Category: Financial Advisor

Feature Image
How the New Tax Law Could Impact Your Retirement (Ep. 65)

How the New Tax Law Could Impact Your Retirement (Ep. 65)

By |

Tax law changes might not sound exciting, but these updates could have a powerful impact on your retirement plans.

In this episode, I unpack the top provisions from the new One Big Beautiful Bill Act and how they may affect retirees, especially women planning for long-term income.

I break down tax deductions, clarify what’s changing (and what’s not), and offer timely planning strategies you can apply before 2028.

Key points:

  • The new $6,000 bonus tax deduction for those age 65 and over, and how it stacks on top of standard or itemized deductions
  • The deduction’s income limits, expiration in 2028, and how to plan around it strategically
  • Changes to the SALT cap and how high-tax-state residents may benefit from a significant increase in deductible amounts
  • The importance of reevaluating Social Security filing decisions and leveraging Roth conversions
  • Charitable giving options, widow tax planning, and long-term income strategies to reduce lifetime tax liability
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Converting a traditional IRA or other tax-deferred account to a Roth IRA is a taxable event and may increase your current-year tax liability. Roth conversions cannot be undone.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS | More

Feature Image
Navigating Career Transitions for Women Over 55 with Kristi Cline (Ep. 64)

Navigating Career Transitions for Women Over 55 with Kristi Cline (Ep. 64)

By |

Changing careers or returning to the workforce after a long break can feel overwhelming. But what if the process could feel empowering instead?

In this episode, I sit down with Kristi Cline, Founder & CEO of We Write It Now Resumes & Career Resources, to discuss how women approaching or in retirement can pivot their careers with confidence and purpose. Kristi shares strategies for crafting impactful resumes, networking effectively, and regaining clarity on your career values.

Kristi discusses:

  • Why job seekers must be intentional and strategic rather than relying on mass applications
  • The value of identifying your career values and crafting a list of ideal companies
  • How to use resume customization and the “mirroring” strategy to stand out
  • The importance of networking and the role it plays in landing interviews
  • Using LinkedIn and AI-powered tools to upskill, gain clarity, and build a confident job search plan
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Connect with Kristi Cline: 

About our Guest: 

Kristi Cline is a 3X certified résumé writer, interview prep coach, job search strategist, and LinkedIn expert who helps high-achieving professionals—from emerging leaders to C-suite executives—land roles they’re proud of. As the founder of We Write It Now, Kristi has helped over 1,000 clients secure interviews, negotiate offers, and command salary increases of up to $50K. After earning a Journalism degree from Texas A&M, Kristi built a career spanning corporate communications, training, and marketing with companies like Eastman Kodak, Zale Corporation, and JCPenney. But her most defining pivot came at 50, when she realized she would be more fulfilled leveraging her skills and expertise to help job seekers navigate the job search space. In 2019, We Write Now was founded, and she has never looked back.

Today, Kristi blends deep industry knowledge with a sharp writing instinct to deliver bold, modern, and highly personalized career documents that open doors. She’s especially passionate about helping senior professionals clarify their brand, show up with confidence, and navigate their next career transition with intention, strategy, and ease. And whether speaking on a virtual stage or working 1:1, her message is clear: job seekers deserve more than templates—they deserve strategy, clarity, and results. Her involvement with associations, including PARWCC, SERWC, the Dames, and the Thought Leadership Branding Club, has helped her skills remain sharp, keeping her at the top of her game.

Kristi is a proud Texas native, mother of two recent grads, lifelong music lover, and enjoys living life on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS | More

Feature Image
Social Security Planning After Divorce: Crucial Rules and Mistakes to Avoid (Ep. 63)

Social Security Planning After Divorce: Crucial Rules and Mistakes to Avoid (Ep. 63)

By |

Divorce is difficult enough without letting confusion over Social Security take a toll on your future income.

In this episode, I explain the essential Social Security strategies every divorced woman should know, from the ten-year rule to remarriage traps. I highlight true stories of women who faced preventable financial setbacks and how proper planning could have saved them thousands. 

This episode discusses:

  • The importance of understanding the 10-year marriage rule for eligibility on an ex-spouse’s Social Security record
  • How the timing of claiming benefits, including the impact of claiming early, can affect your lifetime income
  • The effects of remarriage, before and after age 60, on eligibility for both spousal and survivor benefits
  • The distinction between ex-spousal and survivor benefits, including how and when you can switch between them
  • Why consulting a financial advisor or certified divorce financial analyst can help you avoid costly mistakes and make the most of your options

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS | More

Feature Image
Gray Divorce and Retirement: How Collaborative Divorce May Protect Your Financial Future with Jill Lowe (Ep. 62)

Gray Divorce and Retirement: How Collaborative Divorce May Protect Your Financial Future with Jill Lowe (Ep. 62)

By |

Gray divorce can significantly impact your retirement plans and emotional well-being.

