“They’ll let you buy fresh dough and do it yourself,” Harrison offered. “You just get it in a big ball of dough, take it home and make your own. It’s cheaper!” I started thinking about flour all over the kitchen counter (and floor), chopping up dozens of ingredients, a hot oven and my spotty history […]
DIY in the Kitchen and in the Retirement Account Read More »
The only thing she had left of him was his estate. If she lost that, she would lose him. It became obvious in our first conversation that she wasn’t here to talk to me about stocks, bonds, houses, buildings, businesses, or timberland. She had inherited all of that from her father. From a purely financial
Inheritance: Is It a Burden, Barrier, or Benefit? Read More »
“If I have my mind, I can work.” “Great,” I answered. “Let’s test that theory out.” I opened my drawer and pulled out a hammer, laying it gently on the desk between us. “Please place your hand palm down on the desk,” I said. “Your off-hand is fine. And please don’t move it…the hammer can
Your Disaster Scenario Read More »
What’s got you stuck? Consultant Bobb Beihl tells of a time he was behind the scenes of an Arizona circus and started chatting with a man who trains animals for Hollywood movies. “How is it that you can stake down a ten-ton elephant with the same size stake that you use for this little fellow?”
What’s Got You Stuck? Read More »
When Tyler left, Melinda cried. She cried because he was a kind, thoughtful young man who reminded her of her own sons, whom she had also seen leave the nest. In the month or two he’d lived with us, he’d unconsciously worked his way into her heart. I also got a little misty-eyed…without being asked
It would be a one-time expense. He was not asking my permission. He was notifying me of a change I was now being tasked to make in his retirement plan. He drove that change to our meeting. I had not previously thought of him as a tricked-out Escalade kind of guy, but there he was
One-Time Expenses are Rarely One Time Read More »
“That’s never going to happen.” She held a binder in her hands with papers, charts, and projections outlining the process of how she and her husband might gradually replace the income they each earned through working with income that comes from their accumulated assets. Otherwise known as a retirement plan. “Now hold on a minute,”
From Vision to Provision to Victory Read More »
What if you found out retirement was bad for you? Would you reconsider it? Or at least the way it is traditionally done? Richard W. Johnson thinks so. He’s the director of retirement policy at the Urban Institute. His survey of studies done on the health of retirees suggests a number of downsides for retirees,
Is Retirement Bad for You? Read More »
Early in my career, I learned that water causes wills. “Hey, Julie and I are going to Europe to celebrate her 40th birthday and we both decided we wanted to get wills done before we go…” It’s a phone call I get once or twice a year, either from a client or a friend. Something about
Water, Wills, and What to Say Read More »
“Why hasn’t anyone ever told me about this?” she asked. She was at the same time relieved, chagrined, and just a tiny bit angry. Like many facing retirement, she had started later than she now wished she had and was facing the prospect of a significant lifestyle change. Sure, she could keep spending money in
Hidden in Plain Sight Read More »
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