Managing Money in Retirement

Not long ago, a reader shared something that stayed with me. She told me she wasn’t worried about retirement itself she loved her routine, her home, and the rhythm of her days. What kept her up at night was a quiet question she couldn’t quite answer…

For most of your adult life, the answer to that question was simple. Your money came from a paycheck. You showed up. You worked. You were paid. Taxes were taken out. Benefits were deducted. And what was left landed in your bank account like clockwork. There was a rhythm to it. In retirement, that rhythm changes…

There is a wonderful kind of privilege that comes with working hard for the last three or four decades… Savings are finally growing, the debt and/or mortgage is being paid down, and finally it feels like we can breathe just a little and enjoy life!

It’s that time of the year when tax documents start to appear. The 1099s, W-2s, Social Security, and pension statements all start arriving. And you might be wondering, did I overpay or underpay? So let’s address a common misconception…

A reader once shared something that stopped me in my tracks: “I’m not worried about how much money I have. I’m worried about whether it will show up when I need it.” This is a common mindset…

The use of beneficiary designations is one issue that is not well understood and can lead to much confusion. Most people think it is a simple matter of naming a person to receive certain assets by will or trust or naming them as a beneficiary of a retirement plan. I only wish it were that simple!

Everything doesn’t suddenly change overnight going from December 31 to January 1, but because we turn the page of a calendar and get used to writing a new year when we date something, it feels different. The good news is that we get to choose what we give our energy to next…

Not long ago, a woman in her early 60s asked me a question I hear more often than you might expect: “My home is paid off, but I still worry about money in retirement. Am I supposed to sell it someday or just hope I never need to?” She was not looking for a loan…

It may seem a little strange, but budgeting can be great fun, leaving any money saved to splurge on rainy days and holidays. Sometimes we may just want peace of mind, knowing if something unexpected comes up, we will be OK…

Retirement is supposed to feel like a release. You worked hard. You planned. You were careful. You did the responsible things. So, when people finally reach this stage, they often expect to feel lighter. More relaxed. More at ease. And yet, many don’t…