How do you protect your financial future when love fades later in life? What pitfalls should you avoid to stay financially sound?

In this episode, I sit down with Jill Lowe, Collaborative Divorce Attorney at J Lowe Law, LLC, to discuss the financial and emotional layers of gray divorce. Together, we explore why more women are choosing divorce later in life and how preparation and informed decisions can lead to financial confidence.

Jill discusses:

  • How education becomes a crucial tool for women considering or going through divorce
  • The growing trend of gray divorce and why more women are initiating the split
  • The danger of letting emotions drive decisions around keeping the marital home
  • How collaborative divorce offers a less combative, more goal-focused approach
  • The essential role financial planners play in mapping out a stable future post-divorce
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Connect with Jill Lowe: 

About our Guest:

Jill Lowe is a Collaborative Divorce Attorney and founder of J Lowe Law, LLC. With over 20 years of legal experience—18 of those focused exclusively on family law—Jill brings a unique combination of legal expertise and personal insight to her work.

She is licensed to practice law in both Texas and Florida and has been representing clients in collaborative divorces for more than 15 years. She’s also a trained collaborative professional in both states and has spent the past three years speaking publicly on the collaborative process.

Jill’s commitment to peaceful resolution stems from her own experience as a child of divorced parents and her decision—after facing serious health challenges—to step away from litigation in favor of helping families resolve conflict with compassion. She believes divorce doesn’t have to be a battle, and her work focuses on healing and collaboration instead of confrontation.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS | More

The Science of Happier Spending: Behavioral Finance Insights with Brendan Frazier (Ep. 61)

The Science of Happier Spending: Behavioral Finance Insights with Brendan Frazier (Ep. 61)

By |

What if money could buy happiness, but only if you knew how to spend it?

In this episode, I sit down with Brendan Frazier, Chief Behavioral Officer at RFG Advisory, to uncover five practical, research-backed ways to feel more joy and purpose in your retirement spending. We talk about how aligning spending with values can remove guilt and increase fulfillment, especially for women navigating major life transitions like divorce or widowhood.

Brendan discusses:

  • Why spending on experiences creates lasting happiness over buying material things
  • How to “buy time” and use money to focus on what matters most
  • The psychological benefits of delayed gratification
  • Why generosity lights up the brain’s reward center more than self-spending
  • The key difference between spending more and spending better
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Connect with Brendan Frazier: 

About our Guest: 

Brendan Frazier is the Chief Behavioral Officer at RFG, the host of The Human Side of Money podcast, and a nationally recognized voice on behavioral finance. After starting his career as a consultant to financial advisors around the country, he started his own financial advisory business and was twice named one of Investopedia’s Top 100 Financial Advisors in the U.S. Most recently, he built a global training platform to help financial advisors and their clients better understand the behavioral, psychological, and emotional sides of money. When he’s not diving into the latest behavior and psychology research, he is spending time with his wife Shannon and three kids, Brooks, Shepherd, and Merritt. And, he welcomes all unsolicited advice on how to successfully raise three kids.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS | More

Feature Image
Downsize or Rent in Retirement? 5 Key Decisions You Should Consider (Ep. 60)

Downsize or Rent in Retirement? 5 Key Decisions You Should Consider (Ep. 60)

By |

What’s the right housing move in retirement?

 Sell and rent, or stay put and downsize?

In this episode, I unpack five key decisions that go far beyond dollars and cents, inspired by a real conversation with a client. Whether you’re widowed, single, or simply evaluating your next step, this breakdown helps you consider every angle, both financial and emotional.

Key points:

  • How renting can offer convenience, but comes with rising costs and less control over long-term financial outcomes
  • The critical role of home equity and the potential strategies to access it, including reverse mortgages
  • Tax implications for widows and single retirees when selling a home, including the impact on capital gains
  • The importance of lifestyle considerations, like proximity to social hubs or family, when making housing choices
  • How emotional attachment to a home can often outweigh financial logic, and how to strike a balance between the two
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS | More

Feature Image
Navigating Retirement with Confidence and Clarity with Kathleen Burns Kingsbury (Ep. 59)

Navigating Retirement with Confidence and Clarity with Kathleen Burns Kingsbury (Ep. 59)

By |

Money can feel like the last taboo, especially when it comes to retirement. But what if opening up could completely transform your future?

In this episode, I sit down with Kathleen Burns Kingsbury, Founder of KBK Wealth Connection and author of Breaking Money Silence®, to explore how our early beliefs about money affect our entire financial life. We unpack the emotional side of retirement planning and how having the right conversations, even the uncomfortable ones, can lead to more confident and joyful retirements.

