Beware! The Savings Blob One of the most important areas of financial planning is cash management (spending plans, budgeting) and within that, the concept of cash reserves. Most folks can probably agree that having “cash reserves” is a good thing. But after that, the...
suzanne himes
Choosing the Right Long-Term Care for You
In the financial planning process, we always touch on the potential for long-term care needs, and the financial impact of increased health care costs over an extended period of time. We usually incorporate long-term spending goals for insurance premiums or for...
Retirement vs. Financial Independence
One of the most common financial planning goals is retirement. “When can I retire?”, “How much can I spend in retirement?”, etc. It is easy to forget that the entire concept of “retirement” is a modern invention, created by industrialization. Before the 20th century,...
Think Twice (At Least!) Before Claiming Social Security Benefits Early
Social Security benefits are often confusing. You might say that “understanding Social Security” is an oxymoron! We recently received a client question regarding the complicated topic of a spouse’s Social Security claiming strategy before Full Retirement Age...
Tracking Your Financial Fitness
I've been wearing a Fitbit for almost two years now. Each day, when I've met my step goal, it gently buzzes to let me know - a "high five" of sorts. It syncs with my devices of choice and emails are sent automatically to let me know about various points of...
Great Expectations
In the ongoing process of supporting our client relationships, we often talk about “setting expectations.” We frame this in various ways, such as type and frequency of communications, timelines for responding to inquiries, paperwork, meeting schedules, etc. However,...
Helping Families Talk about Health Care Decisions
In honor of November as National Hospice Month, APC is promoting the importance of thinking and talking about health care decisions well in advance of a serious illness or accident that may lead to someone being cared for by hospice. Hospice offers relief from the...
Risk Conversations
When I meet with a client to discuss their financial plan – whether we’re developing a “new” plan or having an annual review – an important part of the conversation centers around the investment plan and risk tolerance. How are their financial resources going to be...