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Briefcase Study: Talking with Adult Children About Aging Plans

In Articles, Articles: Kansas City Office, Articles: Salt Lake City Office, Briefcase Studies, SLC Winter 2026, Winter 2026 by Scott Dougan

Talking with Adult Children About Aging Plans: Why the Conversation Matters Over the holidays, Marsha found herself packaging up Christmas dinner leftovers with her adult daughter to feed the grandkids for days to come. What she didn’t expect was the conversation they had about the future and what may come next for Marsha after she can no longer continue to …

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Year-End Reflections

In Articles: Kansas City Office, Fall 2025, Retirement by Scott Dougan

Why Now is the Perfect Time to Create Your Estate Plan As we approach the end of the year, many of us find ourselves slowing down and spending more time with friends and family. The holiday season naturally leads to conversations about what matters most – our loved ones, our goals, and how we want to provide for those we …

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Can Financial Planning Improve Your Health and Vitality?

In Articles, Articles: Kansas City Office, Articles: Salt Lake City Office, Back to the Basics, Fall 2025, SLC Fall 2025 by Scott Dougan

When most people think of financial planning, they imagine spreadsheets, retirement projections, or investment accounts. But a well-designed financial plan does more than grow your net worth; it can improve your health, reduce stress, and even add vitality to your life. Let’s explore how. 1. Financial Planning Reduces Stress and Anxiety One of the most immediate and noticeable health benefits …

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The Widowhood Curve: Why Retirement Planning Must Include the ‘After’

In Articles, Articles: Kansas City Office, Articles: Salt Lake City Office, Briefcase Studies, Fall 2025, SLC Fall 2025 by Scott Dougan

We recently helped a widowed client navigate the heartbreaking process of getting her affairs in order after the untimely death of her husband. Naturally, these experiences leave us all a bit raw. So, when I saw these statistics, I was stopped in my tracks: 80% of men die married. 80% of women die single. And among those who live to …

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Briefcase Study: Is Status-Chasing Affecting Your Retirement?

In Articles, Articles: Kansas City Office, Articles: Salt Lake City Office, Briefcase Studies, SLC Summer 2025, Summer 2025 by Scott Dougan

Have you ever stopped to reflect on how much status influences your decisions? In professional life, it’s easy to see – titles like supervisor, director, or CEO make it clear who sits where in the hierarchy. But status doesn’t just live in the office. It quietly shapes the cars we drive, the neighborhoods we choose, the vacations we take, and …

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Back to the Basics: Is Retirement Still All-Inclusive?

In Articles, Articles: Kansas City Office, Articles: Salt Lake City Office, Back to the Basics, SLC Summer 2025, Summer 2025 by Scott Dougan

Not Exactly – But It Can Be Well-Planned Who doesn’t love the ease of an all-inclusive vacation? You choose your destination, book your excursions, pack your bags, and when you arrive – voilà! Everything is already planned, paid for, and ready to enjoy. No surprises, no extra decisions. Just follow the plan and relax. Wouldn’t it be nice if retirement …

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Harvesters Update

In Articles: Kansas City Office, Community Involvement, Spring 2025 by Scott Dougan

We had 43 clients and prospective clients show up to help local families & individuals who experience: Noun – Food in-se-cu-ri-ty – the condition of not having access to sufficient food, or food of an adequate quality, to meet one’s basic needs. We split up into 2 groups. Group 1 put together 340 cases of food items for the elderly …

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Back to the Basics: In Retirement Planning, Time Waits for No One

In Articles, Articles: Kansas City Office, Articles: Salt Lake City Office, Back to the Basics, SLC Spring 2025, Spring 2025 by Scott Dougan

If there is one asset that has become more valuable than all others, it is time. It is finite, making it scarce. It is fluid, making it difficult to grasp. It is often misunderstood, allowing it to escape our attempts at mastery. In fact, time is the very asset we would willingly trade all others for—if only we could have …