Managing Money in Retirement

Many years ago, when a woman’s husband died, she went into mourning – sometimes wearing black “widow’s weeds” for a year or more. Generally, she remained alone after that year or perhaps moved into an adult child’s home. That was the case with my…

My husband didn’t expect to be diagnosed with esophageal cancer at age 34. I didn’t expect to become a widow at age 35. While it’s hard to call it a silver-lining, we were fortunate in that I was always our family’s breadwinner…

Years ago, I coined the term ‘cheap luxury’ in my household, but I think it is a good time to spread it around. See if you think it has meaning for you. The term first arose, if I am not mistaken, over a jar of mustard. We were in a supermarket…

How many passwords do you have to keep track of? Have you ever counted them? I stopped counting after I hit 200 (but I have two businesses so hopefully it’s not that many for everyone). I know it’s all for our own safety and security…

President Biden has yet to make his tax bill a top priority, but with Americans likely to reach herd immunity by the end of summer 2021, people’s attention will quickly return to addressing income and wealth inequality…

The days of one spouse taking charge of the family finances are long gone, right? I wish that was the case. Over the years, I’ve edited a number of books aimed at helping women master the basics of personal finance and investing…

Checklists are more powerful than you might think. Research is definitely convincing on the merits of using checklists. They help you focus and accomplish goals, one small task at a time. They train your brain to be more productive…

Most baby boomers were taught that financial affairs are private matters, and you should not talk with your kids about your money situation. In most circumstances, keeping estate matters private is prudent. However, when it comes…

What are the odds of getting hit by a bus? 1 in 495,000. Not happening to me, right? But what are the odds that you’re going to die someday? Exactly. I always say this topic is about WHEN not IF something happens and you are no longer…

Susan and David, in their 60s, had a tumultuous marriage that lasted for 40 years. They faced more than their share of challenges. Building a new business in a new country when they arrived in the US as newlyweds was one of them. While the business…