Retirement can look settled financially and still leave you wondering who you’ll be when your career and title change. How do you prepare for the parts of retirement that don’t show up on a financial statement? In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Ottman, PhD, Professor at Milwaukee School of Engineering and Executive Leadership …
Social Security rules can look straightforward until survivor benefits, retirement ages, taxes, and your personal history start overlapping. Understanding where these rules came from can help you recognize which details deserve a closer look before you file. In this episode, I look back at how Social Security has changed and why that history still affects …
What happens when the life you planned no longer fits the person you’ve become? Retirement planning can create space to reconsider where you live, how you work, and what you want your next chapter to look like. In this episode, I talk with Meg McKeen, Founder and Principal Consultant at Adjunct Advisors LLC, about the …
Life changes, but the beneficiary forms attached to your retirement accounts, insurance policies, and other assets may still reflect decisions you made years ago. In this episode, I explain why beneficiary reviews should be part of ongoing retirement planning and walk through nine questions that can help you determine whether your current designations still reflect …
Retirement investing can bring many questions, especially when your savings need to support your lifestyle for decades. How do you balance growth, income, taxes, and market uncertainty when planning for life after work? In this episode, I share my recent webinar from the New York Public Library’s Investing A-Z program, in which I discuss seven …
For women approaching or already in retirement, Social Security decisions can feel harder when tax questions, funding projections, and proposed legislation all appear in the headlines at once. How do you separate information that affects your plan from news that simply deserves your attention? In this episode, I answer a listener’s question about Social Security …
If you’re a woman planning for retirement and an annuity has been recommended to you, the hardest part may not be understanding how it works. It may be deciding whether it actually belongs in your retirement plan. Asking better questions can help you understand what you’re considering before you commit. In this episode, I explain …
Retirement tax planning can feel confusing, especially when annuities enter the conversation. I’ve found that many people aren’t really asking about the annuity itself. They’re trying to understand what happens to their money, how it’s taxed, and whether an annuity is the right fit for their retirement. In this episode, I continue our annuity series …
We’ve learned that many of the most important retirement decisions aren’t only about finances. They’re about family, communication, and preparing for moments that none of us hope will come. In this episode, I speak with Tami Calais, Aging and Change Coach, owner of Calais Senior Consult, and Motivational Interviewing Practitioner, about why families often delay …
When people hear the word annuity, they often picture a stream of retirement income. While that’s certainly part of the story, there are important decisions that come long before those payments ever begin. How do the different types of annuities work? Which one might fit your retirement goals? And what questions should you answer before …