Are We Spending Too Much to Retire?
It’s one of the most important – and frustrating – questions to answer as you approach retirement: “How much will I actually spend?” It seems like something we should all know, but many people realize as they near the finish line that they’re just guessing. This question sits at the core of retirement planning. Your expenses, now and in retirement, determine how …
Year-End Reflections
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 …
Can Financial Planning Improve Your Health and Vitality?
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 …
The Widowhood Curve: Why Retirement Planning Must Include the ‘After’
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 …
Is Success Baked into Your Retirement Plan?
If you enjoy cooking or baking, you know the satisfaction of preparing a cherished family recipe just right. Maybe it’s your grandmother’s apple pie at Thanksgiving or the signature side dish that makes Christmas dinner complete. But imagine the disappointment of forgetting an ingredient or misjudging the baking time—what comes out of the oven might look familiar, but it won’t …
Is Now a Good Time to Retire?
Is Now a Good Time to Retire? Here’s How to Decide Whenever someone says, “This time it’s different,” most of us instinctively raise an eyebrow. After all, a few decades of life experience teaches us that history tends to repeat itself. We’ve seen market crashes, recoveries, inflation, and political squabbles before. And yet, when it comes to retirement, this time truly can be different, …
Forced Savings for Retirement Success
If you were to gather a group of retirees and ask them what single factor most contributed to their ability to retire successfully, you’d likely hear some variation of the same theme: “I started saving early, kept saving consistently, and didn’t stop.” It’s simple in theory but powerful in practice. And it’s rooted in one key principle that underlies nearly every …
What Recent Retirees Tell Us About Retiring
Here’s something surprising that we’ve noticed after many conversations with recent retirees: not a single one has told us that retirement is awful. That’s right – not once has someone said, “I regret retiring.” Instead, we hear about long-awaited trips, cherished time with grandkids, leisurely mornings, and household projects that may or may not get finished (but no one seems too …
A Retirement Plan Includes Long Term Care
Long-term care is one of the most unpredictable and emotionally charged aspects of retirement planning. It’s also one of the most frequently overlooked, either because it’s uncomfortable to think about or because many people assume it won’t apply to them. But the truth is, nearly 70% of people over age 65 will require some form of long-term care during their …
Your Personalized Retirement Plan
Your Personalized Retirement Plan: Matching Your Money with Your Mindset When shopping for a new car or appliance, most people turn to a buyer’s guide to compare features, evaluate options, and feel more confident about their decision. So why shouldn’t retirement planning work the same way? While there’s no official guidebook for converting your life savings into lasting retirement income, …
