As part of my fact finding when I meet with a new client, I ask for the value of things like home, autos, boats, jewelry, art, and collections. The answers vary widely (once a lady had $200,000 in jewelry!), and I don’t really use the values to create retirement income. The collections question can…
I am thrilled to feature a guest writer, Maureen Kelley, over the next few months. Maureen Kelley has been a financial advisor, private banker and wealth manager for nearly 30 years. A certified family coach and financial therapist, today she helps people with conversations and challenges beyond the money. With a unique perspective, she writes…
Another year, another attempt to fix our retirement laws. As I write this, the SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) is working its way through the Senate with bi-partisan support. By the time you see this blog (I write them a few weeks in advance), this could be law. Here are…
Check out Kristi’s advice in this Nerdwallet article! What should you do when your grown kid can’t handle their finances? “Parents want to help their kids — it’s what we do. When those kids are adults, though, our help can hurt. Financial planners and credit counselors see plenty of examples. The grown son who…
Often reporters will ask members of the Financial Planning Association for a quote on risks retirees face. Sure, inflation, medical expenses, lower than expected returns are old favorites, but my answer is typically this: The biggest risk to some retirees is their grown children. If adult children of retirees are in the habit of…
Yep, it’s true. Despite media reports, there is a large swath of the US population that actually lives BELOW their means. And those people just slowly grow a cash cushion until they wake up and realize that maybe they have saved a little too well for a rainy day. A question I get a…
For about the first 10 years of our marriage, every time my husband and I traveled somewhere for vacation, we would immediately start talking about how we could buy a house in the wonderous place we discovered. Whether in Lake Tahoe, Mexico, Costa Rica, or various ski towns in Colorado we’d grab those free real…
Around this time every year, I usually list some fun summer activities for families with kids. Why should kids have all the fun? Here are some fun ideas you older-and-wiser friends to brighten your summer! Take a water aerobics class – try to find one outdoors now that the weather is nice. See a…
School is almost out and the dilemma for parents of teenagers is this: Do I pay someone (basketball camp, STEM camp, theater camp, etc.) to take my kid off my hands while I work? Or do I get someone to pay my kid and get them out of my hair (and off of Fortnight)? …
I’m running across more young people who have been sold (tricked into?) whole life insurance policies. These are insurance products that you pay into for the rest of your life. Your heirs get a death benefit, and cash value accumulates in the policy over time. Sounds great right? EXCEPT: It takes many years of…
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