The “conversation” has little to do with the amount of money you’ve been told you must accumulate before you can quit work. The conversation should focus on what you want your retirement to look like when that time comes. Many of us fail to ever have the conversation until “that time” is nearly upon us. […]
What do I mean when I talk about story based estate planning? The best way to explain the concept is to offer a couple of examples. When Bill and Carole, my hypothetical client couple, first visited me years ago, they told me about their children and mentioned one of their sons is autistic. That opened […]
Rancher Ralph was married to Matilda and they had a son named Ralphie Jr. They bought an insurance policy insuring Ralph’s life and naming Matilda as beneficiary. It’s a very common and, unless one has a trust in place, appropriate thing to do. Regardless of whether you have had a will or a living trust […]
One of my earliest clients is a delightful couple who operate successful businesses in the Grand Valley. Bill’s business sense has generated moderate success, and Bill and Carole have been able to salt away enough in mutual funds they’re comfortable in thinking about retirement. They remain concerned, though, that their savings might not be there […]
A friend of mine who also happens to be a very good client — let’s call him Billy Planwell — called the other day. He was upset and wanted a meeting. I cleared my morning — something I’m fairly used to doing for many of my clients — and told him to come on in. […]