One Shot to Get It Right
Most financial decisions can be revisited. A portfolio can be rebalanced next quarter, or a budget adjusted next month. But a handful of decisions do not work that way. You may only retire once. Or help parents as they age, or receive an inheritance. Or you may sell a business once or put an estate […]
AI Gives Answers. Guidance Requires Judgment.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has given financial professionals new tools that can make it faster and sharper to do some behind-the-scenes work, from research to scenario modeling of certain portfolios. AI can struggle with the behavioral and judgment work that can determine most real-world financial outcomes. The research here can help show the value of a […]
IPO Reality vs. the Headline Narrative
When IPOs Dominate the Conversation When a company that most people recognize goes public, suddenly it’s everywhere. Media coverage spikes. Everyone is talking about the opportunity, and that conversation itself becomes part of the appeal. It feels like a moment, like something worth catching. The behavioral finance here is straightforward. Research shows investors gravitate toward companies receiving […]
When Your Parents Need You to Be the Adult
There is usually no single moment when the roles begin to shift. It may be a confusing medical bill. A missed payment. A scam text they almost clicked. A question about an account they have had for years. A conversation where they sound like themselves, but not quite as sharp as they used to. Most […]
Before They Board the Plane: A Financial Guide for Study Abroad Families
Studying abroad is one of the most formative investments a family can make. The financial side, however, often gets less attention than it deserves. In the most recent academic year, 298,180 U.S. students studied abroad for academic credit, a 6 percent increase from the prior year. They spent their semesters across more than 170 destinations […]
Does the New Tax Law Impact Your Estate Strategy?
The federal estate tax exemption remains at an all-time high. For some families, that is genuinely good news. But it may also be creating a false sense of security, especially if you live in one of the states that sets its own rules or if your estate strategy was written before the law changed. When […]
Trump Accounts Are Here: What Young Families Should Know
Trump Accounts officially opened for contributions on July 4, 2026. We wanted to send a quick note covering what we think matters most for families with kids or grandkids in the eligible age range. The most concrete piece first: if you have a child or grandchild born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, […]
The Retirement Conversation Couples Keep Avoiding
As financial professionals, we spend much of our time helping our clients prepare for retirement. By the time most of our clients are within a few years of retirement, their savings are there, their investment accounts are in order, and their income strategy is in place. From a financial standpoint, everything looks good on paper. […]
What Would You Do With a Windfall?
After years of walking clients through inheritances, business sales, bonuses, and liquidity events, we have seen how these moments unfold in remarkably consistent ways. There is almost always a boat, or something like one. A vacation home. A renovation. A car that was never quite justified before. None of it is wrong on its own. […]
When Should I Start Taking Social Security: 5 Factors to Consider
Social Security decisions are often framed as a single question: “When should I start drawing benefits?” That question matters, but it can also be limiting. The better question is: how does Social Security fit into my overall retirement income strategy, including longevity and survivor considerations? As April is National Social Security Month, we thought it […]