I’m celebrating Kindness Financial Planning, LLC’s birthday on December 9! The business turns three this year.  The best word I can come up to describe this year is surreal.  Like I’ve reflected in year 1 and year 2, building a business is still hard. I still ask myself, “Am I doing the right thing to ..read more

If no legislation is passed, tax rates are changing in 2026. That means you have the end of this year and next year with these current tax rates. Knowing that tax rates are lower and wider now, how will that affect you? Should you proactively be doing tax planning this year? The answer is yes ..read more

You’ve tried everything to get your parents to plan for aging, but they still won’t do it.  You want them to finish their estate plan, give you a copy of their durable power of attorney, discuss end of life wishes, tell you what kind of funeral services they want, and ask where all the important ..read more

What estate planning horror stories have you heard? It could be money going to the wrong person, incorrect people settling the estate, or other restrictions someone never intended.  I encourage folks to regularly review their estate plan, ask their estate planning attorney lots of questions to make sure they understand it, and consider putting contingencies ..read more

Once you are retired, you don’t necessarily need to live in the same place. You can consider different factors to choose the best retirement location for you — not needing to worry about your commute to work.  Where will you go?  Although there are many different factors to choose the best place to retire, below ..read more

When my uncle died while I was in high school, I remember family and friends dividing tasks for my aunt. One of the tasks, writing an obituary, became a team effort. While someone took the lead, multiple eyes read it before it was finished — each person adding or subtracting a few words.  There are good reasons to write your own obituary. I was reminded of that when I read Writing Your Own Obituary Can Teach You How to Live.  Not only can it be a gift for family and friends, it can help you live your ideal life.  What better way to figure out how to live your ideal life than wor ..read more

Elliott’s Note: After writing 9 Lessons I’ve Learned About Death and Money when my dad died, a reader said they would be curious to read an article from my mom’s perspective. They were interested in learning what would overlap and what would be distinct from a different generation.  I asked my mom if she wanted to write something. I don’t typically allow guest posts, but this is one exception I was happy to make. This is her creation with minor editing and a few notes.   Like much of my own writing about my dad, my mom told me, “Time for this to move on. I can’t continue to thin ..read more

“A nuclear bomb was detonated today for the first time in 200 years” screams the headlines.  The DOW Jones dropped 20%, hitting multiple circuit breakers where trading was temporarily halted.  People are panic-buying household goods, including toilet paper, water, and staples like rice and beans.  It’s inevitable that the war will drag on, stocks will not recover, and the economy will be in shambles for decades to come.  At least, that’s what people are saying.  Is it different this time?  Those aren’t actual headlines. They are fictitious.  I made them up ..read more

A common question I am often asked is, “What should I do with an old annuity?”  Maybe you decided years ago that it made sense to buy an annuity, were sold one without fully understanding it, or you had an agent explain it poorly to you.  People often buy an annuity, leave it for a decade or more, and then wonder what they should do with it. Unfortunately, annuities have different rules, so it can be challenging to determine what’s the highest and best use of the funds for you.  Let’s discuss the options for what to do with an old annuity, how it might be taxed, and how you can ..read more

My dad died in July of 2023.  These are the 9 lessons I learned about death and money during his 7 year battle with Stage IV Lung Cancer, increased cognitive impairment, relapse after 20 plus years of being sober, his death, and life post-death. As a financial planner, I’m privileged to be alongside people as they experience death in their own lives. I hear what it’s like and help people plan to make it easier on their survivors.  I’ll borrow a bit from my work and incorporate themes I’ve seen in my career, but most of this is my first hand experience, including fighting the healthca ..read more