One of the most important pieces of retirement planning is deciding how long-term care will be funded. Not everyone has LTC insurance, and it is commonly assumed that Medicare will pay for any care that they need as they age. Although Medicare will pay for many health-related costs, LTC is not one of them.

Much of the conversation about retirement focuses on saving. How much should you save? Which accounts should you contribute to? How long will you need to work to reach your retirement goals? These are all essential questions during your working years. But what happens once you've decided it's time to retire? The questions change. Instead of asking how much to save, you're asking how to turn decades of savings into reliable income and how to feel confident spending money you've spent a lifetime accumulating.

For most Americans, their home is a significant portion of their net worth and one of their largest single investments. However, as an asset class, real estate is illiquid. After all, you cannot sell a bathroom when you need some additional cash. Fortunately, there are a few options to tap into your home equity if needed. The best option for you is dependent on your circumstances and needs; a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ can assist you in selecting your optimal strategy. Here are the pros and cons of some of the most common methods:

Spousal IRAs allow married couples in which one spouse works, and one does not, to make IRA contributions to the account of the non-working spouse. Typically, to contribute to an IRA, you need to have earned income. Spousal contributions create a way around this restriction.

People are living longer. According to the CDC's 2024 estimates, American life expectancy is 79. If I have worked on a financial plan for you, I’ve likely told you that women live longer than men, and that is still true. Women are expected to live to age 81, while male life expectancy is 76. These longer lifespans mean there is an increased likelihood of needing long-term care (LTC). It’s estimated that 70% of adults over 65 will need some form of LTC.

We have received several questions recently from clients asking for our opinion on precious metals. Prior to Friday’s drop in price, gold had risen about 92% in the past year. Silver was up over 265% in the same period. Both metals experienced large corrections on Friday the 30th with gold falling 10.3% and silver falling 28.5%. So, what’s going on with these metals?

Let’s be honest, estate planning isn’t fun. It’s kind of like cleaning out the garage. It needs to be done, but easy to avoid. Most people don’t wake up excited to think about wills, probate, or what happens to their stuff when they’re gone. Not every part of estate planning is complicated, expensive, or emotionally heavy. There are a few simple, practical steps you can take that make a real difference. One of the easiest ways is to add a Transfer on Death (TOD) designation to your vehicles. Small administrative decisions like this can save families time, money, and unnecessary stress.

New year, new tax law, and 2026 is no exception. I have tried to simplify the changes I believe will have the greatest impact for most people. This is not an exhaustive list, but it's a good start for things to keep in mind this year.

After being retired for a bit, you realize that you may not want to play golf 5 days a week, you miss your co-workers, and you are not traveling as much as you thought you would. We see more people these days deciding to return to work after retirement. Whether you plan to go back to work full-time, part-time, start your own business, or work for someone else, there are a few factors to consider before you step back into the workforce.

In speaking with clients recently, many are asking if we think the stock market is in a bubble. While this is a very difficult question to answer, it’s easy to understand why this question is coming up so frequently - the S&P 500 is amid its third consecutive calendar year of stellar returns (though anything could happen between now and year-end).