Money and You

Surviving Family Business Transition Nightmares

There are times when imagining the worst-case scenario helps you prepare most effectively for the best case. The transition of a family or closely-held business is one of those times. Ask yourself, why is it that while Harvard Business School reports at least half of all companies in the US are family businesses - and just over half of all publicly listed... Read More

Is an Amicable Divorce Possible?

Your marriage isn’t working - you respect each other but have drifted apart over the years for whatever reason. Now you and your spouse have decided to divorce and close this chapter of your lives. You’ve heard the stories and perhaps witnessed a few horrors through friends or family who have divorced; that doesn’t mean you need to have the same experience. Read More

Is Your Money Invested Where Your Values Are?

If you have ever recycled at home, avoided products made overseas by sweatshop labor, grown your own vegetables, supported gender and racial diversity, or owned a fuel-efficient car, then you may be surprised to discover your investments can be working against your values. Do you know what’s in your portfolio? How can you find out what your money is... Read More

Your Retirement Spending AND Income: Two Plans are Better than One

Retirement plans demonstrate the wisdom of the proverb “two heads are better than one” — a proverb that always brings to mind the music from the classic Sesame Street video. Now the “two heads” can be you and your spouse, or you and your financial advisor, but you can also benefit from encouraging a dialogue between the income-you and the spending-you. Read More

Worried about Outliving your Money?

If you asked earlier generations what their biggest fear was – they might have answered, “dying too young.” Asking that question today would probably get you the exact opposite answer: “I’m worried about outliving my money.” It’s a fear that is shared by many – even wealthy individuals. According to the 2019 AICPA Going Broke Remains Top Concern in... Read More

Business transition and succession: why you need a plan

Businesses start with the best of intentions. While beginnings are an exciting time, a strong business foundation needs to include planning for multiple future scenarios and potential “what-ifs,” including business transition and succession. Unfortunately, many business owners don’t plan for their end game. Read More

Talking with Your Kids About Money

While everyone has different views about money, it’s important to have “money talks” with your kids about the basic concepts at an early age. You don’t want these conversations to be heavy-handed or hour-long lectures, but aim for brief observations whenever opportunities come up. My husband and I are regularly on the lookout for teachable moments to talk... Read More

What Keeps You Up at Night? (Part 2)

Know that you are not alone if you toss and turn as you try to fall asleep. In 'Part 1', we focused on the financial concerns of a married couple with young children, but noted that the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index shows 61 percent of Americans worry about how to manage their economic life to reduce stress and increase security. That’s a lot of... Read More

What Keeps You Up at Night?

Are you tossing and turning as you try to fall asleep? Is there a lot of mind chatter running through your head about your financial future? For many of us, finances are what keep us up at night (at least prior to the pandemic). According to the Capital One CreditWise survey, 73% of Americans rank their finances as the No. 1 stress in life. Read More