Estate planning matters. Not having a will can leave surviving family members to struggle with legal complexities, increased costs, and strained relationships as they make decisions that they can only hope the deceased would have approved. It adds pain and heartache....
As we age, what does staying independent look like? This is a tale of two families, similar in political and religious beliefs, income, and net worth, who approached aging very differently. The first family had a culture of self-reliance. As they aged, the parents...
The unconscious beliefs we hold around money affect our financial choices throughout our lives—and even beyond. Our money scripts have an impact on the way we think about final expenses for our loved ones and ourselves. I was reminded of this as I read about a recent...
Last week I discussed the risk of having a long-term financial plan dismantled late in life by adult children, usually with good intentions. What can you do to guard your financial plan against this possibility? Here are several suggestions to consider. Clarify for...
When someone engages an “advice-only” financial planner, the relationship often lasts for the client’s life. I have experienced this with numbers of clients over my 40-year career. One of the main concerns many of my elderly clients express to me is a need to be sure...
One popular money script is, “I need to leave an inheritance to my kids.” Yet choices that parents make based on this money script can actually result in both failing to leave an inheritance and even costing children money. Here is one way that might happen. My town...
