Managing Money in Retirement

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…

Facing a major financial reorganization after 60 comes with pressure. There’s often less time to rebuild than there would have been decades earlier, the accounts involved are more complicated, and the decisions carry more permanent weight. That’s not a reason for despair – it’s a reason to get organized, methodically and honestly, before making any […]

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…

It was a week when my ex-spouse was out of town. I was on a mission. I went through every file I could find in the house and made copies of statements, receipts, account documentation, everything I could find. Even though I didn’t actually file for divorce until almost a year later, sorting through the paper mound I heaped…

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…

There’s a version of being good with money that gets a lot of praise. You don’t buy things you don’t need. You shop around. You keep things long after you could reasonably replace them. You save for emergencies. You think carefully before spending, and you’ve spent decades proving that you can delay gratification…

Rising grocery prices, increasing insurance premiums and the occasional unexpected expense can quickly eat into even the most carefully planned budget. Whether you’re saving for a dream vacation or simply trying to make ends meet, there are practical ways to improve your financial picture without having to sacrifice your lifestyle…