the “morbid details” that you want to take place? Do you want CPR administered? Who do you want to speak for you when you can’t…

A woman once said something to me that I haven’t forgotten: “Every retirement article I read seems to be written for someone who has money.” She had worked most of her adult life. She paid her bills. She supported herself. But there was no large 401(k). No pension. No impressive investment account waiting for her…

Just because your 65th birthday is approaching doesn’t always mean retirement is. You may enjoy your work. Maybe you haven’t hit your retirement goal. Or maybe you have great health insurance via your employer. And if you have access to a Health Savings Account (HSA), you might enjoy contributing to it…

There are money conversations we avoid because they don’t matter very much. And then there are money conversations we avoid precisely because they matter so much. Maybe your spouse keeps spending in a way that worries you. Maybe your adult daughter has asked for money again, and you don’t know how to tell her you’re uncomfortable continuing to help…

ou worked hard to get here. You built your career, gained experience, earned respect, navigated changes, raised families, met deadlines, solved problems, and probably handled more than anyone will ever know. So why does the career you worked so hard for sometimes leave you wondering…

I have friends – let’s call them Mike and Laura – who retired in 2023 with $1.2 million saved up. That’s a hefty number. They worked hard for it. And they figured they were set. Then they actually ran the math on their life in suburban LA. California income tax (up to 13.3%), property taxes on a pretty average three-bedroom, healthcare supplements, and just the general cost of existing…

I don’t know about you, but once I turned 60, I have had two ongoing thoughts: Sometimes, I feel like I am just getting started and other times, I feel like running out of time is the bigger worry than running out of money. Can anyone else relate to that? Life happens to all of us. And at the same time, life feels like it goes faster and faster as we get older…

A woman once told me exactly how much money she thought she needed before she could retire. She had done her homework. She knew what she spent each month, had looked at her Social Security benefits, reviewed her retirement accounts and thought carefully about the kind of life she wanted after work…

Imagine logging in to your pension portal and seeing two options. One option is a lump sum, where you might have done a double take because of the large amount. The other option includes a smaller monthly payment that could continue for life. Which option is worth more? But that might not be the best question…

I know, the concept of aligning your financial goals with your values sounds like one of those “blah blah blah” topics we have all heard about, shook our heads in agreement, and then went on our merry way. I always provide tools to help implement whatever my message is but again, we often read and go on our merry way, no action…