Key points: 

  • Kathleen’s journey from finance to counseling psychology and founding KBK Wealth Connection
  • How unconscious beliefs form our money mindset from childhood
  • Why many women feel excluded from financial decisions and how to reclaim their voice
  • The emotional side of retirement and how it differs dramatically from previous generations
  • Conversation starters and mindset shifts for clients and advisors to address financial silence
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Connect with Kathleen Burns Kingsbury: 

About our Guest: 

Kathleen Burns Kingsbury isn’t your average money mindset and advisor coach; she’s a pioneering force in the realm of women and money, setting her apart from conventional counterparts. With over 18 years of specialized experience, she’s dedicated herself to empowering women across finance, business, and entrepreneurship. As a mentor to female entrepreneurs, Kathleen offers invaluable guidance, drawing from her extensive background in wealth psychology and client communication. Her expertise extends to working with financial advisors, helping them navigate the complexities of wealth management while fostering stronger client relationships.

Her signature program, “Unleash Your True Value™: How to Shift Your Mindset, Boost Your Confidence, and Close More Sales,” is the culmination of her expertise, honed through years of helping women executives, financial advisors, and entrepreneurs break free from money silence.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS | More

Feature Image
Caring for a Spouse: Navigating the Financial, Legal, and Emotional Journey with Sandy Moss Moder (Ep. 58)

Caring for a Spouse: Navigating the Financial, Legal, and Emotional Journey with Sandy Moss Moder (Ep. 58)

By |

What happens when love meets life-altering diagnosis and financial pressure? 

For Sandy Moss Moder, it meant stepping into the unknown and documenting every step of the way.

In this episode, I talk with Sandy about her raw and revealing story as a caregiver for her husband battling frontotemporal degeneration. She opens up about the emotional, medical, and financial hurdles she faced—and how her journaling eventually became a published memoir. This conversation shines a light on caregiving, planning ahead, and the power of art and community.

Key takeaways:

  • The early behavioral changes that led to her husband’s FTD diagnosis and the lack of awareness among medical professionals
  • The emotional toll and day-to-day unpredictability of caregiving for a spouse with cognitive decline
  • The financial planning steps she took—including setting up a trust, adjusting Social Security, and building a support team
  • Her process of documenting the disease through journaling, which turned into her memoir
  • The importance of finding the right care facility, asking the right questions, and leaning on senior living advisors
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Connect with Sandy Moss Moder: 

About our Guest: 

Sandy Moss Moder, artist, art instructor at Calumet Art Studio, and now author. I found my creative side at a young age, drawing and painting on found paper and book reports, which led to art classes and writing a drawing curriculum I continue to teach. I have a love for interior design, an extension of color and placement. I began writing in junior high through poetry, journals, essays and stories, which led me to write a memoir, “If I Have One More Brain Thing…” I live in McKinney, Texas, with my two spaniels, “the girls”.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS | More

Feature Image
7 Ways to Access Retirement Funds Early Without a Penalty (Ep. 57)

7 Ways to Access Retirement Funds Early Without a Penalty (Ep. 57)

By |

Accessing your retirement funds early doesn’t have to be a costly mistake.

In this episode, I break down seven ways you may be able to withdraw from your retirement savings before age 59½ without facing that dreaded 10% early withdrawal penalty. 

Whether you’re helping a family member, navigating a crisis, or just need more options, these strategies could offer critical flexibility.

Key points: 

  • The “Rule of 55” and when it applies to 401(k) withdrawals after job separation
  • How SEPP (Substantially Equal Periodic Payments) can be used to create penalty-free income streams before 59½
  • Why Roth IRA contributions are a valuable option for young savers needing access to funds
  • Little-known exceptions like domestic abuse withdrawals and how self-certification simplifies access
  • Using inherited IRAs, education expenses, first-time home purchases, and unreimbursed medical costs as legitimate ways to avoid penalties
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS | More

Feature Image
What Will You Do with Your 1,000 Hours a Year in Retirement? (Ep. 56)

What Will You Do with Your 1,000 Hours a Year in Retirement? (Ep. 56)

By |

Retirement is about more than finances. How will you spend your time?

How do you transition from a life dictated by schedules to one filled with purpose and joy? What steps can you take now to prepare for a fulfilling retirement lifestyle?

In this episode, I explore “The Rule of 1000 Hours” in retirement, explaining how to balance freedom with intention. I offer strategies to avoid aimlessness and craft a life filled with meaningful activities.

Points discussed:

  • “The Rule of a Thousand Hours” and how it can shape your retirement schedule
  • Common problems, like excessive TV watching, and how to avoid them
  • Strategies for identifying energizing activities that align with your passions
  • The value of experimenting with hobbies and creating a flexible retirement plan
  • The importance of practicing retirement to test your financial and time management strategies before the big transition
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS | More