“We’re gonna be rich!” Don bellowed as he beat his fist against the steering wheel. He drove a white Lincoln Continental with burgundy leather interior. It was longer than most living rooms and at that moment was lumbering down I-55 from St. Louis to Jackson, MS. The windows were down and his heart was full.  […]

You want to leave your estate to certain people. But suppose they die first. What then? Ideally, you’ve spelled out your wishes—and contingency plans for scenarios like this—in a written will. If not—and assuming you never get around to writing a will—Louisiana (assuming you live here) will use its “laws of intestacy” to essentially create […]

We’ve all got them. People in our lives who live in a chronic state of financial mess. When it comes to money, they habitually make poor choices. There’s the friend who overspends. Despite his big salary, he’s got even bigger debt. There’s the parent who under-saves. The sibling who comes to you annually for “just […]

“I wish I had all the money I’ve paid into Social Security. I’d be rich.” Over the years, I’ve had one or two (hundred) folks say something like that to me.  Recently I got so curious, I decided to run the numbers. On myself. (By the way, did you know you can go to the […]

What exactly do you want out of retirement?  (I ask because when it comes to this topic most folks focus mostly on tools—pensions, 401(k) plans, Social Security, etc. Only a few think about goals.)  Many answer by saying they want be able to sleep till 10 or not have to dress up every day. I […]

Long-term care is expensive. And sometimes it costs a lot of money too. There may not be a great deal of cash changing hands as a result of someone’s gradually increasing need for long-term care, but that doesn’t mean a steep price is not paid.  And often, that price is paid by the healthy spouse.  […]